Why the NotchStar star is missing from the menu bar
If you cannot see the NotchStar star in the menu bar, it is either not running or hidden behind the notch. A crowded menu bar can push icons under the notch, where you cannot click them.
Is it running
NotchStar has no Dock icon. Open Activity Monitor and search for NotchStar. If it is not listed, open the app from Applications. The notch panel will also appear when it runs. See install from the disk image.
Make room
- Quit menu bar apps you do not need.
- In System Settings, Control Center, choose which built in items show in the menu bar and turn off some.
- Hold Command and drag icons to reorder them, so the star sits to the right of the notch.
The hidden menu bar icons guide lists more fixes.
You can still use NotchStar
The notch itself works without the star. Move to the notch to open it, then use the gear in the header for Settings and the pin for Keep open. To close the app without the star, quit it from Activity Monitor. See quit NotchStar.
If the notch is also gone
Read why the notch does not open. Mac without a notch: the pill appears instead, covered in Macs without a notch.
The System Stats tool is a good test that the app is alive once you can open it.
