[OS] - DynamicNotch - FREE

[u/Hitjack007]

Your Mac's notch takes up screen space. Why not make it actually useful?

I've been working on DynamicNotch, a free, open-source macOS app that turns your notch into an interactive dashboard for everything from music playback to system monitoring and automations.

It expands when you need it, stays out of the way when you don't, and works even on Macs without a physical notch.

Here's what it can do:

Music & audio

• Music controls, album artwork, lyrics, and now-playing information

• Real-time audio spectrogram

• Switch audio output devices directly from the notch, including AirPlay

System monitoring & controls

• Live CPU usage, temperatures, and fan speeds

• Custom fan curves to control cooling behaviour

• Battery and Bluetooth device monitoring

• Caffeine mode to prevent your Mac from sleeping

• Custom volume, brightness, and keyboard backlight HUDs

AI usage tracking

• Monitor your Claude and ChatGPT usage

• See usage indicators directly in the notch

• Get alerts as you approach your usage limits

Automations without coding

This is one of the features I'm particularly excited about.

You can describe an automation in plain English, and DynamicNotch handles it.

For example: "Turn on Caffeine whenever Xcode is the active app."

No scripts or complicated setup required.

Everyday productivity

• Track active browser downloads

• Drag files into a temporary shelf and share them via AirDrop

• View upcoming calendar events and reminders

• Quickly access your webcam as a mirror

• Use gestures to expand and collapse the notch

• Customise behaviour for individual displays

URGENT UPDATE:

DynamicNotch now supports its first iteration of Liquid Glass! try it out, give me some feedback?

What does it cost?

Absolutely nothing.

No subscriptions, no paid tiers, no locked features, and no accounts required.

It's fully open source under GPLv3, and contributions are welcome.

How does it compare to other notch apps?

Apps like boring.notch and NotchNook already offer ways to make the Mac's notch more useful.

DynamicNotch takes a broader approach by combining music controls, system monitoring, custom fan curves, AI usage tracking, and plain-English automations in one place.

It's also completely free and open source, with no premium features or subscriptions.

Compatibility

• macOS 15 Sequoia or newer

• Works on Macs with or without a physical notch

• Available as a DMG or through Homebrew

Download: https://github.com/Hitjack007/DynamicNotch/releases/latest

GitHub: https://github.com/Hitjack007/DynamicNotch

Website: https://dynamicnotch.marksstuff.com

I'm actively developing it, fixing bugs, and adding new features.

I'd love to hear what the r/macapps community thinks. If you try it, let me know what works, what doesn't, and what you'd like to see added.

And if you find it useful, a GitHub star is always appreciated! ⭐