https://github.com/abhinavv-007/notchly
macOS notch utility — media live activity, file shelf, mail pill, web notifications, sliding pills. SwiftUI + AppKit.
https://github.com/abhinavv-007/notchly
appkit macbook macos menubar notch productivity swiftui
Last synced: 26 days ago
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macOS notch utility — media live activity, file shelf, mail pill, web notifications, sliding pills. SwiftUI + AppKit.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/abhinavv-007/notchly
- Owner: Abhinavv-007
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2026-05-08T17:15:40.000Z (2 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-09T17:08:11.000Z (about 2 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-09T17:37:14.334Z (about 2 months ago)
- Topics: appkit, macbook, macos, menubar, notch, productivity, swiftui
- Language: Swift
- Homepage: https://abhnv.in
- Size: 5.05 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 2
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
- Security: SECURITY.md
- Roadmap: docs/ROADMAP.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Notchly
**Turn your MacBook notch into a control surface.**
Media · File shelf · Mail · Web notifications — all in the space you already ignore.
By Abhinav Raj · abhnv.me · modih.in · clex.in
---
## Why Notchly
Your MacBook notch is dead space. Notchly fills it with the things you actually reach for:
- **🎵 Media live activity** — album art, scrubber, controls. Pill widens when music plays, returns when it stops.
- **📁 File shelf** — drag a file onto the notch, it lives there until you need it. Quick Look, share, drag back out.
- **✉️ Modih Mail** — a temporary inbox (powered by [modih.in](https://modih.in)) one click away, left of the notch.
- **🔔 Web notifications** — Discord, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp, Gmail, Reddit, Slack — one bell, right of the notch.
- **🌗 Live HUD** — volume, brightness, battery, mic, downloads — reskinned for the notch.
- **📅 Calendar + reminders** — one tap to today's agenda.
- **⚙️ Notch utility** — sliding pills, themed visualizer, hover gestures, multi-display.
## Sliding Pills
When music plays, the closed notch widens for the live activity. Notchly adds two flanking pills — envelope (left) for mail, bell (right) for notifications. They slide outward with the pill and return when music stops. No janky overlap, no fixed-position chrome.
```
┌──────────┐ ┌─ envelope ─┐ ┌─── pill ────┐ ┌─ bell ─┐
│ notch │ ← music starts →
└──────────┘ └────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └────────┘
```
## Quick install
1. Download `Notchly.dmg` from the [latest release](https://github.com/Abhinavv-007/Notchly/releases/latest).
2. Open it and drag **Notchly** into **Applications**.
3. First launch: Right-click the app → **Open** (it's unsigned; macOS asks once).
4. Grant Accessibility + Calendar + Camera permissions when prompted.
Detailed steps in [INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md).
## Web notifications setup
Notchly's bell pill talks to web apps through embedded WebKit sessions. Sign in once per app:
1. Open **Settings** → **Add-Ons** → **Web Notifications**.
2. Pick an app (Gmail, Slack, etc.) → **Sign in**.
3. Session stays warm; new notifications surface as previews around the notch.
Background polling is **off by default** to keep energy use low. Toggle it in Add-Ons settings if you want it on.
## Modih Mail
The envelope pill opens a [modih.in](https://modih.in) temporary inbox. Free addresses work without a key — paste an API key in **Settings → Add-Ons → Modih Mail** for the developer plan with no expiry.
## Build from source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/Abhinavv-007/Notchly.git
cd Notchly
open Notchly.xcodeproj
```
Or terminal-only:
```bash
xcodebuild -project Notchly.xcodeproj -scheme Notchly -configuration Release \
build CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO
```
Output `.app` lands at `~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Notchly-*/Build/Products/Release/Notchly.app`.
## Stack
| | |
|---|---|
| **UI** | SwiftUI + AppKit |
| **Web** | WebKit |
| **Media** | MediaRemote + Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music adapters |
| **Updater** | Sparkle |
| **Storage** | `Defaults` (Sindre) + Keychain |
| **Calendar** | EventKit |
## Status
- macOS 14 Sonoma+
- M-series + Intel
- Multi-display (notch detection per screen)
- Unsigned dev builds; codesigning + notarization on the roadmap.
## Roadmap
- Apple Developer ID signing + notarization
- Auto-update via Sparkle (appcast at `abhnv.in/notchly`)
- More web notification adapters
- Localization expansion (Crowdin-driven)
## Credits
Notchly stands on the shoulders of the open-source [`boring.notch`](https://github.com/TheBoredTeam/boring.notch) — thanks to the original community for the notch-utility groundwork. Notchly is a separate fork by Abhinav Raj with the AddOns layer, branding, and bug fixes layered on top.
## License
Apache 2.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
Third-party notices in [THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES](THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES).
## Author
**Abhinav Raj** · [abhnv.in](https://abhnv.in) · [abhnv.me](https://abhnv.me) · [linkedin.com/in/abhnv07](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhnv07/)
Other projects: [modih.in](https://modih.in) · [clex.in](https://clex.in)