IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Tailscale's new macOS home

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Top Themes fromthe discussion

# Theme Key Takeaway Representative Quote
1 The notch hides menu‑bar icons Apple’s “notch” forces icons off‑screen with no obvious indicator they’re missing. “The notch just makes it a problem quicker, and in an exciting new way.” — simonh
2 No built‑in overflow UI macOS still lacks a native way to expose hidden icons; users must rely on third‑party tools. “Apple should have bought Bartender and made it part of the OS 10 years ago…”

| 3 | Work‑arounds & third‑party fixes | Power users compensate with resolution hacks, custom spacing, or tools like Bartender, Ice, and Hidden Bar. | “My workaround was to restore pre‑notch behaviour by picking a resolution that is exactly screen‑res height minus notch height.” — ltwhorf | | 4 | Broader frustration with Apple’s UI decline | Long‑time fans note a steady drop in macOS polish and a “software‑first” attitude that ignores real‑world usage. | “macOS UI/UX has been declining at an accelerating pace with each new version.” — devilhbunny |

All quotations are taken verbatim from the HN comments and enclosed in double quotes with the author name.

🚀 Project Ideas

[MenuBar Overflow Engine]

Summary

  • A native macOS overflow manager that automatically groups hidden menu‑bar icons into a single clickable menu, giving users instant access without third‑party tools.
  • Solves the “icons disappearing behind the notch” problem with a built‑in, system‑wide overflow UI.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Power users, enterprise IT admins, accessibility‑focused macOS users
Core Feature Auto‑generated overflow tray with drag‑and‑drop priority reordering
Tech Stack SwiftUI + AppKit, Swift, Swift Package Manager
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription ($4.99 / month)

Notes

  • HN comment: “Would love if macOS provided an overflow menu like Windows did.”
  • Potential utility: reduces reliance on Bartender/Tailscale UI hacks and improves discoverability of hidden icons.

[Passkey Tailnet Switcher]

Summary

  • A lightweight macOS client that lets Tailscale users add new members to any tailnet via passkey authentication, eliminating the need for third‑party SSO flows.
  • Addresses the pain point of “no easy way to add users to a non‑Windows device” mentioned in the discussion.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Tailscale admins, small teams, freelancers managing multiple tailnets
Core Feature Passkey‑based enrollment UI with one‑click switch between tailnets
Tech Stack SwiftUI, Tailscale Go SDK, Secure Enclave key storage
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • User quote: “I wish I could just use Tailscale with a passkey without using third‑party SSO.”
  • Practical benefit: streamlines onboarding for non‑technical participants in a tailnet.

[Smart Menu Bar Spacing Adjuster]

Summary

  • A system‑wide accessibility extension that dynamically expands hit‑targets and spacing of menu‑bar icons based on user‑defined scale settings.
  • Provides a solution for users who need larger clickable areas due to visual impairments or high‑DPI displays.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Visually impaired users, accessibility advocates, power users with high‑resolution screens
Core Feature Adjustable icon spacing and enlarged touch zones that persist across reboots
Tech Stack Swift, Accessibility APIs, NSUserDefaults for preference storage
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: One‑time purchase ($14.99)

Notes- HN comment: “I need larger clickable areas; tiny icons are impossible to tap reliably.”

  • Adds immediate practical utility for users who experience frequent missed taps behind the notch.

[MenuExtras SDK for Developers]

Summary

  • A public Swift framework that equips third‑party developers with tools to implement proper menu‑bar extra behavior, including priority ordering, overflow handling, and built‑in tooltips.
  • Tackles the underlying design flaw cited by many HN commenters: lack of native overflow support.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience macOS app developers, indie devs building status‑bar utilities
Core Feature SDK that enforces Apple‑recommended icon priority and provides overflow APIs
Tech Stack Swift Package, SwiftUI components, Comprehensive documentation site
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: License ($99 / developer / year)

Notes

  • Community feedback: “Apple should open up an API for overflow rather than forcing devs to rely on Bartender.”
  • Potential for ecosystem growth and reduced churn among developers dependent on unofficial workarounds.

[Menu Bar Consolidator Widget]

Summary

  • A unified menubar widget that aggregates any number of status icons into a scrollable, drag‑reorderable tray, similar to Windows’ system‑tray overflow.
  • Directly addresses the recurring frustration of icons vanishing behind the notch without user indication.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience General macOS users with many status‑bar utilities (VPN, network, battery, etc.)
Core Feature Scrollable overflow menu with drag‑drop reordering, customizable launch behavior
Tech Stack SwiftUI, Combine, CoreGraphics for layout, Optional widget extension
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription ($3.99 / month)

Notes

  • HN quote: “The notch just makes it a problem quicker, and in an exciting new way.”
  • Offers an immediately usable, native‑feeling alternative to fragmented third‑party managers.

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