macOS has no setting to change or disable the volume HUD, the translucent overlay that appears when you press the volume or brightness keys. The only way to get a smaller, better-placed volume HUD on macOS Tahoe is a replacement app that suppresses the system overlay and draws its own. Korinotch offers two: the free HUD Notch mini app, and the volume and brightness HUD built into the main Korinotch app.
This post explains what the stock HUD does, why so many people want it gone, how a replacement works, and how to make sure the system overlay stays hidden once you switch.
What the stock volume HUD looks like in macOS Tahoe
Press a volume key and macOS shows a horizontal pill near the top of the screen, under the menu bar and towards the right, with a speaker icon and sixteen segments. Brightness and keyboard backlight use the same component. In macOS Tahoe the HUD took on the Liquid Glass look: more translucency and a soft shadow that makes it stand out more than the flat Sequoia version. It fades after about a second and a half.
Older macOS versions drew a large square in the lower centre of the screen; Big Sur moved it up and shrank it, and Tahoe keeps that position while making it more prominent.
Why people replace it
- It covers content. The pill sits over the top of whatever window is under it. In a video or a full-screen presentation that is exactly where titles and controls live.
- It feels disconnected from the notch. On a MacBook Pro 14"/16" or MacBook Air M2 to M4 you already have a black island at the top centre. A HUD that appears off to the side, in a different shape, looks like it belongs to a different design.
- Granularity. Sixteen fixed segments give no sense of the exact level. Option+Shift+volume key nudges by quarter steps, but the HUD barely shows it.
- Consistency with iPhone. Since the Dynamic Island, iPhone users expect system feedback to live in and around the camera cutout. The Mac still does not do this natively.
How a volume HUD replacement works
A volume HUD replacement for Mac does two things. It listens for the volume, mute and brightness keys and shows its own indicator, and it tells macOS not to draw the stock overlay while the app is running. The result is a HUD in a position and style you choose, animated to grow out of the notch rather than popping in beside it.
Good replacements keep the default behaviour: the key still changes the volume, the feedback sound still plays if enabled, and external keyboards still work.
Volume HUD replacement apps for Mac
Korinotch HUD Notch (free)
HUD Notch is a free, single-purpose mini app. Install it, grant the permission it asks for on first launch, and the next time you press a volume key you get a minimal bar aligned to the notch instead of the floating pill. It shares the design language of the full Korinotch app.
- Free with a Korinotch account; sign in on the app page to download the notarized DMG.
- Native Swift, no analytics, negligible battery impact.
- Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later; works on Sequoia and Tahoe.
- Volume today, with more HUD types planned.
If you only want the volume HUD fixed and nothing else at the notch, this is the right download. For the other free utilities you can grab with the same account, including Keep Awake and Clipboard Mini, see the mini apps guide.
Korinotch main app: volume and brightness HUD plus everything else
The full Korinotch app turns the notch into a Dynamic Island-style hub, and HUD replacement is one of its core modules. It covers volume, mute and brightness, animates out of the notch, and follows the focused display on multi-monitor setups, so the HUD shows up on the screen you are actually using. Alongside it you get a media HUD with album art and controls, WhatsApp and Gmail notification previews, weather, calendar reminders, battery alerts, a file dropzone with clipboard history and camera/mic privacy indicators. You can also resize the notch area and add a glow so the HUD looks intentional. Korinotch is free for 14 days with no credit card, then $11.50 lifetime or $1.50 per month. The dedicated volume HUD post has a walkthrough of the animation and settings.
BoringNotch and other options
BoringNotch is an open-source notch app and it also offers HUD replacement as an option, so if you prefer to build from source or want a community project, it is a reasonable choice. Its HUD and media controls are its strongest features; it does not include the notification previews, widgets or utilities that Korinotch bundles. NotchNook and Alcove are paid notch apps and handle HUDs in their own styles. For a broader comparison, read BoringNotch alternatives.
| Stock macOS HUD | Korinotch HUD Notch | Korinotch (main app) | BoringNotch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Built in | Free | Free trial, then paid | Free (open source) |
| Position | Top right pill | Aligned to notch | Grows from notch | Grows from notch |
| Volume | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brightness | Yes | Planned | Yes | Yes |
| Follows focused display | Active display | See app page | Yes | Varies |
| Other notch features | None | None | Media, notifications, widgets, utilities | Media, shelf |
Keeping the system HUD suppressed
Once a replacement is installed, the stock overlay should never appear. If it does, work through this list:
- Make sure the app is running. The system HUD is only hidden while the replacement is active. Enable start at login in the app's settings so it comes back after a restart.
- Check permissions. After a macOS update, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and confirm the app's permission is still granted.
- Run one HUD replacement only. HUD Notch, Korinotch and BoringNotch all intercept the same keys. Two at once can produce doubled overlays or none. Quit the ones you are not using.
- Relaunch after updates. If both HUDs show after an app update, quit and reopen the replacement once.
To go back to the stock overlay, quit the replacement; nothing on the system itself is modified.
FAQ
Can you turn off the volume HUD on macOS?
There is no setting in System Settings to disable the volume overlay. A HUD replacement app such as Korinotch HUD Notch or the Korinotch main app suppresses the stock overlay while it is running and shows its own smaller indicator near the notch instead.
Is a volume HUD replacement free on Mac?
Yes. Korinotch HUD Notch is a free mini app that replaces the volume HUD with a notch-aligned bar. BoringNotch is open source and also offers HUD replacement. The full Korinotch app adds brightness HUD, media controls and more after a free 14-day trial.
Why does the system volume HUD come back?
The stock overlay returns whenever the replacement app is not running. Enable start at login in the app and make sure only one HUD replacement app is active, since two apps competing for the same keys can cause both overlays to appear.
Does a notch HUD work on an external monitor?
Korinotch follows the focused display on multi-monitor setups, so the HUD appears at the top of the screen you are working on.
Replace the volume HUD for free
HUD Notch shows a minimal volume bar at your notch instead of the macOS overlay. Free with a Korinotch account.
Download HUD Notch