The island
The island is the notch, extended. Collapsed, it is pure black so it blends with the real notch, and the color lives only in the accents around it.
Collapsed: live states
When something is going on, the island grows a little to show it:
- music playing, with inline controls and a scrub bar when you hover;
- focus running, with the rim turning into a curved progress meter;
- you're on air: who has your microphone or camera open (see Calls and calendar);
- the next meeting, counting down, with Join when the invite has a video link;
- Ted's notices, if you use Ted Agent;
- short toasts, like a file landing on the shelf.
When several are active at once, a switcher under the notch flips between them without opening the panel. Music and focus you paused stay there, one click away.
The island responds on the first click, even while you work in another app, the way the menu bar does.
Expanded: the panel
Hover or click and the island opens into a panel with nine sections: Home, Shelf, Clipboard, Notes, Screenshots, Search, Focus, Music and Ports.
Home
- The smile: it blinks when you arrive, dances when music plays, laughs when you tap it and celebrates when a focus session ends. Turn it, or just its animations, off in Settings › Appearance.
- Focus starts and pauses in one click.
- A mini player, your shortcuts, a camera mirror (which turns into the in-use indicator during calls, with a mute button) and today's agenda.
Keeping it open
The pin keeps the island open until you unpin it or collapse it. Locking the Mac or the panic shortcut still close it.
Discreet mode and panic
- Discreet mode hides previews and content from the notch. It turns on by itself when you lock the Mac.
- Panic (⌥ ⇧ Esc) hides the island, locks the notes vault again and turns discreet mode on, for when someone walks up behind you.
Idle costs nothing
With the island collapsed and nothing happening, no animation or interface timer runs. That is measured on every release: cold start, CPU and wake-ups have limits a build must stay under.