Micro-App Feature
The Ultimate Free Mac Scratchpad
Stop losing focus just to write down a phone number. Notchyprovides a lightning-fast, beautifully simple quick notes area hidden right inside your MacBook notch. It's the perfect free Tot alternative.
Zero context switching
Don't open a heavy app like Apple Notes or Notion for a temporary thought. Drop the notch, type your note, and close it instantly without leaving your current workflow.
The free SideNotes alternative
Paid scratchpad apps clutter your screen edges. Notchy uses the dead space of the camera notch to hold your temporary text, and it's completely free.
Always accessible
Because Notchy lives in your menu bar and hardware notch, your scratchpad is never buried under other windows. It is always just one swipe or click away.
Combined with Clipboard History
Notchy doesn't just let you write notes; it also natively tracks your clipboard history in a separate tab, making it the ultimate tool for handling temporary text.
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 Quick Notes — FAQ
How do I take quick notes on my Mac without opening an app?
Notchy includes a built-in scratchpad right in the Dynamic Island. Simply hover over your MacBook notch and start typing to instantly jot down fleeting thoughts, phone numbers, or quick ideas.
Is Notchy a free alternative to Tot or SideNotes?
Yes! While apps like SideNotes or Tot are great for structuring lots of text, Notchy provides a completely free, frictionless scratchpad for temporary notes that you can access instantly from any screen.
Where are my notes saved?
Your quick notes are saved locally on your Mac. When you close the notch, they stay safely tucked away until the next time you open the island to retrieve them.