Notch — Focus timer for your MacBook's notch

Three things only Notch does

Everything else is parity with Session, Flow, TomatoBar. These three are the wedge.

⌃

Triple-tap Caps Lock

The keyboard's most-wasted key claims a new job. No modifier-key gymnastics — just three quick taps and a session starts. Doesn't fight Cursor, VS Code, Xcode, or Chrome DevTools.

◐

Lives in the notch

Every other Mac focus timer hides in the menu bar corner. Notch sits dead-center, peripheral vision, never covering your work. The black hardware cutout becomes part of the timer.

⤴

Notices when you come back

Walk away from your Mac — Notch pauses itself. Sit back down — it expands the notch and asks if you're ready to focus. The app meets you halfway.

Built for the way Mac focus actually works

Pomodoro durations, smart check-ins, history, achievements. The basics done right, plus what no one else has.

Smart check-ins

Halfway, every 15 minutes, or off. No manual nudging.

Watch Mode

Auto-suggests sessions when you return to your Mac.

Activity templates

Reusable named tasks with autocomplete from history.

10 productivity tiers

Climb from Beginner to Zen as you build the habit.

Achievements

Streaks, milestones, badges. Subtle, not Duolingo-loud.

Custom hotkeys

⌃⌥⌘ defaults won't fight your dev tools. Rebind any.

Sound themes

Multiple themes. Or silent. Your call.

Screen overlay nudges

Halfway, 5-min warning, completion at any screen position.

Full session history

Every focus block, exportable to CSV.

100% local. No account. No cloud. No tracking.

Your task names ("Reviewing layoffs", "Doctor's appointment") never leave your Mac. The privacy claim isn't marketing — it's a sandbox entitlement. The only network call Notch makes is to Apple's StoreKit for purchases. Optional crash reporting is opt-in and off by default.

No third-party SDKs. No analytics scripts. No "we collect anonymized…" — we collect nothing by default.

Pay once, use forever

Indie Mac craft pricing. No subscription. Your Mac App Store purchase covers every major version, forever.

Notch Pro

$14.99

One time, on the Mac App Store

Free tier: timer, 7-day history, 3 templates
Pro unlocks: Watch Mode, levels, achievements
Unlimited templates + autocomplete
Every-15-min + custom check-ins
Custom hotkeys + sound themes
Full history with CSV export
Family Sharing on

Get Notch Pro

Launch buyers: every major version (v2.0, v3.0, all of it) included free, forever. We owe early adopters more than we can give.

Common questions

If yours isn't here, email hello@notch.rocks.

Is there a subscription?

No. One-time purchase, $14.99. Family Sharing is on. Every major version is included for launch buyers, forever.

What if my Mac doesn't have a notch?

Notch falls back to a menu bar item. The full app still works — but the notch is the differentiator. We're built for MacBook Pro 14"/16" and the notched MacBook Air. If you have a non-notch Mac, you might prefer something else.

Why Caps Lock as the trigger?

Caps Lock is the most-wasted key on your keyboard. Apple disables it by default in many regions. Triple-tap is a gesture nobody else uses, so it doesn't conflict with Cursor's command palette, VS Code's keyboard shortcuts, Xcode's build hotkey, or Chrome DevTools. Once it's in your fingers, you stop fighting modifier collisions.

Do you have a free trial?

The free tier is the trial. Core focus sessions, basic check-ins, last 7 days of history, 3 saved templates — all free, indefinitely. Pro is the upgrade for power users.

What data do you collect?

None. Notch is sandboxed. No account, no cloud, no analytics, no telemetry, no third-party SDKs. The only outbound network call is to Apple's StoreKit for purchases. Optional crash reporting is off by default; if you opt in, it sends anonymized stack traces only — never task names or session data.

How do I refund / restore on a new Mac?

Refunds are handled through the Mac App Store (Settings → App Store → Purchase History → Report a Problem). Restoring on a new Mac: open Settings → Get Pro → Restore Purchases. Family Sharing covers up to 5 family members on the same iCloud family.

Will you build team features / cloud sync?

No. Team features force a backend, accounts, and cloud sync — which kills the local-first privacy positioning that's the whole point. If a future version adds collaborative focus, it'll be local-network only (AirDrop / Bonjour) — never a cloud server.

Does this work for hackathons or long sessions?

Yes — sessions chain, max single duration is 240 minutes, auto-pause covers meal breaks. We're shipping a "Marathon Mode" in v1.1 with milestone reminders for 12+ hour sprints if hackathon teams adopt it.