How to Get a Catalina-Style Menu Bar on macOS Big Sur

To bring back the solid Catalina look on a Mac running Big Sur, install Boring Old Menu Bar version 1.27 and choose the Catalina styles for Light Mode and Dark Mode. Big Sur does not include a built-in switch for the Catalina bar colors. The app provides the closest match while leaving Apple's menu bar controls and icons in place.

Big Sur changed the menu bar to a translucent surface that picks up color from the desktop wallpaper. If the wallpaper is bright or busy, menu titles and status icons can be harder to distinguish.

Download the version that supports Big Sur

Big Sur is macOS 11, so use the developer's Boring Old Menu Bar version 1.27 download, which is listed for macOS 11 Big Sur or later. The current main download page offers newer builds for later systems: version 1.28 is for macOS 13 through 26, and version 1.31 is for macOS 27 on Apple silicon. Those aren't the Big Sur download.

The developer currently lists a 14-day trial and a $9.95 one-time purchase. The trial stops working after 14 days; check the official purchase page for current license and upgrade terms.

Install the app and select the Catalina styles

1. Download version 1.27 from the developer's download page. Open the downloaded archive, then move Boring Old Menu Bar to Applications if the installer asks you to.
2. Launch the app and open its menu bar icon. If its main switch is off, turn it on.
3. Under Light Mode, set the Menu Bar Style to Catalina (light).
4. Under Dark Mode, choose Catalina (dark). The app keeps a separate style for each macOS appearance, so the menu bar follows your Light or Dark appearance setting.
5. Wait a few seconds for the desktop to update. If the menu bar stays translucent, toggle the app off and back on.

What the app changes—and what to expect

Boring Old Menu Bar does not replace Apple's menu bar. On Big Sur, version 1.27 works by capturing the desktop wallpaper, placing a solid strip behind the menu bar, and setting that edited copy as the wallpaper. The developer notes that versions before 1.29 use this screenshot-based method; macOS may therefore ask for Screen Recording permission. Grant it only if you want the app to capture the desktop image. The vendor's version history explains the later change to rendering wallpaper files.

Because the app updates the wallpaper, a change may take a moment and the menu bar can briefly look translucent while it refreshes. Switching the app off restores the original wallpaper. With multiple desktops (Spaces), each desktop has its own wallpaper; visit each Space and pause for a few seconds so the app can apply the bar there. Dynamic wallpapers or frequent wallpaper changes can trigger more refreshes.

You can also choose Custom in the style menu and select a color for Light Mode and Dark Mode separately. The Catalina presets are the quickest way to match the older macOS appearance; custom colors are useful if you want a different solid backdrop.

Free built-in option: reduce transparency

If you only want a more solid background and do not need the Catalina colors, Big Sur includes an accessibility option: open Apple menu > System Preferences > Accessibility > Display, then turn on Reduce transparency. Apple describes this as replacing transparent macOS backgrounds with a solid background, but it does not reproduce the specific Catalina light and dark styles and can affect other transparent interface areas too. See Apple's guide to making transparent items solid.

If you use Boring Old Menu Bar, leave Reduce Transparency off. The developer says that setting makes macOS draw its own gray bar over the app's wallpaper-based color, which can make the custom bar seem not to work. If the bar is solid gray rather than the selected Catalina color, check this setting first.

Quick troubleshooting

• Menu bar is still translucent: confirm the app switch is on, wait a few seconds, and toggle it off and on. Check that Reduce Transparency is off.
• The change appears on only one desktop: move through your Spaces one by one and give the app a moment to update each wallpaper.
• Your wallpaper is a custom solid color: the vendor documents a Big Sur wallpaper issue with this setup. Temporarily choose a non-solid wallpaper in System Preferences, then select a solid color from the app's own Wallpaper control if you want a flat desktop background.

For Big Sur, version 1.27 is the key detail: it supplies the Catalina light and dark menu bar styles on macOS 11, while the newer downloads target later macOS releases.