Edited by Tejas Telkar · Published · Updated
Short answer
A Mac notch app adds a third-party Dynamic Island-style panel for music, files, timers and other tools. NotchPop places it around the camera notch, or shows a floating island on a display without one. It needs an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and includes a 7-day free trial.
Does the Mac have a Dynamic Island?
Apple documents Dynamic Island as an iPhone interface. A MacBook's notch is a camera housing in the display. A third-party Mac app can create an expandable panel around it; that app is separate from Apple's system features.
Third-party notch apps fill that gap. They draw a black panel that matches the notch exactly, so it looks like part of the hardware, then expand it into controls when you hover or click.
Set it up in three steps
Check Apple menu > About This Mac first. NotchPop needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Intel Macs are not supported, even if they can run a recent macOS version.
- Download NotchPop from this site and drag it to your Applications folder. Its current build is self-signed and is not Apple-notarized. If macOS blocks the first launch, read Apple's app-opening guidance and use System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway only if you trust the download.
- Open it. The island appears around your notch right away. On a Mac without a notch, it floats at the top center of the screen.
- Hover over the notch to peek, click to open, and pin the tools you want in Settings. Turn on extras, like clipboard history or calendar, only if you want them.
Calendar access lets the island read your events. Automation enables supported media controls and iMessage replies; Accessibility is used by features such as WhatsApp replies. Grant only the access for features you plan to use, and review or revoke it in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Clipboard history stays off until you enable monitoring.
Every feature is free for 7 days. After that it's $3.99 once, with no subscription.
What a Mac Dynamic Island can do
On iPhone, the Dynamic Island mostly shows live activities. On a Mac there's more room, so a notch app can hold real tools:
- [Music](/features/media-island): album art in the resting notch, plus play, pause, skip, volume and speaker switching.
- [Files](/features/drop-shelf): drag files onto the notch to park them, AirDrop them, or convert images.
- [Clipboard](/features/clipboard): searchable history of what you copied, off until you turn it on.
- [Focus](/features/focus-timer): a Pomodoro timer with a live countdown in the collapsed notch.
- [Calendar](/features/calendar): today's agenda and one-click Zoom, Meet and Teams joins.
- [Messages](/features/message-replies): reply to iMessage and WhatsApp without switching apps.
After setup, follow the practical guides for Mac notch music controls, the Mac file shelf and the Pomodoro timer for Mac. Each covers the controls, permissions and common problems for that workflow.
Does it slow down my Mac?
Resource use depends on the tools and connections you enable. NotchPop is built with Swift and SwiftUI, but that alone is not a performance measurement. Use the trial with your normal apps and check Activity Monitor for CPU and memory use. Disable tools you do not need in Settings.
Other ways to get one
NotchPop isn't the only option. The Boring Notch and Atoll are free and open source; Alcove highlights media and live activities. Compare 14 options in the best Mac notch apps and the feature matrix.
Sources and editorial notes
Published by NotchPop, the maker of the app. macOS instructions and third-party claims are linked to the sources below. Settings and offers can change between versions. Read our editorial approach or send a correction.
