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Solving issues with Airfoil for Mac’s icon not showing in the menu bar

Airfoil features an optional menu bar icon, which can be enabled using a radio button in the Settings window. Choose either the In both the Dock and the menu bar or the Only in the menu bar radio button in Airfoil’s Settings window to display Airfoil’s menu bar icon.

If you find that Airfoil for Mac’s menu bar icon is not displaying in your menu bar after enabling that option in the Settings window, you’re likely encountering one of two issues. There may be an issue with a system-level permission setting.

MacOS’s Allow in the Menu Bar permission

In MacOS 26 (Tahoe) and higher, an Allow in the Menu Bar setting can be found in the Menu Bar section of System Settings. If this setting is disabled, Airfoil for Mac will be unable to display its icon in the menu bar.

The most common way this permission is switched off unintentionally is dragging Airfoil for Mac’s icon out of the menu bar. When an icon is dragged out of the menu bar, MacOS automatically disables the Allow in the Menu Bar permission for that app.

Allow Airfoil for Mac to display in the Menu Bar

Follow these steps to allow Airfoil for Mac to display its icon in the Menu Bar.

1. Open the System Settings application from the Apple () menu.
2. Click on the Menu Bar section in the sidebar.
3. Scroll down to the Allow in the Menu Bar sub-section.
4. Find Airfoil for Mac in the list.
5. Toggle the switch for Allow in Menu Bar to the On position.

With this setting enabled, Airfoil for Mac’s menu bar icon should now appear in the menu bar.

A Note About Crowded Menu Bars

Running a large number of menu bar applications may result in some menu bar icons being pushed off screen. When this occurs, you may find that Airfoil for Mac is running, but does not appear to be unavailable in the menu bar.

If quitting or removing other menu bar apps to clear space is not an option, you can hold down the Command key on your keyboard, then click and drag a menu bar app icon through the menu bar. This will reveal icons that are hidden off screen and enable changing their display order.