macos-menubar-app

name	macos-menubar-app
description	Build a production-quality macOS menubar or notch app in SwiftUI — covering MenuBarExtra setup, sandbox entitlements, keyboard shortcuts, sound effects, accessibility permissions, and /critique-driven polish cycles. Use when starting or extending a macOS agent app that lives in the status bar or Mac notch area.
license	MIT
allowed-tools	Bash, Read, Write, Edit
compatibility	Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Kiro, and other Agent Skills compatible tools. Requires Xcode 15+, macOS 13+ deployment target, and an Apple Developer account for App Store distribution.
metadata	{"targets":["_source-only"],"author":"Oleg Koval","tags":["macos","swiftui","menubar","notch","xcode","apple","sandbox"]}

🤖 Auto-generated by weekly-pattern-learner · SwiftUI macOS menubar app pattern observed in FocusNotch session, Jun 2026 (364 user turns, ~48 MB transcript covering idea → spec → impl → critique cycles → App Store)

macOS Menubar / Notch App (SwiftUI)

Overview

Build a macOS app that lives in the menu bar or notch using SwiftUI's MenuBarExtra. Covers the full lifecycle: project setup, window management, entitlements, user interaction (keyboard shortcuts, sound), and App Store preparation.

When to Use

• User asks to build an app for the macOS menubar, status bar, or notch
• Adding a menubar presence to an existing macOS app
• Debugging sandbox rejections or entitlement errors in a SwiftUI app

Workflow

1. Project Setup

Create a new macOS App target in Xcode:

• Interface: SwiftUI
• App Sandbox: Enabled (required for App Store)
• Bundle ID: com.yourname.AppName
• Deployment target: macOS 13+ (for MenuBarExtra)

In Info.plist, set:

<key>LSUIElement</key>
<true/>

This hides the app from the Dock — the menu bar becomes the only entry point.

2. MenuBarExtra (SwiftUI native)

@main
struct FocusApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        MenuBarExtra {
            ContentView()
                .frame(width: 320, height: 480)
        } label: {
            Label("Focus", systemImage: "timer")
        }
        .menuBarExtraStyle(.window)
    }
}

Use .menuBarExtraStyle(.window) for a popover-style panel. Use .menuBarExtraStyle(.menu) for a dropdown menu.

3. Notch Detection

On MacBooks with a notch, the safe area changes. Detect and adapt:

func isNotchPresent() -> Bool {
    guard let screen = NSScreen.main else { return false }
    // The notch area is excluded from visibleFrame top
    let screenHeight = screen.frame.height
    let visibleTop = screen.visibleFrame.maxY
    return visibleTop < screenHeight
}

Position windows below the notch:

window.setFrameOrigin(NSPoint(
    x: window.frame.origin.x,
    y: NSScreen.main!.frame.height - window.frame.height - notchOffset
))

4. Sandbox Entitlements

Minimum .entitlements for a sandboxed menubar app:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key>
    <true/>
    <!-- Add only what the app actually uses: -->
    <!-- <key>com.apple.security.network.client</key> -->
    <!-- <true/> -->
</dict>
</plist>

For focus/blocking features that need accessibility:

<key>com.apple.security.temporary-exception.apple-events</key>
<array>
    <string>com.apple.systemevents</string>
</array>

5. Accessibility Permission (Focus Detection)

To detect which app is in focus (required for distraction blocking):

import ApplicationServices

func requestAccessibilityPermission() -> Bool {
    let options: NSDictionary = [kAXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt.takeUnretainedValue() as String: true]
    return AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions(options)
}

Call this on first launch and prompt the user to grant access in System Settings → Privacy → Accessibility.

6. Sound Effects

import AVFoundation

class SoundPlayer {
    private var player: AVAudioPlayer?

    func play(_ filename: String, extension ext: String = "mp3") {
        guard let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: filename, withExtension: ext) else { return }
        player = try? AVAudioPlayer(contentsOf: url)
        player?.play()
    }
}

Add sound files to the Xcode target (check Target Membership in file inspector).

For system sounds (no file needed):

NSSound.beep()
// or
NSSound(named: .init("Hero"))?.play()

7. Keyboard Shortcuts

Global shortcuts (work when app is not focused) — requires Accessibility permission:

NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEvents(matching: .keyDown) { event in
    if event.modifierFlags.contains([.command, .shift]) && event.keyCode == 36 { // ⌘⇧↩
        // Handle shortcut
    }
}

Local shortcuts (SwiftUI):

.keyboardShortcut("s", modifiers: [.command, .shift])

8. Persistent State (AppStorage)

@AppStorage("timerDuration") private var timerDuration: Double = 25 * 60
@AppStorage("soundEnabled") private var soundEnabled: Bool = true

For complex state, use UserDefaults with a suite name to share across extensions.

9. Polish Cycle

After each implementation slice:

Optional skills: Steps 1 and 3 require /critique and /whimsy-injector from the agent-skills catalog. Install them via skillshare if not already available; skip these steps if not installed.

1. Run /critique — evaluate against Apple HIG, WCAG contrast, interaction consistency
2. Fix all P0/P1 findings
3. Run /whimsy-injector on completion screens and idle states
4. Test on a machine without a notch to verify layout

10. App Store Preparation

See olko:apple-store-submit for the full submission and rejection-handling workflow.

Pre-submission checklist:

# Validate archive
xcodebuild archive -scheme <AppName> -archivePath build/<AppName>.xcarchive

# Check sandbox
codesign --verify --deep --strict build/<AppName>.xcarchive/Products/Applications/<AppName>.app

# Verify entitlements
codesign -d --entitlements :- build/<AppName>.xcarchive/Products/Applications/<AppName>.app

Key Pitfalls

Symptom	Cause	Fix
App appears in Dock	LSUIElement missing	Add to Info.plist
Menubar icon missing after build	Asset catalog misconfigured	Use PDF or SVG template image, tick Template Image
Crash on click	View not loaded in popover window	Add .frame() to MenuBarExtra content
Sound not playing	File not in target	Check Target Membership in file inspector
Accessibility prompt not shown	Missing entitlement	Add temporary-exception.apple-events or use XPC
Notch overlap	Hardcoded y-position	Detect visibleFrame vs frame delta

Verification

• App does not appear in Dock (LSUIElement = true)
• MenuBarExtra icon renders as template image (respects dark/light mode)
• Sound plays on timer events
• Keyboard shortcuts respond both globally and locally
• App passes codesign --verify --deep --strict
• Layout correct on M1 MacBook (no notch) and M3 MacBook Pro (notch)