Islet

A free open-source native Mac app that transforms the MacBook notch into a feature-rich Dynamic Island interactive panel, offering media controls, AI agent usage monitoring, file management, format conversion, and a dozen other practical modules

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https://islet.app/

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In-depth Report

Islet is a free and open source macOS native application that transforms the notch area of MacBook into a feature-rich "Smart Island" interactive panel. It provides more than a dozen practical functions such as media control, AI agent usage monitoring, file management and format conversion, calendar, etc., all implemented in native Swift/SwiftUI, with almost zero CPU usage when idle. As a free tool licensed by MIT, Islet strikes an excellent balance between feature richness and performance, and is currently one of the most competitive choices among Mac notch tool applications.
Islet was developed by independent developer MrRockySL (X platform account @lippi304), and the project was first made public on GitHub on July 17, 2026. The developer himself is an in-depth Mac user and has long been troubled by the "dead space" problem in the MacBook notch area. Apple launched the Dynamic Island interaction paradigm on the iPhone, but did not introduce it to macOS. The existing notch enhancement applications on the market are either paid or have weak functions. Islet was developed based on this void. The project is released under the MIT open source license, and the complete code is hosted on GitHub (MrRockySL/Islet). It has gained community attention since its release. Developers also have in-depth experience in cutting-edge AI tool chains (Claude Code, Antigravity), so Islet is the first among many similar tools to add an AI agent usage monitoring module.
Islet turns the MacBook notch into an interactive liquid glass panel that expands on mouseover and retracts when moved out. The entire interface consists of multiple modules that can be switched independently: Media Control: Supports Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and any browser player. Display cover, control play/pause/switch songs, provide drag progress bar and audio output switcher. The miniature cover and volume level bar can also be displayed when the bangs are closed. AI agent usage monitoring: This is an exclusive feature that distinguishes Islet from other similar applications. It displays the remaining usage quota of Claude Code and Antigravity (5 hours/week quota and reset time) directly on the bangs panel, as well as each currently running agent and its projects, branches and status. When the agent's task is completed, the bangs will emit a soft light effect and beep - meaning you no longer need to keep staring at the terminal window. File management: includes three major functions: Shelf, AirDrop and Quick Conversion. The file shelf supports dragging files to bangs for temporary storage, and then dragging them out to any location; the AirDrop module can initiate airdropping directly from bangs; the quick conversion module supports HEIC/PNG/JPG conversion, image to PDF, PDF to image, PDF merging, MOV/MP4 conversion, video compression, video to GIF, audio and video to MP3, document to PDF, etc. All conversions are completed locally without uploading. Text extraction: Drag in screenshots, photos or PDFs to automatically OCR extract text to the clipboard. Calendar: Displays an overview of today's schedule and a complete monthly calendar view, with the option to selectively display a specified calendar. Detailed interaction: When AirPods are connected, a 3D rotating model and power ring will pop up on the bangs; there will be pop-up prompts for charging/full power/low power. Shortcut operation: Option+Space global shortcut key switches the notch panel; supports startup at login, menu bar icon, and optional Dock icon. Each module can be turned off independently, with adjustable sliders for animations and visual effects. Islet uses native Apple frameworks (MediaRemote, ImageIO, PDFKit, AVFoundation, Vision, etc.) and does not rely on Electron, no background polling, and no telemetry collection. The idle state uses about 55 MB of memory and almost zero CPU.Competing products include Boring Notch (free and open source, with similar functional coverage but lacking the AI monitoring module and containing Electron components), Seam ($19.90 buyout, elegant design but simpler functions), and NotchNook ($25 buyout or $3/month, with the most features but a fee). In contrast, Islet’s differentiated advantages lie in free open source + AI agent monitoring + pure native Swift implementation.
Islet is completely free and licensed under the MIT open source license. Users can download the DMG installation package from GitHub Releases and use it without registering an account or subscribing. Developers maintain project development through open source community contributions and Star support. There are currently no in-app purchases or sponsorships. Requires macOS 26 or later (Apple Silicon Mac).
User reviews compiled on UStack show that the positive feedback focuses on several aspects: it is well designed and consistent with the visual style of macOS; the feature richness exceeds expectations, with one application covering multiple needs such as music control, file management, calendaring, etc.; the modular design allows people to only open the functions they need, with a high degree of freedom. Some users pointed out that some features are marked "Coming Soon", including Quick Actions, Menu Bar Overflow and Coding Progress, indicating that the product is still undergoing rapid iteration. Some users also mentioned that some functions require permission authorization such as Bluetooth, positioning, and calendar. On GitHub, developers and the community are actively communicating through Issues, and the latest submission records of the project show that developers are still making continuous improvements.
In the field of similar products, Mac notch tools are becoming an increasingly crowded segment. Boring Notch (5000+ GitHub Stars) is the most well-known open source competitor, but it is implemented with a web technology stack instead of native; Seam has gained a good reputation among paying users; NotchNook leads the way in terms of customization. The emergence of Islet brings a unique value proposition to this track: completely native + free open source + AI agent integration. In particular, the AI agent usage monitoring function directly targets the rapidly growing number of people in the current Mac developer community who use AI coding tools such as Claude Code and Antigravity. This is a demand scenario that other competing products have not yet covered.
As a self-signed (non-Apple notarized) free application, Islet will trigger a security warning from macOS Gatekeeper when installed for the first time. Users need to manually go to "System Settings → Privacy and Security" to allow it to run. This may cause certain obstacles for non-technical users. In addition, the AI agent monitoring module needs to read the login credentials in the Keychain to obtain Anthropic usage data. Although the developer states that the data is only used for local query and will not leave the user's device, privacy-conscious users may have concerns about this. The product is still in its early stages, with only 6 commit records in the GitHub repository, which means test coverage and long-term maintenance reliability have yet to be verified.
Islet is best suited for the following groups: Mac users with Apple Silicon MacBooks (with notches), developers who use AI coding tools (Claude Code, Antigravity) on a daily basis, productivity enthusiasts who need convenient media control but do not want to install multiple independent tools, and users who prefer a native application experience. People who are not suitable for it include: ordinary users who use Intel Macs or external monitors (although the floating pill mode is supported, the experience is not as good as the original bangs), people who are extremely sensitive to security pop-ups, and people who do not need any bangs tools. For the AI developer community, Islet’s agent monitoring feature is a major plus and highly recommended.
Islet brings an iPhone Dynamic Island-level interactive experience to MacBook notches in a free and open source way. It does not lose to any paid competitors in terms of functional breadth, and is even more exclusive in the vertical demand of AI agent monitoring. If developers can maintain a continuous iteration rhythm and community operations, Islet has the potential to become a benchmark application in the Mac notch tool ecosystem.

