# How to drop a file on the NotchStar shelf

> Drag a file toward the notch and the Shelf tab opens. Drop it in the dashed zone and it waits there until you drag it out or send it.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/drop-a-file-on-the-notch-shelf/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

To put a file on the NotchStar shelf, drag it toward the notch, let the Shelf tab open, and drop the file in the dashed zone on the right. The file appears as a Finder style icon with its real name and waits there until you need it.

## Steps

1. Pick up a file in Finder, on the Desktop or from an app that lets you drag files out.
2. Move the pointer toward the top of the screen, near the notch. The notch opens on the **Shelf** tab.
3. Drop the file on the dashed zone. The border highlights while the file is over it, so you know where it will land.
4. Go to the folder, message or app the file belongs in, then drag the icon back out.

## What lands on the shelf

The dashed zone accepts files and folders, and you can drop several at once. Dropping the same file twice does not add a second copy of the icon. The shelf stores where the file is, not the file itself. Read [what the shelf remembers](https://www.notchstar.com/help/what-the-notchstar-shelf-remembers/) for the detail.

## The left zone is different

The left zone is the AirDrop zone. A file dropped there is not kept: it opens the macOS AirDrop picker. If you only want to park a file, aim right. See [what the AirDrop zone does](https://www.notchstar.com/help/what-the-airdrop-zone-does/).

The full tool is described on the [File Shelf page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/file-shelf/).

## Quick answers.

### Do I have to open the Shelf tab first?

No. Start dragging a file and move toward the notch. NotchStar opens on the Shelf tab by itself.

## Keep reading.

- [A shelf and an AirDrop zone in the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/file-shelf/): Park files in the notch while you work, then drag them out or AirDrop them. Drag a file toward the notch and the shelf opens by itself.
- [How to open the NotchStar shelf by dragging a file](https://www.notchstar.com/help/open-the-shelf-by-dragging-toward-the-notch/): Drag a file toward the top of the screen near the notch and NotchStar opens the Shelf by itself. Let go elsewhere and it closes again.
- [How to move files out of the NotchStar shelf](https://www.notchstar.com/help/move-files-out-of-the-notch-shelf/): Drag an icon from the shelf into a folder, message or app. The original file is used, and the icon stays on the shelf until you remove it.
- [A file shelf for Mac: stop stacking files on the Desktop](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/airdrop-shelf-for-mac/): A file shelf is a temporary holding area for drag and drop. Learn the workflow, why it beats the Desktop, and how an AirDrop zone speeds up sharing.

## More in Shelf and AirDrop.

- [How to open the NotchStar shelf by dragging a file](https://www.notchstar.com/help/open-the-shelf-by-dragging-toward-the-notch/): Drag a file toward the top of the screen near the notch and NotchStar opens the Shelf by itself. Let go elsewhere and it closes again.
- [Why the NotchStar shelf does not open for text or images](https://www.notchstar.com/help/why-the-shelf-does-not-open-for-text-or-images/): Drag to open reacts to files only. Text and images dragged from a web page do not open the shelf. Save the image as a file first, then drag it.
- [How to AirDrop a file from your Mac notch](https://www.notchstar.com/help/airdrop-a-file-from-the-notch/): Drag a file toward the notch and drop it on the AirDrop zone. The macOS AirDrop picker opens with the file attached. Pick a device to send.
- [What the AirDrop zone in the NotchStar shelf does](https://www.notchstar.com/help/what-the-airdrop-zone-does/): The AirDrop zone does not keep files. Whatever you drop on it opens the macOS AirDrop picker with those files attached, and nothing is stored.
- [How to AirDrop from your Mac notch to an iPhone](https://www.notchstar.com/help/airdrop-from-the-notch-to-an-iphone/): Drop a file on the NotchStar AirDrop zone, then tap your iPhone in the picker. The iPhone must be nearby with AirDrop receiving turned on.
- [What the NotchStar shelf remembers: locations, not contents](https://www.notchstar.com/help/what-the-notchstar-shelf-remembers/): The shelf keeps the location of each file, like an alias, not a copy of its contents. Dragging out uses the original file on your disk.