ctrlhqThe Swiss Army knife of Mac apps
One notch app. Every tool you keep reaching for.
Tasks, timers, a clipboard, a file shelf, screen recording, meeting notes and a disk cleaner. All of it lives in your MacBook's notch, one hover away.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
Open it like a Swiss Army knife. Every blade is a tool.
- 31
- tools in the notch
- 1
- app to install
- ~12 MB
- native download
- $24.99
- once, no subscription
Think of a Swiss Army knife. You don't carry a separate corkscrew, scissors and screwdriver; you carry one thing that folds them all away until you need one. ctrlhq is that for your Mac, and the notch is the handle.
Most notch apps pick one job: a nicer music player, a file tray, a row of widgets. They're good at it, and then you install four more apps for everything else.
ctrlhq is the opposite bet. It's one native app that turns the notch into the home for the small tools you use all day. Your tasks and the running timer sit beside the camera. Hover, and the clipboard, shelf, recorder, meeting notes, scratchpad and cleaner open from the same place.
Why one app beats a stack of them
An all-in-one app isn't about having more buttons. It's about not running, paying for and remembering ten separate things.
One place to look
Everything opens from the notch. You never hunt through the menu bar for the right icon or wonder which app had the setting.
One price, paid once
No subscription per tool and no yearly renewals stacking up. One license covers every feature and every future update.
One light app
A native Swift app of about 12 MB with no helper daemons. Fewer menu bar icons, less memory, less to keep updated.
One privacy story
No account, no cloud, no uploads. Tasks, clipboard, recordings and meeting transcripts stay on your Mac.
The stack it replaces
Add up the separate apps for these jobs and you're at $130 once plus $334 a year. ctrlhq is $24.99, once.
- NotchNook notch app$25 once
- CleanMyMac Mac cleanerFrom $40 a year
- BetterDisplay display utilityFree, Pro $21.99 once
- CleanShot X screenshot and screen recording app$35 once
- Granola AI meeting notes appFree
- Moody notch teleprompter$39 once
- Timing automatic time trackerFrom $10/month
- Paste clipboard manager$29.99/year, or $89.99 lifetime
- Yoink file shelf$8.99 once
Every tool in the notch
Time tracking
- Time trackingYour tasks and the running timer live in the notch, so you never forget to start or stop.
- Power tool⌘⇧Space from any app. Type a task, a sum, a file name, a reminder or an app, press Return, and you're back where you were.
- Idle detectionNo more phantom hours from a timer left running over lunch.
- Time reportsBy category and by task, for today, the last 7 or the last 30 days, with a timeline of your day.
- Focus timerStart a focus session on your top task. ctrlhq tracks the time and calls the break.
In the notch
- RemindersHealth presets and reminders you write yourself, counted in time you're actually at your Mac.
- AffirmationsPaste your affirmations and ctrlhq brings one up under the notch every so often. A gentle line, then it's gone.
- BrainsprintFive one-minute brain games that pop up under your notch when you choose. Quick math, word guess, memory and focus.
- ScratchpadRich-text notes that save as you type. For phone numbers, snippets and half-formed thoughts.
- Clipboard historySearchable clipboard history for text and images. ⌘⇧V opens it in any app.
- File shelfDrop files on the notch to hold them. Move them to a pinned folder, drag them out, or AirDrop them in one move.
- Image converterConvert to WebP, AVIF, HEIC, JPEG, PNG or TIFF and watch the file size change as you move the slider.
- Notch signA scrolling dot-matrix sign under your notch. ON AIR, In a meeting, or anything you like.
- Now playingBig artwork, controls, a scrubber and volume for Apple Music and Spotify, plus synced lyrics you can keep under the notch.
- BackdropMix ambient sounds to work to. They start with your timer, step aside for music and calls, and Nook joins in.
- Keep awakeKeep your Mac awake through a long download, a render or a talk. ⌃⌥K toggles it.
Calls & video
- Screen recordingRecord a screen or one window with your face in a bubble, your mic and your Mac's audio.
- Meeting notesctrlhq notices a call and offers to take notes. Transcribed on-device, with a summary and action items.
- Quick snapYour camera in the notch, a shutter with a self-timer, and a ring light: bright white around the notch that lights your face.
- TeleprompterYour notes scroll right under the camera, so you never glance away mid-sentence.
Your Mac
- Screen timeApp usage for today and the last 7 days, plus your battery's health.
- AI usage limitsClaude Code and Codex plan limits side by side: the 5-hour window, the weekly cap and when each resets, for every account you use.
- Display brightnessA slider for each display, including external monitors. Contrast and speaker volume too, where the monitor supports them.
- Disk cleanupOne scan shows what's safe to clear, what's worth a look, and the biggest files and folders on your Mac.
- Duplicate finderEvery match is a full SHA-256, never a guess from a name. Keep the first copy and stage the rest in one click.
- App uninstallerUninstall an app and everything it left behind, see what it did all day, update it, and stop it starting at login.
- App LockMessages, Photos, your bank. Locked apps stay hidden until you unlock them.
- TelegramConnect your own Telegram bot to add a task or flash a message on the notch — or, if your Mac goes missing, snap a photo and its location.
- Batman hoursctrlhq notices, Nook puts on a mask, and it counts separately. No judgement.
- Nook the catNook naps when you're idle, types when you do, and cheers when you finish something.
- Keyboard shortcutsGlobal shortcuts for everything you do often. They work in any app and can all be rebound.
Questions
What is an all-in-one notch app?
An app that uses the MacBook notch as a single home for several tools instead of just one. ctrlhq puts time tracking, focus sessions, a clipboard manager, file shelf, screen recording, on-device meeting notes, a teleprompter and disk cleanup in the same place.
Is ctrlhq the Swiss Army knife of Mac apps?
That's the idea. Like the knife, every tool is folded away until you need it: tasks, timers, clipboard, file shelf, screen recording, meeting notes, teleprompter and disk cleanup all open from the notch. The difference is that it's one 12 MB native app and a single payment.
Does an all-in-one app mean it's bloated?
No. ctrlhq is a native Swift app, not a web wrapper, and the download is about 12 MB. Every tool is built into the same app, so you aren't running a separate process for each one.
Can I turn off the tools I don't use?
Yes. Features you don't use stay out of the way, and permissions are only requested for the ones you turn on, so you can use ctrlhq as a time tracker alone or as the whole toolbox.
Does it work on a Mac without a notch?
Yes. On an external display or an older Mac, ctrlhq draws its own notch at the top of your main screen.
Put the whole toolbox in your notch.
$24.99 once, no subscription.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
macOS 26 Tahoe or later · Apple silicon & Intel