User Reviews

LandonWagner

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Used it for two days, and honestly, it's impressive. I've tried several notch tools before — they were either sluggish or resource-heavy. Islet is the first one that makes me feel 'this is the native feature Apple should have built.' The animation smoothness is almost indistinguishable from the iPhone's Dynamic Island.

Christine.Morgan168728

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Free, open source, and MIT licensed — the developer is truly generous. I see it's only been on GitHub for less than two weeks and already has nearly 1k stars.

crazywolf577

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After comparing, Islet is truly the most suitable notch tool for developers. Others at most do music control and calendar, but Islet has real-time monitoring for Claude Code and Antigravity — you can see which agent is working on which project, on which branch, and its status. When a task finishes, the notch flashes with a sound alert, no need to keep staring at the terminal. For others, this is just a nice-to-have, but for those running multiple agent sessions daily, it's a necessity.

TheAnisaNormann_88

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My only complaint is that it requires macOS 26 or above, so my Intel MacBook is completely excluded. But then again, it's probably time to switch to Apple Silicon anyway.

Elizabeth.PatelZ

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The file conversion feature works great. Just drag a screenshot into the notch and convert to PDF. Everything is processed locally without uploading — privacy is reassuring.

JamesParker

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I was drawn by the AI agent monitoring feature. While Claude Code is running, I can see the remaining quota directly in the notch, and it flashes a reminder when tasks finish — no need to switch back to the terminal. So convenient.

RButler_77

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As a user migrating from Boring Notch, let me share my real thoughts. Boring's strengths are a large community, full features, and frequent updates, but its downside is the web tech stack — animations occasionally drop frames, and the music visualization spins up the fans. Islet is written in pure native Swift, and with the same features, CPU usage is nearly invisible and animations are much smoother. But Islet has only been out for a few days, and stability needs time to prove. I currently have both installed on my two Macs, sticking with Boring on my main machine for now.

