2 min read
Step 1: Starting
Create the Xcode project for a macOS menu bar app.
Create the Project
Open Xcode and create a new project:
- Open Xcode
- Click “Create New Project”
- Select macOS at the top
- Choose App
- Click Next
Fill in the details:
- Product Name: QuickNotes
- Organization Identifier: com.yourname
- Interface: SwiftUI
- Language: Swift
Click Next, save to your Desktop, and Create.
Run It
Press Cmd + R. A window should appear with “Hello, world!” — the default template.
We’ll replace this with a menu bar app, but first let’s confirm everything compiles.
Start Claude Code
Open Terminal:
cd ~/Desktop/QuickNotes
claudeTell Claude about the project:
I'm building a macOS menu bar app called QuickNotes.
It should live in the menu bar — no dock icon, no main window.
When you click the menu bar icon, a popover appears with a text editor.
Let's start by converting this default app to a menu bar app:
- Remove the main window
- Add a menu bar icon (use a note/pencil SF Symbol)
- Show a simple popover when clicked that says "QuickNotes"
- Hide the dock iconCreate CLAUDE.md
Create a CLAUDE.md file for this macOS menu bar app project.Checkpoint
By now you should have:
- Xcode project created
- App compiles and runs
- Claude Code connected
- CLAUDE.md created
What You Learned
- Creating a macOS Xcode project
- Running a Mac app from Xcode
- Menu bar apps have no main window