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How to turn the MacBook notch into a control panel for AI agents

Updated: 23.10.2026 · AI Release · @ai_release1
How to turn the MacBook notch into a control panel for AI agents

TL;DR

Requirements and setup

Illustration: Requirements and setup
Illustration: Requirements and setup

Terms used here: CLI means command-line interface, a program you start by typing its name in Terminal. Shortcuts is Apple’s built-in automation app. The menu bar is the strip at the top of the screen; the notch is the camera housing in the center of newer MacBook displays. macOS does not expose a public API for drawing custom controls inside the notch, so this guide builds a menu bar control panel that sits beside it. Product-specific menu labels and CLI names vary; where a detail is not confirmed, check the vendor documentation.

Step 1. Audit the notch and map the launch chain

What to do: Confirm your macOS environment, create the working folders, and find the exact executable path for each agent.

Why: The control panel should launch known commands, not guessed ones. A stable absolute path prevents failures when Shortcuts runs a script outside your interactive shell.

Run:

sw_vers
mkdir -p "$HOME/bin/ai-panel" "$HOME/Projects"
command -v claude
command -v codex
command -v cursor
command -v copilot

Example output:

/Users/<you>/.local/bin/claude
/Users/<you>/.local/bin/codex

If a command prints nothing, that tool is not on your PATH. Cursor and GitHub Copilot may not expose those exact CLI names; use the app launcher in Step 2 and check the vendor documentation for the real command.

The launch chain is:

1. You click a Shortcuts menu bar item near the notch.

2. Shortcuts opens a .command file in ~/bin/ai-panel/.

3. Terminal runs the script, or macOS opens the target app.

4. The AI agent starts in ~/Projects.

How to check: Run:

ls -ld "$HOME/bin/ai-panel" "$HOME/Projects"

Expected result: two directories exist, for example:

drwxr-xr-x  2 <you>  staff  64 ... /Users/<you>/bin/ai-panel
drwxr-xr-x  2 <you>  staff  64 ... /Users/<you>/Projects

Step 2. Create menu bar launchers for the four agents

Illustration: Step 2. Create menu bar launchers for the four agents
Illustration: Step 2. Create menu bar launchers for the four agents

What to do: Create one executable .command file per agent, then pin each file as a Shortcuts menu bar item.

Why: A .command file is a shell script that Terminal can open directly. Shortcuts only launches that file, so each agent keeps its own working directory and startup command. The menu bar item becomes the control surface beside the notch without requiring a third-party notch app.

Create the Claude Code launcher:

cat > "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/claude.command" <<'EOF'
#!/bin/zsh
set -euo pipefail
cd "$HOME/Projects"
exec "$HOME/.local/bin/claude"
EOF

Replace $HOME/.local/bin/claude with the path printed by command -v claude. The cd line sets the project folder; exec replaces the script process with the agent so Terminal stays attached to it.

Create the Codex launcher the same way:

cat > "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/codex.command" <<'EOF'
#!/bin/zsh
set -euo pipefail
cd "$HOME/Projects"
exec "$HOME/.local/bin/codex"
EOF

Create app launchers for Cursor and GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code:

cat > "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/cursor.command" <<'EOF'
#!/bin/zsh
open -a "Cursor" "$HOME/Projects"
EOF

cat > "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/copilot.command" <<'EOF'
#!/bin/zsh
open -a "Visual Studio Code" "$HOME/Projects"
EOF

Make all four scripts executable:

chmod +x "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/"*.command

Example: ~/bin/ai-panel/claude.command opens Terminal in /Users/<you>/Projects and starts the Claude Code command. ~/bin/ai-panel/cursor.command opens Cursor on the same folder.

Now create the Shortcuts items:

1. Open Shortcuts.

2. Click + to create a shortcut and name it AI - Claude Code.

3. Add the action Open File and choose ~/bin/ai-panel/claude.command.

4. Repeat for AI - Codex, AI - Cursor, and AI - Copilot.

5. Right-click each shortcut in the Shortcuts list and choose Add to Menu Bar. The label may vary by macOS version; check Apple’s Shortcuts documentation if you do not see it.

Menu bar itemFile openedTarget
`AI - Claude Code``~/bin/ai-panel/claude.command`Claude Code CLI
`AI - Codex``~/bin/ai-panel/codex.command`Codex CLI
`AI - Cursor``~/bin/ai-panel/cursor.command`Cursor app
`AI - Copilot``~/bin/ai-panel/copilot.command`VS Code with GitHub Copilot

For multi-agent repositories, see Claude Code for Teams: Setting Up Subagents and a Shared AI Superagent.

How to check: Run:

ls -l "$HOME/bin/ai-panel"
shortcuts list | grep '^AI - '

Expected result: each file has -rwxr-xr-x, and the shortcut list prints four names beginning with AI - .

Step 3. Verify each control from the notch area

Illustration: Step 3. Verify each control from the notch area
Illustration: Step 3. Verify each control from the notch area

What to do: Launch every shortcut from the menu bar and confirm the correct app or terminal opens in ~/Projects.

Why: A shortcut can exist but point to the wrong file or a stale path. Testing from the menu bar checks the full chain: Shortcuts → .command → Terminal or app → agent.

Run one shortcut from Terminal first:

shortcuts run "AI - Claude Code"

Expected result: Terminal opens, the working directory is /Users/<you>/Projects, and the Claude Code prompt appears. Repeat for Codex, Cursor, and Copilot.

Use this checklist:

Example: Click AI - Cursor, and Cursor opens the Projects folder. Click AI - Codex, and Terminal shows a shell prompt in that folder followed by the Codex session.

Before merging agent-generated code, run the checks in How to Scan AI-Generated Code for Vulnerabilities.

How to check: From the menu bar, click each item once. Success looks like the correct window opening, not a generic Terminal window and not a Finder error dialog.

Troubleshooting

Problem. Terminal opens but the agent command is not found.

exec /Users/<you>/.local/bin/claude

Run shortcuts run "AI - Claude Code" again.

Problem. The .command file cannot be executed.

chmod +x "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/"*.command

Then click the menu bar item again.

Problem. Shortcuts cannot find the launcher file.

ls -l "$HOME/bin/ai-panel/claude.command"

If the file is missing, recreate it with the Step 2 cat command, run chmod +x, and reselect it in the Shortcuts Open File action.

Summary and next steps

You now have four menu bar launchers beside the MacBook notch, each opening a specific AI agent in ~/Projects. Next, add a fifth shortcut for your most common test command, and review agent-generated code with the security guide linked above.

FAQ

Does this draw controls inside the MacBook notch?

No. macOS does not expose a public API for custom notch controls. This setup uses Shortcuts menu bar items that sit beside the notch; check third-party notch utility documentation if you need a different visual treatment.

Do I need all four agents installed?

No. Create one .command file and one Shortcuts item for each agent you actually use. The workflow is identical for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot.

Why use a .command file instead of a Shortcuts shell action?

A .command file opens in Terminal and keeps an interactive agent session attached. That is useful for Claude Code and Codex, which may need a live terminal prompt.

How do I change the project folder?

Edit the cd line in each .command file, for example cd "$HOME/Work/my-app", then run shortcuts run "AI - Claude Code" and confirm with pwd.

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