What is a notch app? A plain guide for MacBook owners
Since 2021, MacBook Pros (and later MacBook Airs) have a notch: a black cutout at the top of the screen that holds the camera. macOS mostly ignores it. A notch app doesn’t.
What a notch app does
It draws a black shape that blends into the notch, then grows out of it when something happens. Think of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, on your Mac. Common things a notch app shows:
- Now Playing, with album art and controls
- Incoming calls and notifications
- A timer counting down
- A place to drop files, or send them with AirDrop
- Volume, battery and download progress
Which Macs work
Any MacBook with a notch: 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro from 2021 and MacBook Air from M2 onwards. Some apps also show a fake notch on external displays; peeq doesn’t, yet.
Are notch apps safe?
Notch apps sit above other windows, so pick one from a developer you trust. Good ones ask only for the permissions a feature needs, and explain why. For example, reading notification banners needs Accessibility; controlling Music needs Automation. peeq never needs Full Disk Access, and its clipboard and notification history stay in a private folder on your Mac. Read every permission peeq asks for.
Do they slow your Mac down?
They shouldn’t. A well-built notch app sleeps until something happens. peeq measured 0.3 % CPU and zero wake-ups per second at idle on an M-series MacBook.
How to choose one
Decide how much you want up there. Some apps fill the notch with widgets; others stay minimal. Our guide to NotchNook alternatives sorts them by how much they do.
peeq is the minimal one: the few things you actually use, and nothing else. Get early access.