About
Alcove turns the Mac's notch into a proper Dynamic Island. Media playback, notifications and Live Activities surface in a fluid, animated capsule at the top of the screen, and the stock system HUDs for volume and brightness are replaced with customisable ones that look considerably better. Swipe gestures make it interactive rather than ornamental, and it even places widgets on the lock screen, a rarity among notch utilities.
It comes from Henrik Ruscon, the developer behind Klack, and launched in November 2024 as a one-time purchase with no subscription, now $14.99. The app is native, quick and restrained, with transitions that feel like part of macOS rather than something bolted on. Of the many Dynamic Island imitators on the Mac, this is the one that feels finished.
Alternatives
- Boring Notch
Pick Boring Notch if you want a free, open source notch app: it is licensed GPL-3.0, adds music controls, a file shelf and a HUD replacement, and runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- MediaMate
Pick MediaMate if you mainly want better volume and brightness HUDs plus a Now Playing display: it costs €6.99 once and runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later.
At a Glance
- Requires
- macOS 15 Sequoia or later
- Price
- $14.99 one-time, with a 72-hour free trial
- Get It From
- tryalcove.com
Curator's Note
“The only notch app that feels like Apple designed it, right down to the lock screen.”
Theo, Mac Dept.
