How to Get a Notch on an External Monitor (Mac, 2026)

An external monitor has no notch. The notch on a MacBook is the cutout that holds the camera, and a desk monitor has a plain, straight top edge. That matters if you use a notch app: the place you reach for is on the laptop, while the screen you look at all day is somewhere else.

This guide explains what NotchOwl does on external monitors, how to set it up in a few clicks, and which other apps also work on a second screen. I make NotchOwl, so it gets the most space here; the last section covers the alternatives I could confirm.

Why a monitor has no notch, and what macOS does instead

The notch exists because the display on newer MacBooks reaches up around the camera. macOS fills the space on either side of it with the menu bar. A monitor has no camera cutout, so its menu bar runs straight across, with empty space in the middle.

macOS shows a menu bar on each display when Displays have separate Spaces is on, which is the default. Apple puts that option in System Settings › Desktop & Dock, under Mission Control. Menu bar apps put their icons in each display’s menu bar too, so a classic menu bar app already works on a second monitor. What you lose is the notch itself: a fixed spot at the top center that you can hover without looking for an icon.

What NotchOwl does on an external monitor

NotchOwl 2.2 gave external monitors a notch of their own, and 2.2.2 (November 5, 2026) taught it to make room for full screen. In the current version:

• A drawn notch. NotchOwl draws a notch at the top center of the monitor’s menu bar, about as wide as a MacBook’s. Hover it, and NotchOwl opens right there with your tasks, focus timer, notepad and today’s Calendar events.
• It follows the pointer. Move the pointer to another screen, and the closed notch, its focus timer and the next reminder follow. Option–N opens NotchOwl on the screen you are on. It does not jump screens while the workspace is open or a reminder is showing.
• It steps aside for full screen. A full-screen app on a monitor, or two apps in Split View, get the whole screen. The drawn notch comes back when you leave full screen, and the middle of the top edge still opens NotchOwl in the meantime.
• You can pin it. Settings › Show on keeps NotchOwl on the MacBook’s screen or on one monitor.
• You can hide it. Turn off Settings › Notch on monitors, and nothing is drawn. Push the pointer to the middle of the top edge to open NotchOwl; the timer and reminders show up there.

NotchOwl is the same planner on every screen, so nothing reloads or syncs when it moves.

NotchOwl draws a notch at the top of an external monitor’s menu bar, follows the pointer between screens, and since version 2.2.2 steps aside for full-screen apps and Split View.

How to set it up

1. Check your Mac. NotchOwl needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later. That includes a Mac mini or Mac Studio, where every screen is an external monitor and gets the drawn notch.
2. Install NotchOwl. Download NotchOwl, drag it to Applications and enter your license key. The setup guide walks through activation.
3. Connect the monitor. There is nothing to turn on. Move the pointer onto the monitor, and the notch appears at the top center of its menu bar.
4. Choose how it opens. Click the owl in the menu bar, choose Settings…, and set Open notch with to Hover, Click or Double-click. Click is a good choice if you often reach for the menu bar and open NotchOwl by accident.
5. Pick a shortcut. Option–N is the default. Open shortcut in the same settings also offers Option–P and Option–Space.
6. Decide where NotchOwl lives. Under Show on, Automatic follows the pointer. Built-in display keeps it on the MacBook while the lid is open, and each monitor is listed by name. If a chosen monitor is unplugged, NotchOwl follows the pointer until it is back.
7. Optional: hide the drawn notch. The Notch on monitors switch appears once a monitor is connected. Turn it off if you prefer a clean top edge.

With the MacBook lid closed, a Show on choice of Built-in display falls back to following the pointer across your monitors.

Full screen and Split View

Since NotchOwl 2.2.2, a monitor’s drawn notch steps aside while an app is full screen or in Split View, and returns when you leave. Your focus timer keeps running, and the middle of the top edge still opens NotchOwl, so your list is one push of the pointer away during a full-screen video call or presentation. Every change is listed in the NotchOwl changelog.

Other ways to get a notch on a monitor

Compared from each app’s official website or source code in November 2026; prices are as of November 2026.

• NotchNook by lo.cafe says it works with or without a notch, including external displays, and lets you pick which displays get it. NotchNook Pro costs $19 lifetime or $3 a month and needs Apple silicon with macOS 14.6 or later; NotchNook Classic costs $15 lifetime or $2 a month and also runs on Intel. Both cover two Macs and come with a 48-hour free trial. NotchNook is the better pick if you want music controls and a file tray with AirDrop in the notch, which NotchOwl does not have.
• Boring Notch is free and open source (GPL-3.0) for macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon or Intel. Its settings include Show on all displays, Preferred display and Automatically switch displays. Boring Notch focuses on music controls, a file shelf and a replacement for the volume and brightness HUD. The developers note it is not signed with an Apple Developer account, so macOS warns you on first launch.
• A plain menu bar app. If you only need an icon, any menu bar app appears in each display’s menu bar while Displays have separate Spaces is on. There is nothing to hover, but nothing to set up either.

NotchOwl is the wrong choice if you want media controls, a file shelf, an Intel Mac or a free app. NotchOwl is built for planning: tasks, a focus timer, a notepad, reminders and a read-only view of today’s calendar, for $9 once on up to three Macs, an early-bird price that is normally $29 (see pricing). For a wider look at the category, read the best notch apps for Mac or how to get a Dynamic Island on your Mac.