This simple app makes brilliant use of the MacBook notch

By Alan Truly June 17, 2022

Few people love the placement of the MacBook’s notch, but what if it had a more practical use? A new app that’s being developed does exactly that, making a simple drag and drop gesture to the MacBook notch start an AirDrop, sharing those files with another Apple device.

The app also includes nice visual feedback, placing a flashing yellow glow around the MacBook notch when dragging begins to indicate the drop target and turning green when the mouse reaches the notch. Letting go and dropping the files initiates the AirDrop. The app was recently demonstrated on Twitter by developer Ian Keen.

Got inspired to build a little airdrop helper app tonight. pic.twitter.com/ywzJzKR0O8

— Ian Keen (@IanKay) June 16, 2022

While it’s not available for download yet, a TestFlight beta version is planned and should become available in a few days according to Keen.

A version is also being developed for Mac computers that do not have a notch and it looks quite similar. Keen notes that there will be some options to control the appearance which is a good idea since the flash and glow might become tiresome after a few days of use.

What do ya'll think about this 'notchless' variant? pic.twitter.com/rW3zsy01ub

— Ian Keen (@IanKay) June 17, 2022

Full details of the app are not available. It’s unclear how the user can specify which device will receive an AirDrop if there is more than one Apple device in range. The developer seems responsive to ideas so anyone interested in a specific feature should comment on the Twitter feed and share their ideas.

It’s an intriguing and fun app that has garnered a fair amount of interest, racking up over a thousand likes in less than a day. At the moment, it’s a work in progress that might be ready for beta testing soon.

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Alan is a Computing Writer living in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, Alan stays current on what is…

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