Is Boring Notch safe?
Yes.Boring Notch is an open-source Mac app and its full source code is public, so anyone can inspect exactly what it does. Install it from the project's own GitHub releases or via Homebrew — not from a download aggregator — and it is safe to run.
The permissions it requests look alarming if you haven't seen a notch app before, but they are exactly what the features need: drawing over the menu bar area, and reading the system Now Playing feed to show your current track. Nothing about that is unusual.
The real question: does it drain your battery?
This is the more useful thing to ask, and it's the one people actually search for. A notch app draws something on screen all day, every day, so its cost is not what it does when you open it — it's what it does while idle. Don't take any vendor's word for it, including ours. Measure it:
- 1Open Activity Monitor
Applications → Utilities → Activity Monitor. Click the % CPU column to sort by processor use.
- 2Idle the app properly
Pause any music, collapse the notch, and leave the Mac alone for a minute. You are measuring the resting cost, not the cost of interacting with it.
- 3Read the Energy tab
Switch to Energy and look at the 12-hour average rather than the instantaneous figure. That average is what actually shows up in your battery life.
As a rule of thumb: an idle notch app sitting near zero is fine. One consistently holding 1–2% or more of a CPU core will be noticeable across a working day. The usual culprit is an app built on Electron or a web view rather than native code.
If the battery number bothers you
Notchy is written in native SwiftUI — no Electron, no web view — and idles at roughly 0.1% CPU, which is how it runs 120Hz animations without a battery cost. It's free, signed and notarized by Apple, and runs from macOS 13 Ventura upward. If you'd rather remove Boring Notch entirely first, there's a full uninstall guide here, or you can see the two compared side by side.
Boring Notch safety & battery — FAQ
Is Boring Notch safe?
Yes. Boring Notch is an open-source project — the full source is public on GitHub, so anyone can read what it does. Download it from its own GitHub releases or Homebrew rather than a download aggregator, and there is nothing to worry about.
Why does Boring Notch ask for so many permissions?
Every notch app needs the same two things: permission to draw over the menu bar area, and access to the Now Playing feed so it can show the current track. Some builds also ask for Accessibility to handle shortcuts. These are the permissions the features require, not a red flag.
Does Boring Notch drain battery?
It depends on the build and what you have enabled. A notch app renders all day, so the number that matters is idle CPU with nothing playing. Anything consistently above about 1-2% idle will be noticeable on battery over a full day; a well-behaved notch app should sit near zero.
How do I check what Boring Notch is costing me?
Open Activity Monitor (Applications → Utilities), sort by % CPU, and watch the app with nothing playing and the notch collapsed for about a minute. Then check the Energy tab, which shows a 12-hour average and is a better guide than an instantaneous reading.
Is Boring Notch a virus or malware?
No. It's a legitimate open-source Mac app. If a download you have is flagged by macOS or by an antivirus tool, you almost certainly got it from a mirror or aggregator rather than the official releases — delete it and download from the project's own GitHub page.
Why does macOS warn me when I open it?
Unsigned or un-notarized builds trigger Gatekeeper's warning. That's a statement about code signing, not about the code being malicious. Notchy's DMG is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens without the warning.
What's the lowest-battery notch app?
Look for native SwiftUI rather than Electron or a web view, and measure idle CPU yourself rather than trusting any vendor's claim — including ours. Notchy is native SwiftUI and idles at roughly 0.1% CPU, which is what lets it hold 120Hz animations without a battery cost.