Last Updated on June 17, 2022 by srinivas
Some people look with horror at the notch on the top of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, seeing it as a distraction from an overall elegant design. Others don’t even notice. And some, like developer Ian Keen, are inspired by it.
Keen recently tweeted about his latest project: a macOS “airdrop helper” that activates the Mac-to-Apple device file transfer function by dragging files into the notch, which lights up, and then the AirDrop window appears. Keen has a short demo of it on Twitter:
Keen is also working on a notch-less variant of the helper app for people who buy an M2 MacBook Pro or have an older Mac. It works the same way, but the highlighted area isn’t as clear.
As someone who uses AirDrop a lot, I can’t wait for Keen to release this utility for the Mac. It’s also a great demonstration of original thinking, using the hardware and design elements to create useful software UI elements. I already know that Keen’s utility will be one that I will always use.