boring.notch vs Hidden Bar

boring.notch

• MacBook owners who want media controls in the notch area
• People who share files by AirDrop and want a drop target at the top of the screen
• Anyone looking for a free, open-source notch app

Hidden Bar

• Mac users who only want to tuck away rarely used menu bar icons
• People who want a free, open-source menu bar hider
• Those who prefer one arrow to click over a larger menu bar manager

boring.notch

• macOS only. The README requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, while the website's download card says macOS 13 Ventura or later.
• The team has no Apple Developer account, so macOS blocks the first launch until a Terminal command or a System Settings override is used; the Homebrew install avoids this.
• Bluetooth live activities, weather, customizable layouts, lock screen widgets and an extension system are on the roadmap but not marked as done.
• YouTube Music support needs version 3.11 or later of the YouTube Music (Pear Desktop) app.

Hidden Bar

• macOS only. Current GitHub releases need macOS 13 or later, while the Mac App Store listing shows version 1.8 from June 2021.
• The manual says always-hidden icons can still appear after expanding unless the separators are hidden too, a known limitation.
• A newly installed app's icon can start out in the hidden zone and has to be Command-dragged out once.
• On macOS 27 the direct-download build needs Accessibility permission, and the manual lists a hiding failure on a macOS 27 beta as a known issue.

boring.notch

Music controls in the notch

Shows what is playing with a visualizer and playback controls that can be rearranged, including 15-second skips, app volume and favorites, plus synchronized lyrics in beta.

File shelf with AirDrop

Dragging files to the notch opens a shelf that holds them for AirDrop and other sharing services, with multi-item selection and a right-click menu of file actions.

System HUD replacement

Replaces the macOS on-screen indicators for volume, screen brightness and keyboard backlight with its own display in the notch, with optional percentages.

Calendar and reminders

Calendar and reminders integrations are built in, with settings to hide all-day events, scroll automatically to the current or next event and stop long event names being cut off.

Mirror and battery indicator

The project roadmap marks two further additions as done: a mirror, and a charging indicator that shows the current battery percentage.

Lock screen and screenshot options

The notch can appear on the lock screen, can be hidden from screenshots and recordings, and its size and gestures can be adjusted for different displays.

Hidden Bar

Collapsible hidden section

Command-drag icons to the left of the separator, then click the arrow to collapse or expand that part of the menu bar.

Auto collapse

Hidden icons are tucked away again after a chosen delay. The countdown pauses while the pointer is in the menu bar.

Global shortcut

A system-wide hotkey set in Preferences expands or collapses the hidden section from any app.

Always-hidden section

An optional second zone holds icons that stay hidden even when the bar is expanded. Option-clicking the arrow reveals it.

Full menu bar on expanding

A preference lets the expanded icons use the whole menu bar for a moment, which the manual says helps when the menu bar is tight on space.

Terminal-only options

Settings with no interface, changed with the defaults command, include expanding on hover and a custom auto-collapse delay.

boring.notch

• boring.notch$0

  Every feature, as a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs from GitHub Releases or Homebrew. No account or license key.

Hidden Bar

• Hidden Bar$0

  Collapsible hidden section, auto collapse, global shortcut, always-hidden section and launch at login. Listed as Free on the US Mac App Store.