Feature Spotlight
The Best Free Mac File Drop App
Stop struggling to drag files between full-screen apps. Notchyturns your MacBook notch into a temporary file drop shelf. It's the ultimate free Yoink alternative.
Drag to the notch
When you drag a file on your Mac, simply move your cursor to the notch at the top of your screen. Notchy will smoothly expand, giving you a shelf to drop the file into.
The best free Yoink alternative
Apps like Yoink and Dropover charge for a license. Notchy provides a beautiful, native drop shelf—alongside a clipboard manager and Pomodoro timer—completely free.
Holds anything
Stash images, documents, URLs, or text snippets. Notchy holds them securely while you switch Desktop spaces or open other apps.
Out of sight
Unlike floating drop shelves that obscure your screen content, Notchy's stash retracts back into the notch when you aren't using it, keeping your workspace perfectly clean.
Everything Notchy does, for free
- Fluid Dynamic Island animations on the Mac notch
- Now Playing music controls (Apple Music & Spotify)
- Time-synced karaoke lyrics under the notch
- Mac clipboard history shelf (password-manager safe)
- Drag-and-drop file drop shelf — persists across relaunches
- Zip & unzip files right from the shelf
- Image converter (HEIC, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF) + video → GIF
- Run Apple Shortcuts with one tap
- Screenshots auto-staged on the shelf, ready to drag
- Download finished alerts with Reveal in Finder
- USB drive mount island with one-tap Eject
- Apple Reminders quick capture & due list
- macOS Pomodoro notch timer & stopwatch
- System HUDs (volume, brightness, battery)
- Audio output switcher (speakers, AirPods, monitor)
- AirPods connection manager & battery
- Magic Mouse, Keyboard & Trackpad battery + low-battery alerts
- Quick notes & Calendar widgets
- Camera Mirror (check your appearance)
- Keep Awake (caffeine toggle)
- Teleprompter (Cuely) for Zoom calls
- Focus-aware alerts & native haptic feedback
- Lock screen widgets & hide-the-notch mode
- 133 languages, fully localized
- Native SwiftUI, tuned for Apple Silicon
Mac File Drop Shelf — FAQ
What is a Mac drop shelf app?
A drop shelf app gives you a temporary place to 'hold' files while you switch between windows or full-screen spaces. You drag a file into the shelf, switch apps, and then drag it out.
Is there a free alternative to Yoink for Mac?
Yes, Notchy is a completely free Yoink alternative. It includes a built-in file drop shelf that lives discreetly inside your MacBook notch.
How does Notchy's file drop work?
Simply drag any file, image, or text snippet to the top of your screen. The notch will automatically expand into a shelf where you can drop the file. Switch to your destination app, open the notch, and drag it back out.
Can I drop multiple files?
Yes. You can drag and drop multiple files into Notchy's stash. They will be held safely until you drag them out or clear the stash — and shelf items even survive quitting and relaunching the app.
Do screenshots land on the shelf automatically?
Yes. Every screenshot you take is auto-staged on the notch shelf as a draggable island — drop it straight into a chat, email or doc without hunting through the Desktop.
Can I zip files from the shelf?
Yes. Select two or more shelf items and compress them into a single Finder-compatible zip, or expand an existing archive — all from the notch, powered by macOS's native ditto tool. The result lands right back on the shelf, ready to drag out.