NotchNotes

NotchNotes is a small macOS app that uses the notch at the top of a MacBook screen as a hidden entry point. When you move your cursor to the notch area, a dark Markdown notebook panel slides open, giving you quick access to notes, links, screenshots, and short reminders. Move the cursor away and it folds back up, leaving the notch looking normal.

The app is native to macOS, built with Swift and Apple's own toolkits. The floating panel, cursor detection, and window positioning are handled by AppKit, while the notebook interface uses SwiftUI. Notes are stored locally using UserDefaults, which is a lightweight on-device storage system, and the app supports live Markdown editing with the ability to embed images.

Installation is straightforward: download the ZIP from the releases page, unzip it, move it to your Applications folder, and right-click to open it on the first launch (macOS requires this step for apps from outside the App Store). The app can also be built from source using the Swift command-line tools if you prefer that route.

The current release is labeled as a testing distribution. Anyone who wants to share it more widely outside Apple's App Store would need to sign it with an Apple Developer ID certificate and run it through Apple's notarization process, which is Apple's check for malware and code integrity.

NotchNotes is a focused utility with no server component, no account required, and no data leaving your machine. It fills a narrow gap: a scratchpad that is always one cursor movement away without cluttering your screen or dock.