About NotchOwl
NotchOwl is an independent Mac app made by Aditya Jaiswal. It turns the MacBook notch into a daily planner, so today’s tasks, a focus timer and your notes are always one hover away.
Why NotchOwl exists
Since the 2021 MacBook Pro, Apple’s laptops have a notch at the top of the screen, and for most people it does nothing. Meanwhile the to-do list you need all day sits in a window that gets buried under everything else. NotchOwl puts that list where your eyes already go: hover over the notch, or press Option–N, and your day opens right there. Close it and get back to work, with your focus timer still ticking in the notch.
That is also why it is described as an ADHD-friendly task manager. A plan you cannot see is easy to forget, so NotchOwl keeps it a glance away, opens the notch when a reminder comes due, and carries unfinished tasks forward instead of letting them disappear.
How it is built
- Native and local. NotchOwl is a native Mac app. Tasks, notes and focus history are stored on your Mac, not on a server. Calendar access is optional and read-only.
- Paid once. One $9 license covers up to 3 Macs with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. There is no subscription.
- Works without a notch. External monitors get a notch NotchOwl draws for them, and Macs without a notch open it from the top center of the screen.
- Open to AI agents. A local MCP server lets Claude and Cursor manage your tasks, reminders and focus timer on your Mac.
- Shipped often. The first version came out on September 15, 2026. Version 2.2.2 followed on November 5, 2026. Every release is listed in the NotchOwl changelog.
Who makes it
Aditya Jaiswal designs, builds and supports NotchOwl, and also makes WakeBee and Appthetics. Follow along on X (@adityaships) or connect on LinkedIn.
Get in touch
Questions, bug reports and refund requests go to adityaships66@gmail.com, and you will hear back from the person who wrote the code. More ways to get help are on the contact page.