Free Hand Mirror Alternative for Mac
Check your hair, lighting, and background right under the camera notch before joining Zoom or FaceTime calls.
Does Notchy leave the camera running in the background?
Never. Camera preview opens only when triggered and closes immediately to preserve privacy and battery.
Quick Setup Guide
- 1Install Notchy
Download Notchy from notchy.dev. It installs in seconds and takes up only 50MB of disk space.
- 2Grant Accessibility Permissions
Allow Accessibility access so Notchy can handle keyboard shortcuts, window snapping, and notch interactions.
- 3Enjoy Ultimate Mac Productivity
Hover over the notch at the top of your screen to reveal the interactive island and its built-in widgets.
What you get with Notchy
- Camera Mirror (check your appearance)
- Camera Guard — alert (or block) when any app opens your camera
- iPhone-style call island — Answer/Decline FaceTime on the notch
- Fluid Dynamic Island animations on the Mac notch
- Native SwiftUI, tuned for Apple Silicon
- 134 languages, fully localized
- Command palette (⌃⌥K) — every action one keystroke away
- Mac clipboard history shelf (password-manager safe)
- Now Playing music controls (Apple Music & Spotify)
Why Notchy leads the pack
While single-purpose utilities charge expensive subscription fees or license costs, Notchy gives you a completely free, native SwiftUI Dynamic Island. It integrates window snapping, clipboard history, Pomodoro timers, file drop shelves, and AI usage tracking directly into your Mac's notch.
Notchy vs Hand Mirror
An honest look at how a free all-in-one notch app compares to a dedicated camera preview app.
| Feature | Notchy | Hand Mirror |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free |
| Camera preview | ✓ Under the notch | ✓ Core feature |
| Camera-access alerts | ✓ Included | — |
| Notch widgets & HUDs | ✓ 20+ built in | — |
Where Hand Mirror shines: a zero-latency preview tuned purely for pre-call checks — fair is fair. Notchy just happens to bundle camera preview tools with 20+ other utilities, free forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Notchy leave the camera running in the background?
Never. Camera preview opens only when triggered and closes immediately to preserve privacy and battery.
Is Notchy free to use?
Yes, Notchy is 100% free with no subscription, no ads, and no data tracking. It is supported purely by optional user coffee donations.
Does it drain my Mac's battery?
No. Because Notchy is built entirely in native SwiftUI, it idles at ~0.1% CPU. It does not run bloated web views or Electron frameworks in the background.