Notch apps for Mac, compared
Most Macs sold since 2021 have a notch, and a whole group of apps now put it to work. They are quite different from each other. This is a short guide to what each one is for, so you can pick the right one. I make Swish Notch, which is one of them, and I say plainly where it is the wrong choice.
The apps
| Boring Notch | Free. Turns the notch into a music control centre with a visualiser. Best if you mainly want media controls. |
|---|---|
| Alcove | Paid. Dynamic Island style: live activities, notifications, swipe gestures and customisable on-screen HUDs. Best if you want the iPhone feel on your Mac. |
| NotchNook | Paid. One of the best-known notch apps, giving the notch a Dynamic Island style panel. Best if you want one all-round notch panel. |
| NotchFlow | A Pomodoro timer with focus music and quiet visual cues in the notch. Best for timed work sessions. |
| NotchPad | A quick notepad, clipboard manager and snippets, kept at the notch. Best if you jot and paste a lot. |
| Gojo | Dictation, clipboard history, window controls, file staging and media controls in the notch. Best if you want many small tools in one place. |
| TopNotch | Does the opposite: makes your menu bar black so the notch disappears. Best if you would rather not see it. |
| Swish Notch | $4.99, once. A basketball hoop hangs from the notch and you flick a file at it: a made shot sends the file with AirDrop, moves it to the Trash, or keeps a copy in a File Tray for a day. A miss leaves it where it was. Best if you want the notch to be fun and to make file chores feel like a game. |
Descriptions come from each app's listing on AlternativeTo and from 2026 roundups, so check an app's own site for what it does today. Prices and features change, so I have left most prices out.
Which to pick
- You want music controls or notifications: Boring Notch, Alcove or NotchNook are built for that. Swish does not do either.
- You want timers, notes or a clipboard: NotchFlow, NotchPad or Gojo.
- You want the notch gone: TopNotch.
- You want the notch to be playful: that is Swish. It is a game first and a file mover second, so it will not replace a utility panel. People run it alongside one.
On a work Mac
Swish Notch is sandboxed, has no network access and collects no data, which makes it easy to approve if your IT team allows App Store apps. Whatever you choose, check that an app is clear about what permissions it needs and what it collects.
Know a notch app that should be on this list, or a mistake in this one? Tell me at contact@camdenburke.co.uk and I will fix it.