macOS Bartender Auto-Update Signed by Unknown New Owner

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A popular macOS utility called Bartender, which lets users hide and organize crowded menu bar icons, has changed hands to a new, initially unnamed owner and began auto-updating under a different code-signing certificate. Users are alarmed by the opaque acquisition, security implications (given the app’s screen-recording permissions and developer-heavy user base), and poor communication, prompting many to freeze updates, block network access, or switch to alternatives like Ice, Hidden Bar, or BetterTouchTool. The incident also renews criticism that macOS still lacks built‑in tools for managing menu bar clutter, forcing reliance on third‑party utilities that can later be sold or abandoned.

Ownership Change & Trust Concerns

  • Users report Bartender auto-updating with a new, unknown signing identity, triggering immediate distrust.
  • Main concern: a popular, privileged utility (screen recording, menu access) is an ideal target for malicious takeover or “poisoned” updates.
  • Many criticize the new owners’ vague, delayed communication and lack of clear identification, describing it as “shady” and tone-deaf.
  • Later posts note that the buyer is now stated to be applause.dev and that the original developer published a statement, but several commenters say the reputational damage is already done and they remain worried.

User Responses & Mitigations

  • Common advice:
    • Disable automatic updates in Bartender.
    • Revert to last version signed by the original developer.
    • Block network access for Bartender using tools like Little Snitch or LuLu.
  • Some uninstall Bartender outright and look for alternatives, saying they’re very reluctant to trust the new owners.

Alternatives & Workarounds

  • Open‑source / free menu bar managers: Hidden Bar, Ice, Dozer; several are reported as abandoned or buggy, especially with notched MacBook screens.
  • BetterTouchTool can partially replicate Bartender’s icon-hiding behavior via menu-bar triggers.
  • Some use system tweaks (defaults write commands) to reduce menu bar icon spacing instead of using a third-party app.
  • Other unrelated but similar “should be built‑in” utilities frequently mentioned: Rectangle, AltTab, Alfred/Raycast, Mos/UnnaturalScrollWheels, window managers, mouse utilities, etc.

macOS Design, Notch, and Built‑In Support

  • Strong sentiment that menu bar management should be native to macOS, especially with notched displays where icons can be hidden with no overflow indication.
  • Some argue it’s a niche need; others say virtually every power user they see has a cluttered menu bar.
  • Discussion that Apple gives more management options only for first‑party icons (via Control Center), reinforcing perceptions of special treatment.

Broader Security & Ecosystem Reflections

  • Thread links this case to other app acquisitions that ended badly (e.g., OTP app issues) and to the general risk of relying on many third‑party utilities.
  • Questions raised about the practical value of Apple’s code-signing and team IDs if users can’t easily verify who actually controls a widely‑installed app.