AppIndicator Hider
Independent open source / 2026-present
A focused GNOME Shell extension that hides selected tray icons while leaving the rest of AppIndicator support intact.
The problem
Tray support is often all or nothing. Some background applications still need AppIndicator integration, but that should not force every registered icon into the top bar.
Decisions
Observe GNOME status-area additions and restore the original Shell hook cleanly when the extension is disabled.
CostThe extension depends on a Shell internal, so every GNOME release has to be checked rather than assumed.
Match only AppIndicator actors against saved, field-specific rules instead of disabling the tray provider.
CostIcons from other tray providers stay visible, which reads as an incomplete result to anyone expecting a single switch.
Read live StatusNotifier items over D-Bus so preferences can offer switches for applications that are running now.
CostAn application that is not running cannot be configured ahead of time.
Ship with an empty rule set, strict schema compilation, and a reproducible extension package check.
CostA fresh install does nothing at all, so the extension only shows its value once someone configures it.
Outcome
Users can remove selected visual noise without breaking the tray integrations that remain useful, and can reverse every choice from native GNOME preferences.
Evidence and scope
Looking for a collaborator?
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