Never Miss a Notification Again
attn LED turns your MacBook's camera LED into a physical notification light. When something important arrives, the LED flashes until you actually open the app.
Download for macOSNative SwiftUI app. Works on macOS 12+
LED keeps flashing until you open the app
The Problem
You're deep in work. Your screen is full of windows. Maybe you silenced notifications with Focus Mode.
A critical Slack message, an urgent email, or an important iMessage comes in — and you don't see it for 45 minutes.
Sound familiar?
The Solution
Your MacBook already has a notification light next to the camera. attn LED turns it back on.
Physical Signal
A light you can see from across the room. No need to look at your screen.
Silent Awareness
No sounds, no banners. Just ambient awareness that something needs you.
Persistent Until Seen
Keeps flashing until you actually open the app. Can't be ignored.
How It Works
Two independent monitoring systems run in parallel for maximum reliability
Accessibility API Monitoring
Watches the Notification Center UI in real-time via macOS accessibility hooks. Catches notifications as they appear on your screen.
Direct Database Monitoring
Reads Apple's internal notification SQLite database using FSEvents. This is the killer feature — works even in Do Not Disturb mode.
The Result
When a notification arrives from an enabled app:
Notification arrives
LED starts flashing
You notice the light
LED stops when you open the app
Key Features
Per-App Control
Toggle exactly which apps trigger the LED. Messages, Slack, Discord, Teams, Mail, Calendar — you decide what's important.
Works in Do Not Disturb
The killer feature. Database monitoring bypasses Focus modes entirely, so you still get physical alerts.
Attention Tracking
LED keeps flashing until you actually open the notifying app, not just until you glance at the screen.
Smart Conflict Avoidance
Automatically disables LED flashing during FaceTime and phone calls so it doesn't interfere with your camera.
Reliability Dashboard
Shows timestamps of last events and any drops so you can verify the system is healthy and working.
Test Mode
One-click test button to verify your LED works properly. No guessing if it's configured correctly.
Why It's Great
No Extra Hardware
No external devices, no extra lights, no phone buzzing. Just the LED that's already built into your Mac.
Genuinely Clever Engineering
Dual monitoring achieves reliability other approaches can't match. Works when accessibility APIs break under Focus modes.
Native & Lightweight
Built with SwiftUI. No Electron bloat, no web views, no background services draining your battery.
Stop Missing What Matters
For people who need deep focus to do their best work, but can't afford to miss critical notifications.
Download attn for macOSFree to try. Native macOS app.
Works With Every App You Use
Toggle LED alerts for any app that sends notifications. Auto-discovery means new apps appear automatically.
Slack
Teams
Discord
Messages
Calendar
Telegram
Zoom
Gmail
Linear
Any App
Plus automatic discovery of any new app that sends notifications
Choose your plan.
Flash your camera LED on notifications
Per-app controls
Works in Do Not Disturb & Focus modes
Notification statistics & trends
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this really work in Do Not Disturb mode?
Yes. This is the killer feature. While the Accessibility API monitoring can be blocked by Focus modes, the database monitoring system reads Apple's notification database directly using FSEvents, which bypasses all Focus mode restrictions. You'll get LED alerts even when your screen shows no banners.
Will this drain my battery?
No. attn LED is a native SwiftUI app with efficient monitoring systems. The LED itself uses minimal power, and the app uses FSEvents (event-driven) rather than constant polling, so battery impact is negligible.
Which MacBooks are supported?
Any MacBook with a camera LED running macOS 12 or later. This includes all modern MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. The app requires accessibility permissions to function.
Can I control which apps trigger the LED?
Absolutely. You have per-app control with a searchable grid showing all apps that send notifications. Toggle any app on or off. The app auto-discovers new apps as they send notifications, so you're never locked into a preset list.
What happens during video calls?
attn LED automatically disables flashing during FaceTime and phone calls so the LED doesn't interfere with your camera. Smart conflict avoidance is built in.
How do I know it's working?
The app includes a one-click test button to flash the LED on demand. There's also a reliability dashboard showing timestamps of the last database event, last accessibility event, and any FSEvent drops, so you can verify both monitoring systems are healthy.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Everything runs locally on your Mac. No internet connection required. No cloud services. All notification monitoring happens on-device.
How much does it cost?
attn LED is included with your attn subscription. Download the attn app to get started. The software is free to try.