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Comprehensive Guide

How to use your MacBook Notch?

There is a black bar at the top of your screen holding a camera and nothing else. Here is how to turn it into the most productive strip on your Mac.

September 2026•8 min read•macOS 14+ Ready

First, what is the notch?

The notch is the small black cutout at the top of the display on every Apple Silicon MacBook Pro since 2021 and MacBook Air since 2022. Apple placed the 1080p FaceTime camera inside it and pushed the menu bar into the ears on either side.

The center black area itself has historically done nothing. You cannot click it, no widgets live there, and it sits as passive glass.

NotchCraft gives that space an active purpose. And if you are working on an iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, or external ultrawide monitor without a physical notch, NotchCraft includes a Simulated Notch engine that renders an identical floating HUD seamlessly.

The entire app, in three simple moves

1
Move your pointer to the notchHover near the top center of your display. A silky smooth HUD panel slides down directly underneath the camera.
2
Pick a tool or glance at your metricsCycle through 21 modular instruments — from revenue and analytics to clipboard history, file conversions, and Claude Code stats.
3
Move your cursor awayThe panel glides closed instantly, leaving your workspace completely distraction-free and 100% visible.

Leave a live number on the glass

You do not even have to expand the panel. NotchCraft supports Live Activities directly inside the collapsed notch.

While you code, design, or write documents, the notch displays your key number in subtle glowing typography:

  • Today's Revenue ($1,053.00)
  • Live Visitors (2.8k active)
  • Pomodoro Focus (18:42 remaining)
  • CPU & Real Battery Health

Your revenue & traffic, zero dashboard tabs

Opening browser dashboards every twenty minutes breaks your mental focus. With NotchCraft:

Revenue HUD (Stripe, Dodo Payments, Polar, Lemon Squeezy)

Enter a restricted read-only key stored in your Mac's Keychain. Every time a customer purchases your software or product, a sleek toast notification confirms the amount, and your day's tally updates instantly.

Analytics HUD (Google Analytics 4 & DataFast)

Keep your finger on user acquisition without opening Google Analytics. View real-time active users, top referrer domains, bounce rates, and 7/30-day growth trends right above your active windows.

The Shelf & Local Image Converter

Two tools solve the messy desktop problem once and for all:

Universal Shelf

Drag any file, photo, or PDF into the notch. It stays parked there while you switch spaces or applications, ready to be dragged right back into Slack, Figma, or Mail.

Local Image Converter

Never upload private client assets to ad-riddled converter websites. Convert PNG, JPG, WebP, HEIC, and PDF locally using macOS CoreGraphics with custom quality compression.

Infinite Clipboard, Timers & Claude Code

Clipboard History: Standard macOS only keeps one copied item. NotchCraft remembers text snippets, color hex codes, URLs, and screenshots with instant search and one-click paste.

Claude Code Token Monitor: Inspect token consumption, active coding sessions, tool invocation counts, and your consistency streak reading directly from local JSONL logs.

Maaa Care Companion: Reads thermal throttling and battery telemetry to give gentle spoken or chime reminders when you need to plug in your charger or take a break after prolonged coding.

Lifetime License • $5 One-Time

Ready to put your notch to work?

Unlock all 21 tools today. Instant license key and DMG file delivered directly to your inbox upon purchase.

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