DynamicLake Pro: A Smarter Way to Interact with Notch on Macs

Dynamic Island on iPhone is arguably one of the best elements Apple has added to the design. Moreover, the company integrated many features into that element as well. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about the notch on MacBooks, though.

Apple hasn’t really done anything with the notch except place the webcam within it. Even native macOS apps do not interact with the notch, essentially wasting the space. However, DynamicLake Pro is all set to change that.

What Does DynamicLake Pro Do?

DynamicLake Pro essentially converts the area near your MacBook’s notch into an interactive space. Similar to how the Dynamic Island would respond on compatible iPhone models, your notch will also respond when you hover/click the specific area.

As you can guess, this macOS app cannot do anything about the physical notch. However, thanks to its clever design and arrangement, you feel that the notch has come to life. More importantly, DynamicLake Pro lets you use this new interactive space to display various things, from music playback to your daily agenda.

We have been using DynamicLake Pro on our M2 MacBook Air, which comes with a not-so-useful notch. But it does work on non-notch MacBooks as well, if you are wondering.

Core Features

In most cases, DynamicLake Pro works like the Dynamic Island on an iPhone. However, because this is a third-party app, you get way more integration options than Apple would ever allow. The best part? DynamicLake Pro is so well-designed that it starts interacting with your Mac from the Lock Screen itself.

Here’s a quick look at some things you can do with DynamicLake Pro.

# DynaGlance

DynaGlance converts the notch area into an overview widget for your day. Because DynamicLake Pro works with your Calendar and can get weather data, you get some nifty insights from this area. You get to interact with individual elements as well.

# DynaMusic

As you can guess from the name, DynaMusic lets you manage music playback from the notch. The lake will start the widget whenever you start playing music on a compatible device. DynamicLake Pro offers an ample amount of control over how the widget interacts with the surroundings, though.

# DynaClip & DynaDrop

DynaClip creates an easily accessible space where you can keep important files and folders. Adding files to the clipboard or removing them is super-easy, and you get search functions as well. DynaDrop, on the other hand, lets you drag and drop files into the lake for actions like sharing, conversion, etc.

# DynaConnect & DynaKeys

DynaConnect basically brings all those connection notifications into the notch area. It does not completely remove the macOS notifications, but you will know very well when you connect AirPods or other Bluetooth devices. DynaKeys, on the other hand, uses the lake interface to display media key changes.

In addition to these, DynamicLake Pro can also take care of notifications that you receive. Thanks to the set of finer controls, you can decide which notifications are shown and how. The app offers a lot of customization options for each lake, allowing you to personalize how you interact with these widgets.

Setup

We found the setup to be super-simple. Sure, DynamicLake Pro needs a couple of permissions to work well on your Mac, but it retains its minimal nature for the rest of the journey. The app does not consume a lot of system resources despite integrating well with macOS and third-party apps.

Pricing

DynamicLake Pro is a paid macOS app that you can get for $16.90. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t currently offer a free trial. Even so, you can get your money back within 30 days of purchase if you end up disliking the app.

While there are many Dynamic Island apps available, not many offer the level of third-party app integration you get from DynamicLake Pro. However, the developer must attempt to fix the occasional glitches and the lack of smoothness during transitions.

Our Take

After having DynamicLake Pro on our Mac for over a week, we really love how the app changes the way we interact with our Mac.

The idea of converting the area near the MacBook notch into something more useful sounds great, and the developers behind DynamicLake Pro have kept things smooth. If you want to have a useful space of this sort, make sure you check out this app.

We know from sources that DynamicLake Pro is due for a major upgrade soon. We are excited to check that version out soon!