From 942a91b2cb233f77d8a68013f986adcd33d02ae9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Noah Talerman <47070608+noahtalerman@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 12:24:02 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Fleet Desktop guide: How to hide macOS menu bar icon
- Write down the best practice
---
articles/fleet-desktop.md | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/articles/fleet-desktop.md b/articles/fleet-desktop.md
index 706180a220d..d63f6e927bf 100644
--- a/articles/fleet-desktop.md
+++ b/articles/fleet-desktop.md
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@ Fleet Desktop unlocks two key benefits:
If your end users have a hard time finding Fleet Desktop in the macOS menu bar, you can optionally deploy the [Fleet Desktop app](https://fleetdm.com/software-catalog/fleet-desktop-darwin). Additionally, to remind end users that they're failing policies, you can deploy [this configuration profile](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/blob/8cd2da576b01075db63d0a254ae597291c1d3d96/it-and-security/lib/macos/configuration-profiles/fleet-desktop-login-item.mobileconfig) to open this app everytime the end user logs in or restarts their Mac.
-## Install Fleet Desktop
-For information on how to install Fleet Desktop, visit: [Adding Hosts](https://fleetdm.com/docs/using-fleet/adding-hosts#fleet-desktop).
+## Install and upgrade
-## Upgrade Fleet Desktop
-Once installed, Fleet Desktop will be automatically updated via Fleetd. To learn more, visit: [Self-managed agent updates](https://fleetdm.com/docs/deploying/fleetctl-agent-updates#self-managed-agent-updates).
+Fleet Desktop is bundled in Fleet's agent (fleetd) so it's automatically installed when you [enroll hosts](https://fleetdm.com/guides/enroll-hosts) by installing fleetd.
+
+Once installed, Fleet Desktop will be [automatically upgraded](https://fleetdm.com/guides/fleetd-updates).
## Custom transparency link
+
Organizations with complex security postures can direct end users to a resource of their choice to serve custom content.
> The custom transparency link is only available for users with Fleet Premium
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ On the settings page, go to **Organization Settings > Fleet Desktop > Custom tra
For information on setting the custom transparency link via a YAML configuration file, see the [configuration files](https://fleetdm.com/docs/configuration/yaml-files#fleet-desktop) documentation.
-## Secure Fleet Desktop
+## Security
Requests sent by Fleet Desktop and the web page that opens when clicking on the "My Device" tray item use a [Random (Version 4) UUID](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4122.html#section-4.4) token to uniquely identify each host.
@@ -53,6 +54,26 @@ As a consequence, Fleet Desktop will issue a new token if the current token is:
This change is imperceptible to users, as clicking on the "My device" tray item always uses a valid token. If a user visits an address with an expired token, they will get a message instructing them to click on the tray item again.
+## Advanced
+
+### Hide the menu bar icon on macOS
+
+Some Fleet users want to hide the menu bar icon on macOS because of the limited menu bar "real estate."
+
+How to hide the menu bar icon:
+
+1. Add the [hide script](TODO) to Fleet.
+2. Go to a device's **Host details** page.
+3. Select **Actions > Run script** and run the hide script.
+
+To run this script automatically across all macOS hosts create a policy in Fleet with the following query:
+
+```sql
+TODO
+```
+
+Then, add connect hide script to this policy via [policy automations](https://fleetdm.com/guides/policy-automation-run-script).
+
From 4f9b346f7bc8bba95a764713e20a78aab3294181 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Noah Talerman <47070608+noahtalerman@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 12:29:33 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Apply suggestion from @noahtalerman
---
articles/fleet-desktop.md | 1 +
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
diff --git a/articles/fleet-desktop.md b/articles/fleet-desktop.md
index d63f6e927bf..8f1c8967a1e 100644
--- a/articles/fleet-desktop.md
+++ b/articles/fleet-desktop.md
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ TODO
Then, add connect hide script to this policy via [policy automations](https://fleetdm.com/guides/policy-automation-run-script).
+Fleet's agent (fleetd) upgrades won't re-show the menu bar icon because upgrades don't touch the plist updated by the hide script.