Apple | TopDrop: Use the MacBook Pro’s notch for AirDrop and more (with video) | News | macbook

When the MacBook Air M2 is available soon, even more owners of Apple notebooks will be able to enjoy an innovation that owners of 14″ MacBook Pro and 16″ MacBook Pro already know. The notch then adorns another computer from Cupertino. However, many users find the cut-out for the FaceTime camera, which is placed in the middle of the menu bar, annoying. A developer is now showing that it can be used for practical purposes and provide more comfort.

MacBook Pro notch becomes a target for AirDrop
TopDrop is the name of the app that developer Ian Keen recently launched in the Mac App Store published. The application uses the notch, among other things, to make AirDrop on MacBook Pro M1 and the new MacBook Air M2 much easier to access. With the help of TopDrop, the camera cutout becomes an active area onto which you can simply drag files to be transferred with the mouse or TrackPad in order to send them to another Apple device. As soon as the mouse pointer reaches the notch, its edge starts to glow. The well-known AirDrop dialog then appears automatically, with which the target of the action can be selected. The process is thus significantly faster than the traditional method of right-clicking on a file and then selecting AirDrop in the “Share” option.

Other shortcuts are also possible
The area of ​​the notch can also be used for other shortcuts with the help of TopDrop. To do this, move the mouse pointer to the recess to access the app settings. The available options are iMessage, Email and Trash. According to the developer, further “Quick Actions” are already in preparation. TopDrop not only works on 14″ MacBook Pro and 16″ MacBook Pro as well as MacBook Air M2, but also on all other notebooks from Cupertino that run at least macOS 12.1. On devices without a notch, however, the optical effect is less impressive, since only a glowing area without contours is visible in the middle of the menu bar. TopDrop is available in the Mac App Store for EUR 6.99, but so far only in English.