Blog
Make the most of your MacBook notch.
Honest comparisons, setup guides, and workflow tips for the little black cutout at the top of your screen.
-
Track your Claude Code and Codex usage at a glance, right in the notch
Stop getting cut off mid-task: see Claude Code and Codex limits, reset times, and what your agents are doing in the notch, with a day-in-the-life of planning around them.
-
How to annotate a screenshot on your Mac
Arrows, text, numbered steps, and blur for private details, then a background for posts and slides: with Markup, Preview, or right from the NotchDude screenshot preview.
-
What's new in NotchDude 1.11
Notes rebuilt with reminders and a shortcut from any app, a Focus timer with proper Pomodoro breaks, a closed notch you can design, and a more reliable screenshot thumbnail. Updated for 1.11.4: a screenshot editor, easier Home editing, and Mirror zoom.
-
What's new in NotchDude 1.10
Browser media in the notch from Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Arc, Brave, and Edge, a one-minute Connect browser setup, a simpler extension popup, and a refreshed welcome window.
-
Control YouTube from your MacBook notch
YouTube, YouTube Music, and other browser media in the notch: play, pause, skip, and scrub from Safari, Chrome, or Arc, set up in under a minute.
-
Try new NotchDude features early with beta updates
Beta updates to try new features a few days early, updates that roll out gradually, private crash reports, and a Messages widget that's lighter on your battery.
-
What's new in NotchDude 1.9
A screenshot thumbnail under the notch with the four actions you choose, screenshots that go on the File Shelf by themselves, drop actions to zip, merge PDFs, copy text, or AirDrop, and an unlimited Pro shelf.
-
What's new in NotchDude 1.8
A month calendar with one-click Join for video calls, Messages for WhatsApp, Slack, and Teams, an open notch you can resize, and a tab bar you edit by holding a tab.
-
What's new in NotchDude 1.5
A Home you arrange yourself, live Claude Code and Codex agent sessions, Keep Mac Awake, sound output switching, and File Shelf quick actions.
-
How to keep your Mac awake (without changing your settings)
System Settings, the caffeinate command, free menu bar apps, and a one-click option in the notch, for downloads, builds, and presentations.
-
The best MacBook notch apps in 2026: 10 apps compared
NotchNook, Boring Notch, Atoll, Alcove, DynamicLake, MediaMate, NotchDude and more, side by side on price, features, and trade-offs.
-
NotchDude vs NotchNook: which notch app is right for you?
Price, features, privacy, and external displays, with an honest look at where each app wins.
-
7 NotchNook alternatives for Mac in 2026 (free and paid)
Free, open-source picks, plus paid apps for notifications, polish, or productivity.
-
How to get a Dynamic Island on your Mac
The 10 features worth having, and a five-minute setup, even on Macs without a notch.
-
How to see your clipboard history on a Mac
Spotlight's built-in clipboard history in macOS 26 and later, plus the 8 best clipboard managers.
-
The best Pomodoro timer apps for Mac in 2026
Session, Flow, Be Focused, Tomato 2, the Clock app, and a focus timer in your notch.
-
How to hide the MacBook notch, and get back icons hidden behind it
A built-in resolution trick, free apps, and fixes for menu bar icons lost behind the notch.
-
Which MacBooks have a notch, and do notch apps work on external monitors?
Every notched model, clamshell mode, and how notch apps behave without a notch.
-
Use your MacBook notch as a teleprompter
Read your script right under the camera for natural eye contact on calls and recordings.
-
See your Claude Code and Codex usage limits on your Mac
5-hour and weekly limits, reset countdowns, and token totals, read locally and privately.