Tack+

A Dynamic Island on a Mac: what the notch can show, and what Tack+ puts around it

· 4 min read

The Dynamic Island is the pill at the top of recent iPhones that grows to show a timer, a call or the song playing. The Mac has no such thing: macOS leaves the MacBook's camera notch empty. Apps can fill the space. Here is what is possible, what isn't, and what Tack+ shows around the notch.

The short version

  • The Mac has no Dynamic Island. macOS shows nothing in the notch; the menu bar simply flows on both sides of it.
  • An app can draw around the notch: the song playing, a timer, a file drop zone, your next meeting.
  • Tack+ wraps around the notch when placed at the top edge. Closed: album artwork and an equalizer, the Focus timer, or the assistant's mascot. Open: the date on one side, the time on the other, above a full panel.
  • Tack+ is a panel, not an island: it doesn't replace the volume and brightness pop-ups and doesn't show notifications. It works the same on a screen without a notch.

Does the Mac have a Dynamic Island?

No. The Dynamic Island is an iPhone feature, and macOS has no equivalent: the notch of a MacBook houses the camera and shows nothing. The notch exists on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro since 2021 and on the MacBook Air since the M2 model. The menu bar passes on either side, and when icons run out of room they slide behind it; our notch guide explains how to get them back.

To compare the kinds of apps that do this, see our guide to notch apps for Mac.

What can an app show in the notch?

An app can draw a window over the area around the notch, so that the black shape seems to grow or to carry information. What appears there depends on the app's design, and falls into a few families.

  • What is playing: artwork, an equalizer, playback buttons.
  • Something in progress: a timer, a download, a task an assistant is working on.
  • A place to drop files while you look for where they go.
  • What comes next: the date, the time, an upcoming appointment.
  • System feedback: redrawn volume and brightness pop-ups, notifications. This family replaces parts of macOS itself.

Two designs exist. An island stays small and shows one live thing at a time, like on the iPhone. A panel opens wide when you ask and holds several tools at once. Tack+ is a panel.

What does Tack+ show around the notch?

Tack+ is a thin line at the edge of the screen, at the bottom by default or at the top. Placed at the top of a MacBook with a notch, the line wraps around the notch and uses the space on each side, which Tack+ calls the wings.

MomentLeft and right of the notch
Panel closed, music playingThe album artwork on one side, an equalizer on the other (Spotify or Apple Music)
Panel closed, Focus session runningThe countdown of the Focus timer
Panel closed, assistant workingThe assistant's mascot, until the job is finished
Panel openThe date on one side, the time on the other

Push the pointer against the top edge, or press ⌥ Space, and the full panel opens below the notch:

  • Music: Spotify or Apple Music, with playback, tracks, volume, position and artwork. See our music guide.
  • Messages or WhatsApp: your conversations and unread counts, with iMessage replies from the panel.
  • Calendar and Mail, Safari tabs, Reminders, Notes, Contacts, Shortcuts, recent files and quick system settings.
  • Clipboard history and a Stash for files: drag a file toward the edge and the panel opens to take it.
  • An eyedropper, a Focus timer, a notepad, a gallery of widgets and, on Apple silicon, a local AI assistant.

How do I put Tack+ at the notch?

  1. Open Tack+ and sign in. The line sits at the bottom edge by default.
  2. Pick the top edge with the position pill in the panel, or from Tack+'s menu in the menu bar. On a MacBook with a notch, the line now wraps around it.
  3. Push the pointer against the top edge, or press ⌥ Space, to open the panel. Play a song and close the panel: the artwork and the equalizer stay beside the notch.

What doesn't Tack+ do in the notch?

  • No system pop-ups. Tack+ doesn't replace the macOS volume and brightness pop-ups.
  • No notifications or calls. It doesn't show incoming notifications, calls, chargers or AirPods.
  • No lock screen widgets, and no live activities from other apps.
  • No widgets pinned in the notch. The wings show what is in progress; everything else lives in the panel.

If the island itself is what you love on the iPhone (live activities, redrawn pop-ups), an app built as an island is the better match. If you want your messages, your clipboard, your files and your music behind one gesture, on any screen, that is the idea of Tack+.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Mac have a Dynamic Island?

No. macOS shows nothing in the MacBook notch. Apps can draw around it: Tack+, placed at the top edge, shows the album artwork and an equalizer, the Focus timer or its assistant's mascot beside the notch.

Does Tack+ work on a Mac without a notch?

Yes. On any screen, Tack+ is a thin line at the top or bottom edge that opens the same panel. Wrapping around the notch only happens at the top of a MacBook that has one.

Does Tack+ replace the volume and brightness pop-ups?

No. Tack+ leaves the macOS pop-ups as they are and shows no notifications. It is a panel you open, not a replacement for system feedback.

Which MacBooks have a notch?

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro since 2021, and the MacBook Air since the M2 model. Other Macs and external displays have none; Tack+ works on them as a line at the edge.

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