┌──────────────────────────────────┐
                    │           ██  NotchBar  ██        │
                    │                                    │
                    │   your macbook notch was doing     │
                    │   nothing. now it runs your        │
                    │   coding agents.                   │
                    │                                    │
                    └────────────────┬───────────────────┘
                                     │
                    ┌────────────────┴───────────────────┐
                    │  ● Claude  thinking...        62%    │
                    │    ┌ Deny ┐  ┌ Allow ┐               │
                    └───────────────────────────────────────┘

A plugin-based live dashboard for coding agents, crammed into your MacBook notch.

---

What is this

NotchBar turns the dead space around your MacBook notch into a live control surface for coding agents. See what your agent is doing, approve tool calls, and coordinate multiple agents — all without alt-tabbing back to a terminal like it's 2024.

Plugins

Plugin	Status	What it does
Claude Code	Stable	Live approvals, socket IPC, tool timeline, reasoning, session history
Embedded Terminal	Beta	Launch Claude Code sessions directly inside the notch panel with a full PTY terminal
Conflict Detector	Beta	Multi-agent file locking with MCP coordination server
Codex	Beta	Process discovery, transcript monitoring, managed profile (disabled by default)

Key Features

• Embedded terminal — launch Claude Code directly in the notch with a built-in PTY terminal
• Approval doorbell — full approval overlay with file preview, diffs, and clean Deny/Allow buttons (advanced options via disclosure chevron)
• Conflict detection — file locking across agents with an MCP server for proactive coordination
• Multi-session cards — run multiple agents side by side
• Live tool timeline — every tool invocation with status, elapsed time, and inline diffs (opt-in)
• Token & cost tracking — per-model cost estimation with context window usage ring (opt-in)
• Git awareness — branch name, changed file count per session
• Hotkeys — approve/reject from anywhere without switching windows
• Warp, iTerm2, Terminal.app — works with all major terminal emulators

Install

Download

Grab the .dmg from Releases.

From Source

git clone https://github.com/lukataylo/NotchBar.git
cd NotchBar
./install.sh

Requires macOS 13+ and Xcode Command Line Tools.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd Shift C	Toggle panel
Cmd Shift Y	Approve
Cmd Shift N	Reject
Cmd Shift ]	Next session
Cmd Shift [	Previous session

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       App Shell                              │
│  Infrastructure · Views · CardStack · ApprovalOverlay        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                     Plugin System                            │
│  ProviderCore · PluginRegistry · ProviderManager             │
├────────┬────────┬────────┬─────────────────────────────────┤
│Embedded│ Claude │ Codex  │ Conflict Detector               │
│Terminal│  Code  │        │                                 │
├────────┴────────┴────────┴─────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Shared Services                            │
│  Shell · SocketServer · CoordinationEngine · FileWatcher     │
│  GitIntegration · TranscriptReader · PTYSessionManager       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

One Swift file + one line of registration = new plugin. Run /create-plugin in Claude Code for the full guide.

MCP Coordination Server

The Conflict Detector includes an MCP server that agents can connect to for proactive coordination:

Tool	Description
claim_file	Claim a file before editing — blocked if another agent owns it
release_file	Release your lock so other agents can edit
list_locks	See all locked files and owners
get_context	Overview of active sessions, locks, and stats

Install via Settings > Plugins > Conflict Detector > Configure > Set Up Server.

FAQ

Does it phone home? No. Local-first. The only network call is checking GitHub for updates once a day, and even that's just a polite "hey, got anything new?"

External monitors? Yes. Creates a panel on every display. No-notch screens get a pill shape. Your notch jealousy ends here.

What if NotchBar crashes? Claude keeps working. The hook auto-approves when NotchBar is gone. Your agent has trust issues, not dependency issues.

Do I need a MacBook with a notch? Nope. Works on any Mac running macOS 13+. No notch = pill-shaped bar at the top of your screen. Honestly it looks better.

All auto-approve settings are off by default? Yes. Your agent earns trust, it doesn't start with it. Enable what you're comfortable with in Settings or during onboarding.

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.