How can I keep the menu bar visible in fullscreen on Mac Chrome?

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62 viewsDecember 1, 2024Laptop

Gwyneth

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I’ve recently started using Chrome in fullscreen mode on my Mac, and I love having that extra screen space for my work and browsing. However, I find it very frustrating that the menu bar disappears whenever I switch to fullscreen. I often use various tools and options from the menu bar, and having to exit fullscreen to access these features disrupts my workflow significantly.

Is there any way to keep the menu bar visible even when I’m using Chrome in fullscreen on my Mac? I’ve looked through the settings, but I haven’t found any obvious options that could help me with this issue. If anyone has experienced a similar problem or knows how to address it, your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

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5 Answers

Théophile · Answer 1 · 2025-01-04T08:17:29+00:00

To keep the menu bar visible while using Chrome in fullscreen mode on your Mac, there’s a simple tweak you can try:

Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.
Select Dock & Menu Bar.
In the left sidebar, scroll to the bottom and click Menu Bar.
Uncheck the box labeled Automatically hide and show the menu bar in full screen.

After doing this, your menu bar should stay visible whenever you’re in fullscreen mode with Chrome. This straightforward adjustment should keep your workflow smooth without needing to exit fullscreen mode.

Inerney · Answer 2 · 2024-12-19T12:41:05+00:00

For those who are comfortable with terminal commands, there’s a specific command you can run to alter the relevant settings:

Open Terminal from the Applications folder or search through Spotlight.
Input the command: defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleMenuBarVisibleInFullscreen -bool true
Hit Enter and restart your Mac to apply the changes.

By using this terminal command, your macOS settings will be modified to ensure the menu bar remains visible even in fullscreen applications like Chrome. This technical method is effective for maintaining a seamless workflow.

Agostinho · Answer 3 · 2024-12-15T21:11:06+00:00

There’s a handy browser extension you can use to enhance your fullscreen experience and potentially influence menu bar visibility:

Visit the Chrome Web Store and search for the Vimium extension.
Install Vimium, which provides comprehensive keyboard shortcuts for navigating Chrome.

While this doesn’t directly fix the hidden menu bar, it allows you quick access to important features via shortcuts, thereby reducing the need to exit fullscreen mode continually.

Emer · Answer 4 · 2024-12-05T13:34:35+00:00

I’ve dealt with the same issue and found a workaround that helps. While it’s not a perfect fix, it can make the situation more manageable:

Adjust Mission Control settings.
Navigate to System Preferences > Mission Control.
Uncheck Displays have separate Spaces.
Restart Chrome to see if this change helps keep the menu bar visible.

Although it’s not a direct Chrome setting, tweaking these macOS preferences sometimes makes the menu bar appear consistently in fullscreen mode. Give it a try!

Donavan · Answer 5 · 2024-12-01T21:23:07+00:00

A combination of adjusting app-specific settings and macOS preferences might provide a solution. Here’s another approach:

Ensure Chrome is open but not in fullscreen mode.
Go to Chrome’s settings via the three dots in the top right corner.
Navigate to Appearance and make sure Use system title bar and borders is unchecked.

Re-enter fullscreen mode after making these changes. This approach, along with tweaks in Dock & Menu Bar preferences, may help achieve the desired results, albeit requiring some trial and error.