How to Toggle the Touch Bar On or Off on macOS

Quick answer: macOS does not include a built-in switch that fully turns the Touch Bar off. Apple lets you change what the Touch Bar displays, but there is no native “Off” option. If you want to hide and restore the Touch Bar on demand, the current practical approach is a third-party utility such as Hide My Bar. It can disable the Touch Bar with a configurable double-tap shortcut and bring it back the same way.

Before you start: this only applies to MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar

The Touch Bar appeared on selected MacBook Pro models. Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 (2022) specifications, for example, list both a Touch Bar and Touch ID. MacBook Air models use physical function keys instead, so there is nothing to toggle on those machines.

What macOS can do without a third-party app

Apple still provides Touch Bar controls in System Settings. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, then click Touch Bar Settings. Apple’s current Touch Bar settings guide lists choices such as App Controls, Expanded Control Strip, F1/F2 function keys, Quick Actions, and Spaces.

These controls are useful if your goal is to keep the Touch Bar predictable rather than disable it. You can also turn Show Control Strip on or off, change what the Fn or Globe key does, and control typing suggestions. What you cannot select is a system-wide “Touch Bar Off” mode.

How to toggle the Touch Bar off and on with Hide My Bar

1. Download Hide My Bar from the developer. Use the official Hide My Bar download page. The developer currently offers a 10-day free trial with no credit card required. The app is distributed outside the Mac App Store; its official FAQ says this is because the method it uses relies on a private API that Apple does not permit in App Store apps.
2. Install and launch the app. Move it to Applications if prompted, open it, and follow macOS security prompts. If the app asks for Accessibility access, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and enable it for Hide My Bar. The developer says this permission is used to simulate controls such as brightness and volume keys.
3. Choose your double-tap shortcut, then use it to toggle the bar. Hide My Bar lets you pick the modifier key used as the trigger. Double-tap that key to hide the Touch Bar; double-tap it again when you need the Touch Bar back. The menu bar item also gives you access to the app’s settings and controls.

4. Adjust optional Touch Bar behavior. If your MacBook Pro does not have a physical Escape key, Hide My Bar can keep Esc visible while the rest of the Touch Bar is hidden. You can also configure a shortcut for switching to F1, F2, and other function keys.

If Hide My Bar does not hide the Touch Bar

The most important setting to check is Apple’s own Touch Bar mode. The developer’s FAQ says that if you are using function-key behavior, set Touch Bar shows to either App Controls or Expanded Control Strip. Then reopen Hide My Bar and test your shortcut again.

• Confirm Hide My Bar is running in the menu bar.
• Recheck the selected double-tap shortcut in the app’s preferences.
• If macOS requested Accessibility permission, make sure it is enabled under Privacy & Security.
• If the Touch Bar is merely frozen, restarting the related Touch Bar process may recover it, but that is a troubleshooting restart, not a persistent on/off setting.

When Apple’s built-in settings are enough

You do not need a third-party utility if you simply want the Touch Bar to stop changing from app to app. In Touch Bar Settings, choose Expanded Control Strip for consistent system controls or F1, F2, etc. Keys for a traditional function-key layout. Apple also lets you customize Control Strip buttons; its Touch Bar customization guide explains how to add, rearrange, or remove them.

For a true quick hide/show workflow, however, macOS still does not provide a native toggle. Hide My Bar fills that gap while keeping the change reversible whenever you need the Touch Bar again.