How to Get a macOS-Style Status Bar on Windows (The Easy Way)

If you’ve ever looked at the sleek status bars on macOS or Linux and wished Windows had something similar, you're in luck. While the Windows taskbar is functional, it lacks the minimalist aesthetic and deep customization found on other platforms.

Enter YASB (Yet Another Status Bar)—a free, open-source project that brings a highly configurable status bar to Windows 10 and 11. In the past, setting this up required manually editing complex configuration files, but with the new YASB GUI, it’s now easier than ever.

What You’ll Need

To get started, you'll need three main components:

1. YASB (The Bar itself): The core application that runs the status bar.

2. YASB GUI: A user-friendly interface to configure your bar without touching code.

3. Nerd Fonts: Specifically JetBrains Mono Nerd Font (recommended), which ensures all the cool icons display correctly.

Installation Guide

Step 1: Download the Files

Visit the official GitHub pages to grab the latest stable releases:

• YASB Core: https://github.com/amnweb/yasb — Note: You can find the links to the recommended Fonts directly on the main page of this repository. Download the x64 version for most PCs, or aarch64 for Copilot+ PCs.

• YASB GUI: https://github.com/amnweb/yasb-gui (Download the .msixbundle or installer).

• Fonts: Once you follow the link from the YASB GitHub page to the fonts, download the ZIP, extract it, select the font files, right-click, and choose Install for all users.

Step 2: Install and Launch

1. Install the YASB core application.

2. Install the YASB GUI.

3. Launch the YASB GUI first. On your first launch, it will ask to "Update" or download the widget database—click Update Now.

4. Now, search for and launch YASB from your Start menu. You should see a default status bar appear at the top of your screen!

Customizing Your Bar

The beauty of YASB is that you can make it look exactly how you want. Open the YASB GUI to start tweaking:

1. Adjusting Layout and Position

In the Bars section, you can change the position (Top or Bottom), height, and width. You can even set the width to 50% and center it for a "floating" look that mimics a modern dock.

2. Adding Widgets

Widgets are the heart of the status bar. You can add them to the Left, Center, or Right sections:

• System Monitors: Add CPU frequency, RAM usage, and GPU stats.

• Media & Volume: Control your music and mute your mic/speakers with a single click.

• Internet Traffic: See your real-time download and upload speeds.

• Taskbar Widget: You can even add a widget that acts as a Windows taskbar, allowing you to hide the original Windows taskbar for a truly unique look. and much more..

3. Advanced Features

For power users, YASB integrates perfectly with Tiling Window Managers like Komorebi or GlazeWM. This allows your windows to snap into place automatically, creating a workspace that feels like a professional Linux setup.

I’ve also made a video on this topic — you can watch it below.

https://youtu.be/oEvRvycu45Y

Check out my other posts, I post useful tutorials and tech tips, maybe you will find something useful 😉.