Every Mac User Needs This Little Menu Bar Calendar App.
The first thing I do after setting up a new Mac is install Itsycal , a small but powerful calendar app that stays pinned to the menu bar. I use it to replace the more limited default calendar on the Mac, and it serves as a quick and accessible calendar whenever I need to plan something, confirm a deadline date, or look up the day’s events.
Itsycal is tiny, free and open source. While there are other options for Mac calendar apps and menu bar utilities ( Dato is a popular option), they are either paid or quite complex. If you want something simple and delicious, install Itsycal.
Setting up Itsycal
The default Itsycal setup will show you the date on the menu bar icon, an overview of the current month, and calendar appointments for the current day. But there are a few tweaks that will make the app even better.
First let’s customize the menu bar icon. Open the Itsycal app (it’s just a menu bar utility, so you won’t see the full-screen app), click the Settings icon, and switch to the Appearance menu.
Here, enable “Show month on icon” and “Show day of week on icon” . Much better . If your system clock has the date or day of the week turned on, you can turn it off in System Settings to avoid seeing it twice. Go to Control Center > Clock Options and select Never for the Show Date option, then turn off Show Day of the Week . Now the system clock will only display the time.
While you’re editing the look and feel of Itsycal, I’d also suggest you increase the size of the calendar and use the “Highlight” feature for Saturday and Sunday to highlight the weekends.
In the General section, you can select the first day of the week and optionally switch it to Monday . Here you can also connect to the Calendar app and choose which calendar events appear in Itsycal.
You can also write down the Itsycal keyboard shortcut here so you can open your calendar without even touching your mouse .
Syncs with the Calendar app.
Itsycal’s default settings only show the current month, but I like to look ahead. You can grab the little separator icon below the calendar and drag it down to reveal another month.
Itsycal works very well with the built-in Calendar app on Mac, so events created in the Calendar app appear instantly in Itsycal. And you can tap the Plus button in Itsycal to create a new event using the Calendar app’s built-in input (along with video calling links and calendar selection). Clicking the Calendar button at the bottom will even open the macOS Calendar app.
I’ll leave you with one last tip: if you click the Pin icon in the bottom bar, Itsycal will now appear at the top of the screen and stay there no matter what you do. I find this invaluable when planning a trip or trying to coordinate with someone at a meeting or event. You can use it to view your calendar or upcoming appointments without having to click the menu bar icon every time.