ctrlhqNotch power tool for Mac
The most overpowered thing on your MacBook is a notch.
It started as a camera cutout. Now it runs your timer, records your screen, takes meeting notes on-device and clears gigabytes off your disk.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
- 31
- tools in the notch
- 1
- app to install
- ~12 MB
- native download
- $24.99
- once, no subscription
If an all-in-one app is a Swiss Army knife, this is the one with the chainsaw blade. Apple gave every MacBook a permanent strip of screen that most apps ignore. It's always visible, it's never covered by windows and it's one flick of the cursor away. That's prime real estate, and it's mostly empty.
ctrlhq makes it overpowered. A collapsed notch shows the one thing that matters right now, like your next task and a ticking timer. Hover it and a full control center unfolds, with more depth than you'd expect from something that fits beside a camera.
Overpowered, in practice
Power here means doing real work from a tiny space, not piling on gimmicks.
Record without a recorder app
Screen recording with a camera bubble, microphone and system audio, started from the notch.
Know your AI limits
See your Claude Code and Codex plan limits, the 5-hour window and weekly cap, and when each resets.
Meeting notes that stay private
On-device transcription and summaries with Apple Intelligence. Audio and text never leave your Mac, and ctrlhq hides itself from screen sharing.
Reclaim your disk
Find node_modules, build folders, caches and duplicate files, then move them to the Trash with a click.
Control other displays
Adjust external monitor brightness, contrast and volume over DDC without reaching for the monitor's buttons.
Lock apps behind Touch ID
Keep sensitive apps behind your fingerprint without a separate security tool.
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
Is there a Swiss Army knife app for Mac?
ctrlhq is built that way: one small app in the notch with a tool for most small jobs, from time tracking and clipboard history to screen recording, meeting notes and disk cleanup.
What can a MacBook notch app actually do?
More than most people expect. ctrlhq tracks time, runs focus sessions, keeps clipboard history, holds files on a shelf, records your screen, transcribes meetings on-device, shows AI usage limits, cleans your disk and controls external display brightness, all from the notch.
Is it hard on battery or performance?
No. It's a native Swift app of about 12 MB with no background daemons beyond its updater, and it replaces several separate apps that would each run on their own.
Do I need to configure it?
Not much. Onboarding walks you through the few permissions each feature needs, and you can skip any of them and turn them on later in Settings.
Is it safe to give it screen recording and microphone access?
ctrlhq only asks for access to the features you use, never starts recording on its own, and doesn't upload anything. Recordings save to Movies and transcripts stay in ctrlhq's folder on your Mac.
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