# Alcove

Live activities and widgets around the notch, with the most polished animations in the category.

- **Category:** [Hubs](https://notchlist.vercel.app/category/notch-apps/)
- **Price:** $14.99 one-time
- **Open source:** no
- **Official site:** https://tryalcove.com
- **Available via:** Direct
- **Requirements:** macOS 15 Sequoia or later
- **Version checked:** 1.7.7
- **Maker:** Henrik Ruscon

## Kitsmith's take

The one to show someone who has never seen a Mac island app. Battery, AirDrop, music, and timers surface as live activities with real attention to motion design. If you buy one hub, start your comparison here.

## Background

Henrik Ruscon started building Alcove in Swift in early 2024 and shipped it that November, citing the iOS Dynamic Island as the design brief. He also makes Klack, the mechanical-keyboard-sound app — the same taste for tactile, native-feeling details shows up in both. Development is fast-moving: point releases have shipped days apart, and the community coordinates through an official Discord.

## Features

- **Fluid transitions:** The island expands, collapses, and morphs between states with motion design that reviewers consistently single out as the best in the category.
- **Live activities:** Battery, AirDrop, charging, timers, and calendar events surface around the notch as live activities — the iOS mental model, on the Mac.
- **Now-playing island:** Album art, waveform visuals, and playback controls appear at the notch when music plays, including Lossless and Dolby Atmos format badges.
- **Instant notifications:** System events appear as compact heads-up displays at the notch instead of sliding in from the corner.
- **Customizable HUDs:** Volume and brightness get redesigned, repositionable HUDs to replace the stock macOS overlays.
- **Lock screen widgets:** Alcove extends to the lock screen with widgets and a media player — territory almost no competitor touches.
- **Swipe gestures:** Trackpad swipes on the island switch tracks and dismiss activities, so interaction stays fast and physical.
- **Native and light:** 100% Swift, a 15 MB download, and no Electron. It behaves like part of macOS because it is built like one.

## FAQ

**Is there a trial?**

Yes — a 72-hour trial is available from the download page, and there is a 14-day no-questions refund window after purchase.

**How many Macs can I use it on?**

One license covers up to 3 devices simultaneously, and you can deactivate devices yourself from settings.

**Does it collect data?**

No. The developer states no data or personal information is collected, corroborated in the privacy policy.

**Will it keep working with future macOS releases?**

It depends on private APIs Apple could change. They have been stable for years and the app updates quickly, but the developer is explicit that it is sold as-is.

**Do I need a notch?**

No — since v1.7 Alcove offers a pill shape for notchless displays and a simulated-notch toggle, so it works on external monitors and older Macs too.


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Hand-verified listing on Kitsmith: https://notchlist.vercel.app/apps/alcove/