Getting Started with 2Notch

From the App Store to your first look inside the notch, in about two minutes.

Step 1

Get 2Notch

Open the App Store on your Mac, search for 2Notch, and click Get. Downloading is free; the 14-day trial starts only when you choose to start it.

Step 2

Open it

Open 2Notch from Launchpad or your Applications folder. It is a menu bar app, so it has no window of its own and no Dock icon once it is running. The first time, a short setup window appears.

Step 3

Set it up

Eight short screens. Every choice here can be changed later in Settings, and Skip jumps straight to the end.

  1. Welcome

    What 2Notch does. The link at the bottom opens the Terms of Use & Privacy Policy; continuing past this screen means you agree to them.

    The Welcome to 2Notch screen, listing a dashboard at a glance, quiet alerts and drag to AirDrop, with a link to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

  2. Opening the notch

    Choose how the notch opens: when your pointer reaches it, only when you click it, or either.

    The Opening the notch screen with three choices: Hover, Click, and Hover or Click.

  3. Make it yours

    Pick the colour the notch highlights with, and what sits beside it when nothing is happening: nothing, the 2Notch mark, or a few characters of your own.

    The Make it yours screen, with a preview of the notch, accent colour swatches, and a choice for what shows beside the idle notch.

  4. Choose your widgets

    Pick up to four sections for the open notch from Calendar, Timer, Now Playing, Bluetooth batteries and Weather. New installs start with the first four; switch one off to make room for another.

    The Choose your widgets screen with switches for Calendar, Timer, Weather and Bluetooth.

  5. What's playing

    Turn this on to see the song, cover and controls for Music and Spotify. macOS asks you once for each app the first time.

    The What's playing screen with a switch to read Music and Spotify.

  6. Where it lives

    Show 2Notch on the built-in display, on whichever display you are using, on every display, or on one you pick.

    The Where it lives screen with choices for built-in, active, every, or a specific display.

  7. A few permissions

    Only for the sections you turned on. Click Allow Access… and answer the macOS prompt, or skip and allow it later from the section itself.

    The A few permissions screen with Allow Access buttons for Calendar and Notifications, and Bluetooth already allowed.

  8. You're all set

    Tick Launch 2Notch at login if you want it every time you start your Mac, then click Start 2Notch.

    The You're all set screen with a Launch 2Notch at login checkbox and a Start 2Notch button.

Step 4

Start your free trial

A window offers the 14-day free trial. It tells you how long the trial lasts, what locks when it ends, and the one-time price. Click Start 14-Day Free Trial; nothing is charged. If you already know you want 2Notch, unlock it there instead. Bought it before? Use Restore Purchase.

Step 5

Use the notch

  • Move your pointer to the notch at the top of the screen, or click it, to open it.
  • Click a section to make it fill the notch: today and tomorrow in the calendar, the full timer with its settings, the full music player, or every connected device. Click again to go back.
  • While Music or Spotify plays, the notch opens straight to the player. When the music is paused, the Now Playing section is the way back to it.
  • Drag a file onto the notch to send it with AirDrop.
  • The 2Notch icon in the menu bar pauses the notch, opens Settings, or quits.

Hid the menu bar icon? Open 2Notch again from Applications and Settings appear.