How to remove certain sections from the navigation pane in beamer?

Question

This is a follow-up question to another question.

There are sections (\section{OUTLINE}, \section{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}, and \section{BIBLIOGRAPHY}) that I wish not to show up in the top navigation pane.

\documentclass[aspectratio=169]{beamer}
\usetheme[compress]{Singapore}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\graphicspath{ {figures/} }
\usefonttheme{serif}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\setbeamertemplate{caption}[numbered]
\setbeamersize{text margin left=14mm,text margin right=14mm} 
\setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{}

\title{ON GENERAL RELATIVITY}

\author{John Doe\inst{1}}

\institute[Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)]{
  \inst{1}%
  {PhD Candidate at the Department of Physics\\
  Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)}}

\date{\today}

\newcommand{\nologo}{\setbeamertemplate{logo}{}}

\logo{%
    \makebox[\paperwidth]{%
    \includegraphics[height=1cm]{example-image}%
    \hfill%
    \includegraphics[height=1cm]{example-image}%
    }\hskip-.1cm%
}

\show\hss

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
  \titlepage
\end{frame}

\section{OUTLINE}

\begin{frame}{OUTLINE}

\tableofcontents

\end{frame}

\section{INTRODUCTION}

\begin{frame}{INTRODUCTION}

INSERT INTRODUCTION.

\end{frame}

\section{THEORY}

\begin{frame}{THEORY}

INSERT THEORY.

\end{frame}

\section{METHOD(S)}

\begin{frame}{METHOD(S)}

INSERT METHOD(S).

\end{frame}

\section{RESULTS}

\begin{frame}{RESULTS}

INSERT RESULTS.

\end{frame}

\section{DISCUSSION}

\begin{frame}{DISCUSSION}

INSERT DISCUSSION.

\end{frame}

\section{CONCLUSIONS}

\begin{frame}{CONCLUSIONS}

INSERT CONCLUSIONS.

\end{frame}

\section{BIBLIOGRAPHY}

\nologo{
\begin{frame}{BIBLIOGRAPHY}

INSERT BIBLIOGRAPHY

\end{frame}

\section{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}

\begin{frame}{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}

\centering
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%
\hspace{30pt}
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%
\hspace{30pt}
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%

\end{frame}
}

\end{document}

• Is there a way to hide certain sections so they do not appear in the navigation pane at all? If I do not use \section{BIBLIOGRAPHY} and \section{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS} they do not appear but the navigation points are then listed under the previous section. I only found ways to hide them all (e.g. \setbeamertemplate{headline}{}), not specific ones.
• Is it possible to ensure that all the navigation pane names are similar in length irrespective of word length? It would look better if they had the same designated length.

---

Edit (21.12.2021):

This answers an alternative way where you use \appendix, so that \section{BIBLIOGRAPHY} and \section{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS} appear in a new navigation pane. It is however not exactly what I want since they still appear. If you comment these sections, two navigation points will still appear. \section{OUTLINE} is easily included because you can comment it and it will not appear because it is in front of other sections (not behind). It is still not exactly what I would like.

Answer 1

• to remove the section names from the headline, just don't add these sections.

• to switch off the miniframe bullets for these frames, you can use Beamer with Berlin theme: slide in "hidden" section appears in navigation bar

\documentclass[aspectratio=169]{beamer}
\usetheme[compress]{Singapore}
%\usepackage{graphicx}
\graphicspath{ {figures/} }
\usefonttheme{serif}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
%\usepackage{graphicx}
\setbeamertemplate{caption}[numbered]
\setbeamersize{text margin left=14mm,text margin right=14mm} 
\setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{}

\title{ON GENERAL RELATIVITY}

\author{John Doe\inst{1}}

\institute[Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)]{
  \inst{1}%
  {PhD Candidate at the Department of Physics\\
  Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)}}

\date{\today}

\newcommand{\nologo}{\setbeamertemplate{logo}{}}

\logo{%
    \makebox[\paperwidth]{%
    \includegraphics[height=1cm]{example-image}%
    \hfill%
    \includegraphics[height=1cm]{example-image}%
    }\hskip-.1cm%
}

\show\hss

\makeatletter
\let\beamer@writeslidentry@miniframeson=\beamer@writeslidentry%
\def\beamer@writeslidentry@miniframesoff{%
  \expandafter\beamer@ifempty\expandafter{\beamer@framestartpage}{}% does not happen normally
  {%else
    % removed \addtocontents commands
    \clearpage\beamer@notesactions%
  }
}
\newcommand*{\miniframeson}{\let\beamer@writeslidentry=\beamer@writeslidentry@miniframeson}
\newcommand*{\miniframesoff}{\let\beamer@writeslidentry=\beamer@writeslidentry@miniframesoff}
\makeatother


\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
  \titlepage
\end{frame}

%\section*{OUTLINE}

\begin{frame}{OUTLINE}

\tableofcontents

\end{frame}

\section{INTRODUCTION}

\begin{frame}{INTRODUCTION}

INSERT INTRODUCTION.

\end{frame}

\section{THEORY}

\begin{frame}{THEORY}

INSERT THEORY.

\end{frame}

\section{METHOD(S)}

\begin{frame}{METHOD(S)}

INSERT METHOD(S).

\end{frame}

\section{RESULTS}

\begin{frame}{RESULTS}

INSERT RESULTS.

\end{frame}

\section{DISCUSSION}

\begin{frame}{DISCUSSION}

INSERT DISCUSSION.

\end{frame}

\section{CONCLUSIONS}

\begin{frame}{CONCLUSIONS}

INSERT CONCLUSIONS.

\end{frame}

%\section{BIBLIOGRAPHY}
\miniframesoff

\nologo
\begin{frame}{BIBLIOGRAPHY}

INSERT BIBLIOGRAPHY

\end{frame}

%\section{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}

\begin{frame}{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}

\centering{
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%
\hspace{30pt}
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%
\hspace{30pt}
\includegraphics[height=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image}%
}
\end{frame}


\end{document}