What changed in the latest Notchly releases

Over the last few releases, Notchly has been moving in a simple direction: make the MacBook notch feel useful without making it noisy. The work has mostly been about music, Focus mode, the lock screen, and small details that make the app feel lighter in everyday use.

Instead of listing every internal change one by one, here is the short version of what got better and why it matters.

A smoother Focus mode experience

Focus mode should feel calm, not like another thing asking for attention. The latest release improves how Notchly reacts when Focus turns on or off, with more stable animations and fewer repeated state updates behind the scenes.

• Focus ON/OFF animations feel more consistent.
• Focus mode state changes are handled more cleanly.
• Repeated Focus updates no longer create unnecessary memory growth.

Music controls feel more complete

The expanded music view has become more useful for quick interactions. Recent updates added controls that make it easier to adjust playback without opening a full music app.

• Volume control is available in the expanded music view.
• Mute and unmute support was added.
• Shuffle support works with Spotify and Apple Music.
• Music controls use less memory during interaction.

The lock screen player got much better

The lock screen is one of the best places for a small, glanceable music surface. Notchly now has a fuller lock screen player with playback controls, seek support, smoother artwork transitions, and a cleaner liquid glass look.

• Previous, play/pause, and next controls are available on the lock screen.
• Seeking works with both clicking and dragging.
• Artwork changes feel smoother when skipping tracks.
• The player fades away more cleanly after unlock.

Less work when nothing is visible

A notch app should stay lightweight. Several fixes now reduce unnecessary background work, especially around hidden music animations and equalizer effects.

• Hidden music animations are reduced when the UI is not visible.
• Equalizer animations no longer keep doing extra work in the background.
• Memory spikes during unlock and music interactions were reduced.
• Console noise from update checks and audio permissions was cleaned up.

Settings and display handling are cleaner

The settings experience also received some quiet but important cleanup. Music and Battery settings now better match the General settings layout, and display selection behavior is more reliable.

• Music and Battery settings now follow the same structure as General settings.
• Setting descriptions and disabled states are easier to scan.
• Display selection and reset behavior were fixed.
• Screen changes are handled more reliably by the overlay controller.

The short version

Notchly is getting smoother, lighter, and more useful around the moments where the notch makes sense: music, Focus mode, and the lock screen. The goal is still the same: a Dynamic Island-like experience for macOS that feels native, calm, and quick to use.