How to Disable the WordPress Admin Bar (for You or All Users)

Want to disable the WordPress admin bar? When WordPress 3.1 introduced the admin bar (now called the Toolbar) in 2011, many bloggers found it obtrusive on the front of their sites, and we went looking for a way to turn it off. The options have improved since. You can hide it just for yourself in your profile, for all non-admins with one line of code, or with a lightweight plugin. Here is each method for 2026.

Quick answer: To hide it for yourself, go to Users > Profile and untick Show Toolbar when viewing site. To hide it for everyone except administrators, add if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) { show_admin_bar( false ); } to your child theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin. The Toolbar on the dashboard itself cannot be fully removed without hiding admin menus.

What is the WordPress admin bar?

The admin bar, or Toolbar, is the dark strip at the top of your site when you are logged in. It gives quick links to the dashboard, new posts, comments, updates and plugin menus such as Rank Math or LiteSpeed Cache. Visitors who are not logged in never see it.

Method 1: Turn it off for yourself

1. Go to Users > Profile.
2. Untick Show Toolbar when viewing site.
3. Click Update Profile.

This only affects your own account. Each user can choose for themselves.

Method 2: Disable it for all non-admins (code)

Membership sites, shops and forums often hide the bar for subscribers and customers. Add this to your child theme’s functions.php, or better, to a snippets plugin such as Code Snippets or WPCode:

add_action( 'after_setup_theme', function () {
    if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
        show_admin_bar( false );
    }
} );

To hide it for everyone, including administrators, use:

add_filter( 'show_admin_bar', '__return_false' );

Method 3: Use a plugin

If you prefer settings to code, small plugins such as Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles let you choose roles in a settings page. Some membership and WooCommerce plugins include the same option. The old plugins from our 2011 list, like WP Admin Bar Removal and WP Custom Admin Bar, are no longer maintained, so avoid them.

Customize the admin bar instead

Often the problem is clutter, not the bar itself. Many plugins add their own menus; check their settings for a “show in admin bar” option and turn it off. Developers can remove individual items with $wp_admin_bar->remove_node() in the admin_bar_menu hook. Fewer items also mean fewer scripts on the front end for logged-in users.

Why keep it?

For site owners, the Toolbar is handy: one click to edit the post you are viewing, purge the cache or see pending comments. If you write a lot, it saves trips to the dashboard. Hide it only where it gets in the way, such as when checking your design as visitors see it.

More WordPress tweaks: delete post revisions, create multiple sidebars, and increase WordPress security.

Hide the admin bar on mobile only

On phones the Toolbar takes a bigger share of the screen, and its menus are harder to tap. If you only want it gone on small screens, a little CSS in Appearance, Customize, Additional CSS does the job: @media (max-width: 782px) { #wpadminbar { display: none; } html { margin-top: 0 !important; } }. This hides the bar visually for logged-in users on phones while keeping it on desktop, where it is most useful.

FAQ

Why is there a gap at the top of my site?

WordPress adds 32px of space for the Toolbar when you are logged in. It disappears for visitors and when you disable the bar.

Can visitors see the admin bar?

No. Only logged-in users see it.

Will disabling the admin bar affect my dashboard?

No. These methods hide it on the front of the site only; the dashboard still works normally.