RogerMoore_66

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At first glance I thought it was an Electron wrapper. Looked closer and found it's pure Swift + AppKit — that's very reassuring. Only 55MB after launch, much lighter than Boring Notch.

vwi2mna7uq_pro

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Compared with Boring Notch, Islet's animations are smoother, and the AI agent feature is unique. But Boring has a larger community and more stars, which might mean more stable long-term maintenance.

Alice.Chavez_Max

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The pricing section says 3-day free trial, but GitHub says it's free and open source. Kind of confusing. Downloaded it and found it really doesn't cost anything — that was the early $5.99 launch discount, now it's completely free.

Edenn62

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Saw it on Product Hunt today, 127 upvotes and hit featured. Tried it out — the media control transition animations are so smooth, feels just like native macOS.

侠客_4

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Got scared by the Gatekeeper popup during installation. Then realized the developer didn't buy an Apple certificate — understandable for free software. Just go to Privacy settings and allow it as described in the README.

Ethan.DiazIII862

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Hope Spotify lyrics display and more quick actions can be added soon. Some features are still listed as 'Coming Soon', which is a bit unsatisfying.

KennethC_ruz

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Honestly, when I first saw the tagline 'Dynamic Island for your Mac', I was skeptical. Similar apps have come out several rounds already. But after downloading and trying it, I changed my mind. What impressed me most are the details — the volume HUD replaces the system's half-screen covering black bar, showing it directly in the notch as a ripple; when skipping tracks, the notch flashes the new song name and slowly retracts, the spring physics damping feeling is exactly the same as iOS. This dedication to the experience shows the developer is really using it themselves every day.

Anna925

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Let me add something about the signing issue. Because Islet is free and open source, the developer didn't buy the $99/year Apple Developer Certificate, so the first launch will be blocked by Gatekeeper. The solution is to go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to find Islet and click 'Open Anyway'. It's only a hassle the first time, after that it works like a normal app. Also a reminder: the DMG downloaded from GitHub Releases is the official channel, don't use third-party download sites.

Maria.Brooks_99

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The moment AirPods connect, a 3D rotating model pops out of the notch with a battery ring — this detail is absolutely amazing, very Apple-like.

GeraldCampbell_20239

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As a heavy user who opens dozens of windows daily, too many menu bar icons have always been a pain point. Islet's menu bar overflow feature is still on the way, but I heard from the developer it's coming soon. Looking forward to it.

Austin_896

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Hope a future version can add a custom menu bar icon feature. Currently it's a small island icon, but my menu bar is already full of icons. Islet already has Option+Space shortcut, so it could actually have a pure keyboard shortcut mode where the menu bar icon can be hidden. Also the Obsidian quick note feature is really useful — when you suddenly think of something during a meeting, just type it directly in the notch and it saves.

Aubrey246

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It also works with external monitors, turning into a floating pill shape, though the experience won't be as good as the native notch. That's just a hardware limitation, can't be helped.

Rebecca_FisherSr127

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Finally a notch tool that makes me feel like that black bar isn't wasted. Volume and brightness controls no longer pop up a big black window covering half the screen — they show directly in the notch. So comfortable.

Amanda_DavisQ20

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Quick question, how do I uninstall this? Just drag it to the trash or are there residual files?

顾莉_1

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The thing I fear most about open source projects is the developer abandoning them. Currently the author MrRockySL seems quite active with a high commit frequency. Hope they keep it up.

Eugene.Brooks813

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The OCR feature that recognizes text from photos actually uses the Vision framework locally. Drag a screenshot in and the text goes straight to the clipboard — more convenient than opening Preview.

侯轩晨

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Compared to NotchNook, Islet being free and open source already wins. NotchNook's $25/year subscription is honestly a bit expensive, and it has fewer features than Islet.

CHgra

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Tried the file shelf feature. Dragged files from Finder to the notch for staging, then dragged them into WeChat to send. Saved a step of creating a temp folder, quite handy.

NancyHendersonSr

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macOS 25 here, can't install it. Wasn't the minimum macOS 26? I saw people asking about backward compatibility on GitHub issues too.

JKelly_2022

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The settings interface is very clean. Each module can be toggled independently. I only turned on music control and calendar, turned off the rest — nice and tidy.

HeatherGarcia_2023

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The keyboard shortcut Option+Space to toggle the notch panel is quite convenient. No problem using it blind.

b5a031j

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I've been following since the first day of release. The code is clean and the architecture is clear. As a Swift developer, I learned a lot from reading the source code.

Islet

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