For macOS · Version 0.1.0

The notch, put to quiet use.

NotchyIsland turns the space around your MacBook's camera into a small island for what's playing, what's next on your calendar, what you last copied and the files you want to keep close. Volume and brightness show up there too.

Download for Mac Free · macOS 14 Sonoma or later

Hover over the notch

Everything you reach for. Right where you look.

Five small things, living quietly in the notch, there the moment you need them.

I. Now Playing

Your music, within reach of the cursor

Track, artist and artwork from any app that reports to macOS Now Playing: Music, Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube Music in a browser. Play, pause, skip and scrub without switching windows, or jump straight to the player. While music plays, the closed notch shows the artwork and live audio bars. If system Now Playing isn't available, Music and Spotify are read directly.

Now PlayingCalendarClipboardShelf
Gymnopédie No. 1Erik Satie · Piano Works
1:253:05
Now PlayingCalendarClipboardShelf
November 2026
SMTWTFS 1234567 891011121314 15161718192021 22232425262728 2930
FRI 6 NOV
Design review10:00 – 10:45 · in 19m
Lunch with Maya12:30 – 13:30
Release 0.1.017:00 – 17:30
II. Calendar

The day ahead, one glance away

Today's date with up to three of today's events: what's coming up first, with a countdown, then all-day events, then the ones that already ended, dimmed. Or switch to the full month and click any day to see its events. Events come from the calendars already on your Mac; cancelled and declined ones are skipped.

III. Clipboard

Everything you copied, kept in order

The last twenty pieces of text you copied, each with the app it came from. Click an item to copy it again. History stays on this Mac, and anything a password manager marks as private is never saved.

Now PlayingCalendarClipboardShelf
5 of 20 · Click to copyClear History…
https://notchyisland.app/download✓ Copied
Meeting notes — follow up on the launch copyNotes · 4 min. ago
git commit -m "Add clipboard history"Terminal · 9 min. ago
#B68235Xcode · 12 min. ago
Coffee with Arjun, Saturday 10 amMessages · 1 hr. ago
Now PlayingCalendarClipboardShelf
4 items · Drag out to useAirDrop AllClear
  • PDFLaunch plan.pdf
  • PNGIsland mockup.png
  • TXTRelease copy.txt
  • ZIPPress kit.zip
IV. Shelf

A place to set things down

Drag files, images or text onto the notch to keep them for later. Drag them back out into any app, open them, show them in Finder, or AirDrop one or all of them at once. The shelf holds up to thirty items and only keeps a reference to your files, so they stay exactly where they are.

V. Volume & Brightness

The keys you press, answered in the notch

Change the volume or brightness and the notch shows it: the icon on the left, the level on the right. Choose how long it stays, or let it replace the macOS pop-up entirely, with Shift and Option held for finer steps. Brightness works on the built-in display.

The small things

Clock & BatteryThe time and battery level, green while charging and red when low. Keep them in the closed notch, or show them only when it opens.
AppearanceBlack, or Glass that turns clearer with a soft glow toward the bottom edge. The closed notch always stays black.
DisplayAutomatic, or pick any connected display.
Hover delayAnywhere from instant to one second before the island opens.
StartupLaunch at login, and an optional menu bar icon.

System requirements

macOS14 Sonoma or later
MacApple silicon or Intel
DisplayAny display; choose which one in Settings
PermissionsCalendar, to show your events. Accessibility, only if you replace the macOS volume and brightness pop-up. Automation, only for reading Music and Spotify when system Now Playing isn't available.
PriceFree

Questions

Is NotchyIsland really free?

Yes. There is no account, subscription or trial. If you'd like to support it, you can buy me a coffee.

Why does macOS say it can't verify NotchyIsland?

NotchyIsland is a free side project, so it isn't notarized by Apple yet. The app is safe to open, but macOS asks you to approve it once in System Settings. , step by step.

Which music apps work with Now Playing?

Any app that reports to macOS Now Playing, including Music, Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube Music in a browser. If system Now Playing isn't available, NotchyIsland reads Music and Spotify directly, and macOS asks you once to allow it.

Does clipboard history save my passwords?

No. Items that apps mark as passwords or temporary, such as copies from password managers, are never saved. History holds the last 20 text items and stays on this Mac.

What happens to files I drop on the Shelf?

Nothing moves. The Shelf only keeps a reference, so each file stays where it is. Images and text you drop are saved as small temporary files on this Mac, and Clear removes them along with everything else on the Shelf.

Why would NotchyIsland ask for Accessibility access?

Only if you turn on “Replace macOS volume and brightness HUD”. It lets NotchyIsland handle the volume, mute and brightness keys so the macOS pop-up no longer appears. Without it, the notch still shows the level, alongside the macOS pop-up.

Can I use it on an external display?

Yes. Choose the display in Settings, or leave it on Automatic.

Can I turn features off?

Yes. Open Settings from the gear in the expanded island, or by opening NotchyIsland again from Spotlight or Finder. Now Playing, Calendar, Clipboard, Shelf, the volume and brightness HUD, the clock and the battery indicator can each be switched on or off. Launch at login, the menu bar icon, the hover delay, the display and the Black or Glass look are there too.

NotchyIsland app icon

Download NotchyIsland

Version 0.1.0 · 2.8 MB · Free · macOS 14 or later

Download .dmg
SHA-256
edb6fe287c3db5fefeb699bbd182fa5e20d83a15de1d76f9b41237b5a29e4b0e

NotchyIsland is free. If it makes your day a little nicer, you can buy me a coffee.

Privacy

What happens on your Mac stays on your Mac.

NotchyIsland is free, and it doesn't collect any of your data. There's no account to create, no analytics and no tracking. Everything the island shows is read on your Mac, used on your Mac, and never sent anywhere.

This website doesn't use cookies or analytics either.
How to install

Four steps, and only once.

NotchyIsland is a free side project, so it isn't notarized by Apple yet. macOS asks you to approve it the first time you open it. After that, it opens like any other app.

  1. Drag it into Applications

    Open the downloaded NotchyIsland-0.1.0.dmg and drag NotchyIsland onto the Applications folder.

  2. Open it, then click Done

    Open NotchyIsland from Applications. macOS says it couldn't verify the app. Click Done, not Move to Trash.

  3. Choose Open Anyway

    Open System Settings › Privacy & Security, scroll down to Security, and click Open Anyway next to NotchyIsland. The button shows for about an hour after step 2.

  4. Confirm it's you

    Use Touch ID or your Mac password. If macOS asks once more, choose Open Anyway. NotchyIsland now lives in your notch.

The wording can differ slightly between macOS versions.

Prefer Terminal?

After step 1, this removes the download flag macOS adds, so NotchyIsland opens straight away. Use it only with a copy downloaded from this site.

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/NotchyIsland.app
Release notes

Version 0.1.0

The first release of NotchyIsland, for macOS 14 Sonoma or later.