Boring Notch for Mac: Download, Setup and Fixes

Short answer: Boring Notch is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) app that turns your MacBook’s notch into a Dynamic Island with media controls, calendar, an AirDrop shelf, a camera mirror and HUDs. Download it from its GitHub releases page or Homebrew tap, run one Terminal command so macOS lets it open, then hover the notch. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

TL;DR

• Get it: GitHub releases (boringNotch.dmg) or brew install --cask TheBoredTeam/boring-notch/boring-notch.
• First launch: it isn’t signed with an Apple Developer account, so clear the quarantine flag once or use Open Anyway.
• Versions: 2.7.3 is stable (November 2025); 2.8-rc.1 arrived on 25 September 2026.
• Missing: weather and notifications are still on the roadmap.

Everything about Boring Notch here was checked on 28 September 2026 against its GitHub repository, README, releases, Homebrew tap and theboring.name. We make FavTray, whose FavShelf is another notch app; it appears once, at the end.

What is Boring Notch?

Boring Notch is a community-built Mac app from TheBoredTeam that makes the black camera housing on a MacBook useful. macOS does nothing interactive with the notch; Boring Notch draws an expandable panel around it that opens when you hover. The project’s GitHub tagline is “Not so boring notch That Rocks”, which is where the searches for “not so boring notch” and “TheBoringNotch” come from. The repository is boring.notch and the app installs as boringNotch.app, so you’ll see all of those spellings.

It’s one of the most popular notch apps on GitHub, with 10,895 stars and more than 1,000 forks on 28 September 2026, and it’s actively maintained: the latest commits landed the same day.

Is Boring Notch free?

Yes, completely. Its website calls it “the free, open-source app”, the licence is GPL-3.0, and there is no paid tier, trial or account. If you’d like to compare it with the paid options, see Boring Notch vs NotchNook, where we also review how it holds up day to day.

How do I download and install Boring Notch?

1. Download boringNotch.dmg from the latest release, or install with Homebrew: brew install --cask TheBoredTeam/boring-notch/boring-notch. The tap is the project’s own; there is no official Homebrew cask.
2. Drag it to Applications if you used the DMG.
3. Clear the quarantine flag once (DMG installs only). The README gives xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Boring Notch.app". The app in the current DMG and cask is named boringNotch.app, so if Terminal says the file doesn’t exist, run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/boringNotch.app instead.
4. Launch it and hover the notch. Grant the permissions it asks for; our notch app permissions guide explains each one and what to do if one won’t stick.

Requirements: macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel.

Why does macOS say Boring Notch can’t be opened?

Because it isn’t signed with an Apple Developer account. The README says so directly (“We don’t have an Apple Developer account”), and Gatekeeper blocks unsigned downloads by default. It’s a signing warning, not a malware verdict. You have three ways past it:

• the xattr command in step 3 above;
• System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, after one failed launch;
• installing through the Homebrew tap, whose cask removes the quarantine flag after install.

You only do this once per install. If the warning comes back after an update, repeat it.

What does Boring Notch do?

Items marked done on its README roadmap as of 28 September 2026:

• Media: a playback live activity with controls and a visualizer.
• Calendar and Reminders in the open notch.
• Shelf for files, with AirDrop.
• Mirror: a live camera preview in the notch, with a shape option. This is what people mean by a “MacBook notch mirror camera”: a quick look at yourself before a call.
• HUDs replacing the volume, brightness and keyboard backlight overlays, plus a charging indicator with percentage.
• Customisable gestures and notch sizing.

Not done yet: weather, notifications, Bluetooth live activity, lock-screen widgets, layouts and extensions.

Does Boring Notch work without a notch?

Partly. Its settings include Show on all displays and a notch height on non-notch displays, so it can draw a notch-style bar on an external monitor or a Mac without a notch. Multi-display setups are where it’s roughest: the maintainers closed a clamshell-mode external display issue as not planned in May 2026. Test it on your own setup.

Does Boring Notch drain the battery?

It used to for some people. Issue #338, a report of heavy battery use at idle, was closed as fixed in July 2025. If you’re worried, open Activity Monitor’s Energy tab after an hour of normal use and see where it sits.

Which version should I use?

• 2.7.3 (24 November 2025) is the latest stable release and what the Homebrew tap installs.
• 2.8-rc.1 (25 September 2026) is a release candidate on the same releases page, and a nightly build is there too.

Pick stable unless a bug you have is fixed in 2.8.

What are the alternatives to Boring Notch?

If Boring Notch is close but not quite right:

• Want weather, lyrics or a clipboard for free? Notchy covers more for $0; see free Dynamic Island apps.
• Want open source with system stats? Atoll, if you have a notched MacBook.
• Want the whole category side by side? Our best Mac notch apps roundup compares every real option.
• Want the notch to carry your workday? FavTray’s FavShelf has a free glance (media, weather, Claude and Codex usage bars, HUDs), and a one-time Lifetime licence unlocks a calendar with join buttons, clipboard history, a shelf with AirDrop, a camera check and Claude Code approvals. The feature-by-feature version is FavTray vs Boring Notch.