openclaw/docs/platforms/mac/menu-bar.md

Multi-channel AI gateway with extensible messaging integrations

---
summary: "Menu bar status logic and what is surfaced to users"
read_when:
  - Tweaking mac menu UI or status logic
title: "Menu bar"
---

## What is shown

- The current agent work state renders in the menu bar icon and in the first status row of the menu.
- Health status is hidden while work is active; it returns once all sessions are idle.
- A root "Context" item opens a submenu with recent sessions instead of expanding them in the root menu.
- A "Devices" block in the root menu lists paired **devices** only (from `node.list`), not client/presence entries.
- A root "Usage" section appears below Context when provider usage snapshots are available, followed by cost details when available.
- When two or more Gateways are available, the first status row includes the primary Gateway name and a root "Gateways" section lists every Gateway with its health and primary marker. Select a row to open or focus that Gateway's dashboard; hold Option to reveal "Set as Primary…" for eligible saved Gateways.
- **Quick Chat** opens the floating main-session composer; its current global shortcut appears beside the item.

Single-Gateway setups keep the existing menu unchanged. With two or more Gateways, the app's main **Gateways** menu also assigns Command-1 through Command-9 in catalog order. Its checkmark follows the frontmost dashboard window, and selecting an item switches that window in place or opens the selected Gateway when no dashboard window exists.

The Devices and Automations summaries refresh while the menu is open. Closing it stops their menu-owned polling. An active native Cron Jobs settings pane keeps its own refresh running. Cached summaries remain available when reopening the same Primary Gateway. Changing Primary refreshes Devices, Usage, and cost details from the newly selected Gateway.

Manual Cron refreshes and successful job changes supersede older reads, so an in-flight response cannot restore a deleted job to the list.

## State model

- Source: `WorkActivityStore` (`apps/macos/Sources/OpenClaw/WorkActivityStore.swift`).
- Events arrive as `ControlAgentEvent` with a `runId`; the handler (`ControlChannel.routeWorkActivity`) reads `sessionKey` from the event payload and defaults to `"main"` if absent.
- Priority: the main session (`sessionKey == "main"` by default) always wins. If main is active, its state shows immediately. If main is idle, the most recently active non-main session shows instead. The store does not flip mid-activity; it only switches when the current session goes idle or main becomes active.
- Activity kinds:
  - `job`: high-level command execution (`state: started|streaming|done|error|...`).
  - `tool`: `phase: start|result` with `name`, optional `meta`/`args`.

## IconState enum (Swift)

- `idle`
- `workingMain(ActivityKind)`
- `workingOther(ActivityKind)`
- `overridden(ActivityKind)` (debug override)

### ActivityKind -> badge symbol

`ActivityKind` wraps a `ToolKind` (`bash`, `read`, `write`, `edit`, `attach`, `other`) or a bare `job`. Each maps to an SF Symbol badge drawn over the critter icon (`IconState.badgeSymbolName`):

| Kind            | Symbol                             |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `bash`          | `chevron.left.slash.chevron.right` |
| `read`          | `doc`                              |
| `write`         | `pencil`                           |
| `edit`          | `pencil.tip`                       |
| `attach`        | `paperclip`                        |
| `other` / `job` | `gearshape.fill`                   |

### Visual mapping

- `idle`: normal critter, no badge.
- `workingMain`: badge with symbol, full tint (`.primary` prominence), leg "working" animation.
- `workingOther`: badge with symbol, muted tint (`.secondary` prominence), no scurry.
- `overridden`: uses the chosen symbol/tint regardless of real activity.

## Context submenu

- The root menu shows one "Context" row with a session count/status; it opens a submenu (`MenuSessionsInjector`).
- The submenu header shows the active session count for the last 24 hours.
- Each session row keeps its token bar, age, preview, thinking/verbose toggle, reset, compact, and delete actions.
- Loading, disconnected, and session-load error messages render inside the Context submenu.
- Usage and cost sections stay root-level below Context so they remain glanceable without opening the submenu.

## Status row text (menu)

- With two or more Gateways, the connection label appends the primary Gateway's catalog display name, such as `OpenClaw Active — Mac Studio`.
- While work is active: `<Session role> · <activity label>` (`"\(roleLabel) · \(activity.label)"` in `MenuContentView`), where role label is `Main` or `Other`.
- When idle: falls back to the health summary.

## Event ingestion

- Source: control-channel `agent` events, routed by `ControlChannel.routeWorkActivity(from:)`.
- Parsed fields:
  - `stream: "job"` with `data.state` for start/stop.
  - `stream: "tool"` with `data.phase`, `data.name`, optional `data.meta`/`data.args`.
- Tool labels come from `ToolDisplayRegistry.resolve(name:args:meta:)`; unresolved names fall back to the raw tool name.

## Debug override

- Settings > Debug > "Icon override" picker:
  - `System (auto)` (default)
  - `Working: main` / `Working: other` (per tool kind: bash, read, write, edit, other)
  - `Idle`
- Stored under `UserDefaults` key `openclaw.iconOverride`; mapped to `IconState.overridden`.

## Testing checklist

- Trigger main session job: icon switches immediately and status row shows the main label.
- Trigger non-main session job while main is idle: icon/status shows the non-main session; stays stable until it finishes.
- Start main while another session is active: icon flips to main instantly.
- Rapid tool bursts: badge does not flicker (2s grace window before clearing a finished tool, `WorkActivityStore.toolResultGrace`).
- Health row reappears once all sessions are idle.

## Related

- [macOS app](/platforms/macos)
- [Menu bar icon](/platforms/mac/icon)