This cool Mac app can transform the notch on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air into a dynamic iPhone-style island
The Dynamic Island was one of the most anticipated features of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 when it was originally announced, and it’s become an incredibly useful feature that I now can’t live without. While I wait for Apple to introduce the Dynamic Island for Mac, NotchNook has been working on the case.
You can download NotchNook and try it out for free for two days. Once the trial is over, you can subscribe for $3 a month or buy it outright for $25 and honestly I think it’s worth it if you already rely on Dynamic Island on your iPhone. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years and need a refresher on what Dynamic Island actually is, don’t worry.
The Dynamic Island serves as your hub for background activity and notifications, like audio output controls and alerts. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro, Pro Max, or any iPhone 15 model, your front-facing camera will keep track of your timer, switch your songs or podcasts, and keep track of your cheeky takeout meals.
This makes it an incredibly useful hub of information that you can consult during any task, quickly accessing apps and tasks without having to search for them. Since the feature is activated automatically, you can start multitasking in seconds without any additional steps.
Don’t wait for Apple
Even if you don’t need this feature, to me at least it makes a lot more sense to have Dynamic Island on your laptop for quick access to your media settings or shortcuts. Plus it makes the controversial camera notch that’s on modern MacBooks a lot more convenient.
I’m a big fan of little tools and features that make my life a little bit easier, which explains why I’m such a big fan of the iPhone Mirroring Feature Coming to macOS Sequoia. When you install NotchNook, you can move your mouse up to the FaceTime webcam notch on your MacBook and it will expand into a Dynamic Island-style menu, like on your phone, with media controls and shortcuts that you can set up yourself. For example, you can set up your favorite playlists or podcasts, or open an app you use often.
NotchNook also offers a wide range of customization options, which you can combine with your own shortcuts. For example, you can change the layout and even determine how big the notch is.
If you don’t have a notch on your device or you’re using a Mac mini like me, don’t worry! The app creates an artificial notch at the top that blends seamlessly into the rest of your screen. So on my monitor, I have a nice little Dynamic Island that allows me to quickly switch between music or tabs between Slack.
I’m a little wary of paying for apps that just add functionality that should have been built into the OS already, but at least you can try them out for free up front. And if you find the app useful, you’re better off buying it outright (and you get a discount if you post about the app on social media!).
Hopefully, once macOS Sequoia officially debuts later this year, we’ll see Apple eventually introduce its own Mac Dynamic Island. Until then, I’m rocking NotchNook.
Through The edge
