Notch apps for Mac: what they do, how to choose one, and where Tack+ fits

What kinds of notch apps exist?

Notch apps fall into six kinds, by what they put in or around the notch. Most apps belong to one kind and borrow a little from another.

What should I check before installing a notch app?

1. Your macOS version. Notch apps differ in the macOS they need: some start at macOS 15, many at macOS 14, a few go back further. Check yours under Apple menu › About This Mac. Tack+ needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
2. Notch or no notch. Only the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro since 2021 and the MacBook Air since the M2 model have one. Some notch apps require it; others draw a pill or a line on any screen. Tack+ becomes a thin line at the top or bottom of any screen.
3. Signed and notarized, or not. An app that isn't notarized by Apple is blocked by macOS at first launch. That's not proof of danger, but only override the block for an app you trust (see below). Tack+ is signed and notarized.
4. What it takes over. Apps that replace the volume and brightness pop-ups listen to the same keys, and every notch app draws in the same spot. Run one at a time.
5. How it's sold, and how long it will last. One-time purchase, subscription or free. Some notch apps rely on private Apple interfaces that a macOS update can break, and an app whose licence server goes offline can stop working overnight. Look at the date of the latest release before you buy.

How do I open an app that isn't notarized?

Try to open the app once, then:

1. Open System Settings and click Privacy & Security.
2. Scroll down and click Open Anyway next to the app's name, then confirm with Open.
3. macOS remembers the exception: the app now opens with a double-click.

Does a notch app drain the MacBook battery?

A notch app stays open all day, so what counts is what it does while you do nothing. An animation that never stops keeps redrawing the screen; a still notch should cost next to nothing. Measure it yourself rather than trust a product page, ours included:

1. Open Activity Monitor and click the Energy tab.
2. Leave the Mac alone for two minutes and find the app in the list.
3. Quit the app and see whether the apps at the top of the list change.

Our own reading, on 30 October 2026: Tack+ 1.0.76 with the panel closed, on a MacBook Air M4 running macOS 26.6 on battery, 24 readings over two minutes with the top command: about 0.5% of one CPU core on average, 1.6% at most, and a power score of 0.56. That's one Mac on one day, not a promise for yours. At the notch, Tack+ removes its equalizer when the Mac is saving energy.

Do notch apps work on external displays and Macs without a notch?

It depends on the app: some need a physical notch, others draw a pill or a line instead. External displays, the iMac, the Mac mini, the Mac Studio and older MacBooks have no notch, so check this before you pay.

Tack+ places its line on every connected screen, and the panel opens on the screen where you push the pointer. The wings around the camera appear only on a screen that has a notch; everywhere else Tack+ stays a thin line that opens the same panel.

What does Tack+ do at the notch?

Tack+ doesn't imitate the Dynamic Island. It's a thin line at the edge of the screen, at the bottom by default or at the top: push the pointer against it, or press ⌥ Space, and a full panel opens. At the top of a notched MacBook the line wraps around the notch; closed, it shows the album artwork on one side and an equalizer or the Focus timer on the other. The assistant's mascot appears while it works, bars follow your voice during dictation, and a red dot stays on while Tack+ transcribes a call. A click on a wing opens the matching page.

• Music (Spotify or Apple Music, detailed in our music guide), Messages and WhatsApp conversations with iMessage replies from the panel, Calendar, Mail.
• Clipboard history (text and links) and a Stash for files: drag a file toward the edge and the panel opens to take it. See our drag-and-drop guide.
• A row of tools (eyedropper, Focus timer with breaks, notepad) and a gallery of widgets: clocks, countdown, month, Google Calendar, GitHub, weather, system monitor, to-do lists.
• Dictation and call transcription: hold a shortcut to dictate at the cursor, or transcribe a Zoom, Teams, Meet or FaceTime call live, on the Mac. See how to transcribe a call on a Mac.
• A local AI assistant, optional, on Macs with Apple silicon: it tidies folders, finds files, opens sites and takes notes, and its mascot sits beside the notch while it works. See our local AI assistant guide.

Subscription, $4.99 USD a month, with a 3-day free trial in the app, no card needed; macOS 14 or later, Intel and Apple silicon.

Where is Tack+ weaker than an island?

• No volume or brightness pop-ups, no notifications, no lock screen widgets, no AirDrop.
• WhatsApp replies are prepared, not sent: Tack+ opens the conversation with your reply typed; you send it in WhatsApp.
• The clipboard keeps text and links only.
• An account is required to open the panel, and Tack+ is a subscription: a 3-day free trial, then $4.99 USD a month.

The "Is Tack+ right for you?" page goes into the details.

Which kind of notch app is for whom?

• Your iPhone habit is the island itself (live activities, a pill that reacts): choose an island.
• You only dislike the stock volume pop-up: a pop-up replacer is enough.
• You'd rather not see the notch at all: a notch hider does only that.
• You want to reply to a message, find a copied link, park a file and skip a track with the same gesture, on any Mac: an edge panel such as Tack+.
• You only want your hidden menu bar icons back, or to stop seeing the notch: you may not need a notch app at all. Our notch guide covers what macOS does by itself.

How do I try several without making a mess?

1. Quit the previous app from its menu bar icon before launching the next one.
2. Stop it from coming back at login: System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions (Login Items on macOS 14), select it and click the minus button.
3. To uninstall, drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash. If an icon disappeared from the menu bar meanwhile, it's probably hidden behind the notch: our notch guide explains how to get it back.