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Get set up. Stay unstuck.
HexGrab lives only in the menu bar, no Dock icon. Here’s how to sample colors, what each option means, and where to look if something’s missing.
How to use HexGrab
Three gestures. Everything else is optional.
Left-click
Opens the system color sampler. Click any pixel and the hex is copied and a chip appears under the menu bar.
Right-click
Opens recent colors, preferences, About, and Quit. There is no separate Settings window.
Recent colors
Click a swatch or hex to copy again. Use on a row to remove it, or Discard All to clear history.
What each option does
Right-click the menu bar icon to change these.
Icon isn’t on the menu bar
Work through these in order as most cases are space or focus, not a broken install.
Confirm HexGrab is running
Open it from Launchpad, Spotlight, or Applications. Menu-bar-only apps don’t show a Dock icon while open.
Free space on a crowded menu bar
When the bar is full, macOS may push status icons off the right edge. Quit other menu-bar apps or hide unused Control Centre items near the clock.
Trim Control Centre items
Go to System Settings → Control Centre and set items you don’t need to Don’t Show in Menu Bar. Check the Menu Bar Only section for Clock, Spotlight, and similar.
Menu bar may be auto-hidden
Check System Settings → Desktop & Dock (or Desktop & Stage Manager) for Automatically hide and show the menu bar. Move the pointer to the top of the screen to reveal it.
Full screen or Stage Manager
In full screen the menu bar is often hidden until you move to the top edge. Exit full screen briefly to confirm the icon is there.
Multiple displays
With separate displays, the menu bar may only appear on the display that has focus. Click the screen you expect, then check the top edge again.
Quit and reopen
Right-click → Quit HexGrab (or ⌘Q with the menu open), then launch HexGrab again. If the icon still never appears, restart once after install.
Still missing?
macOS doesn’t list every third-party menu-bar icon under Control Centre. If HexGrab is running and the bar has free space, reinstall from the App Store.
Color sampling problems
If the eyedropper or clipboard doesn’t behave as expected.
Sampler won’t open or returns no color
Cancel and left-click the icon again. Only one sampler can run at a time.
Screen Recording permission
Sampling other windows may need Screen Recording access. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording, allow HexGrab if listed, then quit and reopen the app.
Hex not pasting where you expect
HexGrab writes a plain string such as #A1B2C3 to the clipboard.
Paste with ⌘V. Some fields only accept colors via their own picker.
Launch at Login not sticking
When the toggle doesn’t match what happens at login.
Check Login Items
Go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions (wording may vary). Under Allow in the Background or Open at Login, confirm HexGrab is allowed.
Toggle from the app
Right-click the HexGrab icon → Launch at Login → Off, then On again. The checkmark reflects the real system status after registration.
Managed Macs
Organisation policies can block login items. If your Mac is supervised, ask your admin.