Launched this week
Aurora Notch
A private notch workspace for every Mac
123 followers
A private notch workspace for every Mac
123 followers
Aurora turns your Mac notch or top edge into a private productivity dock for quick actions: notes, clipboard, calendar, focus timers, media controls, widgets, and writing tools. Works on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, including non-notch Macs via the top edge. Start with 72 hours of Pro, no account and no card. Private by design: your data stays on your Mac.
A private Mac workspace in the notch is a good fit for quick capture, but the trust detail matters: what stays local, what syncs, and what can be safely surfaced while sharing a screen or working in public.
@krekeltronics That's a great point. Privacy was one of my main priorities when building Aurora. All of your data stays local on your Mac, I don't collect or store your workspace data on my servers. That means you stay in control of your information, whether you're working in public or sharing your screen.
As a payment method for the app I'm using Lemon Squeeze in partnership with Stripe, so your payment details while purchasing the app are also secure.
Congrats on the launch! 🚀
I like the idea of using the notch as a productivity layer instead of leaving it as unused screen space.
I'm curious: can developers extend Aurora with custom widgets or actions, or is the current set of tools fixed? An extension system could make it even more powerful for different workflows.
@prashant_patil14 For now, Aurora comes with a fixed set of widgets, so there's no extension system or custom widget support yet. Adding the existing widgets is really simple—you just expand the notch and click the widget you want to add.
The privacy-first angle is genuinely the right call for a notch utility. Clipboard and notes in something that phones home would be a real concern - most Mac productivity tools quietly sync everything. Love that non-notch Macs get the top-edge treatment too, that's usually an afterthought. Question: how does it handle multiple external monitors? Does the dock appear on each screen, just the primary, or is it configurable?
@galdayan Thank you, really appreciate that.
Privacy was one of the main decisions from the beginning, especially because clipboard, notes, and workflow data can be sensitive.
For multiple monitors, the current idea is to avoid duplicating it everywhere and keep it focused on the main/active screen so it does not become visual clutter, in the settings user can choose what type of monitor he's using as well. I’m also looking at making this configurable, so users can choose what works best for their setup.
This is a great example of finding an underused piece of screen real estate and making it genuinely useful. Built this solo, or with a small team? Curious how you decided what belongs in the notch vs. what would just clutter it.
@martin_mo Thank you, I really appreciate that.
I built Aurora Notchbar solo over the past half year. The idea came from my own workflow, when I noticed the notch was unused space, while I kept needing quick access to small but important things without breaking focus.
So the decision of what belongs there came from that: only tools that are useful often, quick to access, and do not create extra clutter.
@dumitru_balaian1 solo for half a year is no joke, respect. and yeah that's such a good filter — useful often + quick access + no clutter, basically the opposite of how most apps end up bloating over time lol. did you have a "no" list too, things you almost added but talked yourself out of cause they'd break that rule?
@martin_mo Really appreciate that. And yes, I definitely had a “no” list.
The main rule was always: if it doesn’t feel useful often, quick to access, and invisible when you don’t need it, it probably doesn’t belong in the notch.
The no-clutter part came from testing it myself every day. I gave myself feedback multiple times while building new implementations, and there were features I removed or simplified because they made the experience feel heavier instead of better.
@infinitydigits Totally agree.
Getting people to try an AI product is one thing, but making it useful enough that they naturally come back every day is much harder.
That is something I have been thinking about a lot while building Aurora Notch. I spent around 6 months developing the product, and AI only helped me move faster, but it did not replace the work of designing, testing, refining, and trying to make the product really useful.
For me, the goal is not just to add AI features or use AI like a tool, but to make Aurora feel like a small daily productivity layer that fits naturally into the Mac workflow.
Hope Aurora meets your daily needs!
@infinitydigits Exactly, I agree, thanks.
For me, the goal is not just to ship an AI product or a product that is just downloaded, but to build something useful enough that people naturally keep using it in their daily workflow and feels really easy to use.
@dumitru_balaian1 I can actually see the level of intention behind how you’ve built this, especially from the way you keep emphasizing long-term daily usage rather than just downloads.
What I’ve noticed with products built around habit and workflow is that sometimes the real challenge starts after launch, because getting people to discover a product is one thing, but turning that into consistent long-term usage is usually a completely different game altogether.
@infinitydigits Exactly, I think that’s the real challenge.
Launch is only the beginning. What matters most to me now is learning from real users, improving the product, and making Aurora Notch something people can naturally keep using in their daily workflow.
Every piece of feedback helps make the product better.
@infinitydigits Really appreciate that, thank you.
And yes, that’s exactly the challenge now. Building the product was only one part of it. The next step is understanding the right users, their real needs, and which feedback actually helps Aurora Notch grow in the right direction.
I’ve enjoyed this exchange as well. It’s always valuable to have thoughtful conversations around product direction and long-term evolution.