Hide icon spotlight in El Capitan

Question

Mac os x El Capitan

I want to hide the spotlight icon.
Enter the command:

sudo chmod 600 /System/Library/CoreServices/Search.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Search

In response to receiving this:

chmod: Unable to change file mode on /System/Library/CoreServices/Search.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Search: Operation not permitted

How to fix it?

Solution 1

Not sure about the other answers, because /System/Library/CoreServices/Search.bundle doesn't seem to exist here.

However, if you're using Bartender, you can still remove the Spotlight icon (while keeping Spotlight search in tact) by temporarily disabling System Integrity Protection.

1. Reboot into Recovery Mode (hold ⌘+R during boot)
2. Utilities > Terminal
3. csrutil disable
4. Reboot
5. Start Bartender. It'll ask to install some stuff, now that SIP is off
6. Hide Spotlight, which can now be found in Bartender's menu items list
7. Reboot into Recovery Mode and re-enable SIP: csrutil enable
8. Reboot

After you've re-enabled SIP, Bartender will keep hiding the icon.

Solution 2

You can actually also just start in recover mode (cmd + r) and type the command into the terminal. this way you achieve to hide the spotlight icon but don't have to diable sip.

Comments

[brandon927]

This doesn't seem to work, Search.bundle doesn't exist in the recovery environment it seems.

[johnboiles]

Bartender is great

[Dani]

Wait, What? I need to go in safe mode and restart and stuff, for Bartender to actually work?

[Jing Li]

Works like a charm! This approach requires the minimum effort, and makes no real change to the OS, no risk.