What Is TopNotch for macOS?

TopNotch is a small macOS app that makes your menu bar black and hides the display notch, so the notch blends into the menu bar instead of standing out. It requires macOS 11.0 or newer and is offered as a free download. It suits MacBook users with a notched display who want a cleaner menu bar, and it also works on setups with multiple displays and spaces.

What TopNotch actually does

The core effect is simple: the menu bar is turned black, which visually absorbs the notch area on notched MacBook screens. Rather than modifying hardware or display settings, the app changes how the menu bar looks so the notch reads as part of the bar.

Beyond that, TopNotch adds a few behaviors that matter in daily use:

• Dynamic Wallpapers — it supports macOS Dynamic Desktop Wallpapers, so the effect keeps working when the wallpaper shifts through the day.
• Multiple displays — the app works well with multiple displays and spaces, so the treatment isn't limited to a single screen.
• Background operation — TopNotch stays in the background and watches for wallpaper changes, reapplying its effect when needed rather than requiring manual resets.
• Round corners — an optional setting that adds rounded corners to your wallpaper.

How it fits into a normal workflow

Because the app runs in the background and monitors wallpaper changes, you generally set it up once and forget it. A practical example: you use a Dynamic Desktop wallpaper that changes between light and dark through the day, and you also connect an external monitor. TopNotch keeps the black menu bar treatment consistent across the built-in display and the external one, and it reasserts the effect after the wallpaper changes instead of leaving the notch exposed.

The rounded-corners option is separate from the notch hiding. Enable it only if you want the wallpaper itself to have rounded edges; it is a cosmetic choice, not a requirement for the main effect.

Requirements and things to check

Before installing, confirm your Mac meets the macOS 11.0 requirement. If you use several displays or spaces, the multiple-display support is the feature to verify against your setup. The site does not list pricing beyond the free download, so treat any cost questions as unconfirmed by the available information.

Who it's for

TopNotch is aimed at people bothered by the notch on newer MacBook displays who want it to disappear into a black menu bar without changing their wallpaper habits. If you rely on Dynamic Desktop wallpapers or switch between displays and spaces often, the background monitoring and multi-display support are the parts that make it low-maintenance. If you don't have a notched display, the main benefit doesn't apply, though the rounded-corners wallpaper option still exists as a cosmetic tweak.