Free Dynamic Island apps for Mac: 8 open-source notch apps
You don't have to pay to put something in your MacBook's notch. There are dozens of free, open-source notch apps on GitHub now, and a handful are genuinely good. I make Halo, a paid one, so I went through the free ones properly: what each is for, how alive it is, and what free costs you.
The short answer
- Best free all-rounder: boring.notch. The most popular notch app on GitHub (11,301 stars), updated this week, installs with Homebrew. How boring.notch compares with Halo.
- Most features, notch Macs only: Atoll. Music, live activities, lock screen widgets, system stats, timers and clipboard history.
- Mac or monitor without a notch: DynamicNotch or MewNotch.
- Claude Code and other AI agents: coucou or CodeIsland, both with notarized builds.
- Just a file shelf: NotchDrop. Just a teleprompter: notchprompt.
The free notch apps worth trying
| App | What it's for | GitHub stars | License | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| boring.notch | Music, calendar, file shelf, HUDs | 11,301 | GPL-3.0 | Homebrew |
| Atoll | Music, live activities, lock screen widgets, system stats, timers, clipboard | 5,222 | GPL-3.0 | Download (notch Macs only) |
| DynamicNotch | Now Playing, HUD alerts, gestures; floating island without a notch | 642 | GPL-3.0 | Download |
| MewNotch | Brightness and volume HUDs, Now Playing, file shelf, external displays | 556 | GPL-3.0 | Homebrew |
| NotchDrop | A file shelf and AirDrop in the notch | 2,131 | MIT | Build it yourself in Xcode |
| coucou | AI coding agents (approve from the notch), dictation, notetaker | 7,048 | MIT | Homebrew, notarized |
| CodeIsland | Status and approvals for 30+ AI coding agents | 2,558 | MIT | Homebrew, notarized |
| notchprompt | A teleprompter under the camera | 1,398 | MIT | Download |
Every one of these was updated in the last few weeks except NotchDrop (May 2026) and notchprompt (March 2026). Stars are a rough signal of how many people rely on an app, not of quality.
boring.notch: the default pick
boring.notch is where most people start. It shows what's playing with controls, a calendar, a file shelf, and replaces the volume and brightness HUDs. It runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. Notifications from other apps are on its roadmap, not in the app yet.
brew install --cask TheBoredTeam/boring-notch/boring-notchThe README notes that installing with Homebrew skips the "can't be verified" warning you'd get from the download.
Atoll: the most features
Atoll packs the most into the notch: media controls for Apple Music, Spotify and Cider, live activities for Focus, screen recording, downloads and battery, lock screen widgets, CPU, GPU, memory and network stats, timers, clipboard history and a color picker. It needs macOS 14 or later and a MacBook with a notch.
No notch? DynamicNotch or MewNotch
Most notch apps assume the notch is there. DynamicNotch draws a floating island on Macs and displays that don't have one (macOS 14.6 or later). MewNotch supports external displays, either as a simulated notch or a floating one, and focuses on clean brightness and volume HUDs, Now Playing and a file shelf.
For AI coding agents: coucou and CodeIsland
A newer kind of notch app watches Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents. coucou shows what an agent is doing, lets you approve Claude Code's permission requests from the notch, and also does dictation and call notes. CodeIsland covers more than 30 agents with approvals, usage limits and a jump to the right terminal. Both are free, MIT licensed, install with Homebrew and ship notarized builds.
What free costs you
- Install warnings. Many open-source notch apps aren't notarized, so macOS blocks the first launch. boring.notch and MewNotch document removing the quarantine flag with
xattr, or installing with Homebrew. NotchDrop is free if you build it yourself in Xcode. - Breakage after macOS updates. When I went through 1,744 bug reports from open-source notch apps for our notch app comparison, music that stopped working was the biggest group, 19%, with a spike right after macOS 15.4.
- One job per app. A free file shelf, a free agent panel and a free teleprompter are three apps fighting for the same strip of screen.
Where a paid app fits
If one free app does the one thing you want, use it. Halo is for when you want it all in one place: notifications from any app in the notch, music with lyrics, Claude Code, Codex and Cursor in the notch with answers to their prompts, timers, the brightness keys working on an external monitor, and an island on Macs and monitors without a notch. It's $9.99 once for up to 3 Macs. The paid alternatives are NotchNook ($25 once or $3 a month), Alcove ($13.99) and Droppy ($9.99); the full comparison has them side by side.
Questions
Is there a free Dynamic Island app for Mac?
Yes. boring.notch (11,000+ GitHub stars) and Atoll (5,000+) are free and open source under GPL-3.0. Both add music controls and other widgets to the notch. DynamicNotch and MewNotch are free too and also work on Macs and monitors without a notch.
What is the best free notch app for Mac?
For most people, boring.notch: it's the most popular, updated this week, and installs with Homebrew. Atoll has more features but needs a MacBook with a notch. For Claude Code and other AI agents, coucou and CodeIsland are free and ship notarized builds.
Is there a free alternative to Alcove or NotchNook?
boring.notch and Atoll cover the same core: music, HUDs, a file shelf and widgets in the notch. NotchNook costs $25 once or $3 a month and Alcove $13.99, so try a free one first if music in the notch is all you want.
Do free notch apps work without a notch?
Some do. DynamicNotch draws a floating island on Macs and displays without a notch, and MewNotch supports external displays. Atoll is built for MacBooks with a notch.
Why does macOS say a free notch app can't be verified?
Many open-source notch apps aren't notarized by Apple, so macOS blocks the first launch. Their READMEs suggest installing with Homebrew or removing the quarantine flag. coucou and CodeIsland ship notarized builds.
Sources
- Each app's GitHub repository and README (linked above): stars, license, last update, requirements and install steps, checked 8 November 2026.
- Paid app prices from our notch app comparison.
More guides: Best Mac notch apps in 2026 · Dynamic Island on Mac · Menu bar icons hidden behind the notch · macOS 27.3 Live Activities and notch apps · All guides
More comparisons: Halo vs Seam · Halo vs Notchy · Halo vs Vibe Island
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