Remove Unused Shortcuts Without Losing the Whole Bar
Clean Up the Greeting and Screen Controls Separately
Remove Howdy is useful when a more neutral account label suits the dashboard. It rebuilds the account label using the display name and avatar without changing the user’s account information. Help and Screen Options are separate options: they are administrative screen controls, not toolbar nodes, and do not receive frontend behavior simply because they appear in the same module settings.
Consider whether users still need Screen Options before hiding it. For example, Dashboard Columns places its per-user column choice there. Removing the control changes access to that visible preference interface; it does not delete the selected dashboard layout. Treat these as deliberate workspace choices rather than checking every removal option simply to make the screen emptier.
Choose Item Cleanup or Role-Based Bar Hiding
Hide Admin Bar is the alternative when the entire frontend toolbar should disappear for selected roles. Remove Admin Bar Items keeps the bar and changes its contents across supported admin and frontend contexts. The choice depends on the user experience you need: members may need no frontend bar, while editors may benefit from a bar with fewer shortcuts.
Neither removing a shortcut nor hiding a screen control should be described as revoking the underlying feature or capability. Removing Updates from the toolbar, for example, is not an update-blocking policy. The module is focused on presentation and navigation, so permissions and operational controls remain separate decisions.
