Edge Bar

The Edge Bar is a vertical launcher that appears when you move your pointer to an enabled screen edge. It gives you one-click access to meetings, QuickHub, new chats, and attach — without hunting for a hotkey or the menu bar. During Background Computer Use runs, session cards and the live preview also live here. Edge Bar requires QuickHub Mode. If you turn QuickHub Mode off, Edge Bar settings are disabled and the launcher does not appear. See QuickHub Mode for the full interface model.

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When to use Edge Bar

Use Edge Bar when:

• You want a mouse-driven way to open QuickHub or start a meeting from any app
• You work across multiple monitors and want edge triggers on outer (or all inner) edges
• You run Computer Use in the background and want session status, stop controls, and Watch preview nearby
• You prefer dragging files onto the edge launcher instead of into a floating QuickHub window

For keyboard-first access, use ⌘⇧Space (Open QuickHub) or Open QuickHub and Attach from Settings → Shortcuts → Global. Edge Bar complements those shortcuts; it does not replace them.

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How Edge Bar appears

1. Enable at least one edge under Settings → General → Edge Bar
2. Move your pointer to that inner screen edge (the edge of the display, not the notch)
3. The launcher reveals as you approach — closer to the edge means more visible
4. Click an icon to run that action
5. Drag the bar vertically along the edge to reposition it; Alter remembers the position per edge and per monitor

On a single display, enabled left and right edges are always available. On multiple displays, only outer edges are used by default (the left edge of your leftmost monitor and the right edge of your rightmost monitor). This avoids accidental triggers when moving the cursor between screens. Turn on All monitor edges to enable your selected left/right edges on every monitor, including edges between displays.

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Edge Bar actions

When no meeting is recording, the launcher shows these actions (top to bottom): While a meeting is recording, the launcher switches to meeting controls: Start Meeting (stop/toggle), Live Notepad, Live Captions, then New Chat and Attach below a separator. During dictation, a shorter set appears: Start Meeting, New Chat, and Attach.

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Computer Use sessions

When a Computer Use task runs in the background, an Edge Bar session card appears alongside the launcher. Each card shows:

• The task goal (truncated; hover for the full text)
• Status — what the agent is doing (reading accessibility trees, clicking, scrolling, and so on)
• Target app — icon, name, and window title once bound
• Stop — cancel the run immediately

Completed, failed, or stopped sessions update to a terminal state and auto-dismiss after a short delay. The floating live preview (picture-in-picture of the agent’s target window) is managed from the same Edge Bar area — open it from the session card or from Watch preview in the Tool Inspector. See Background Computer Use for the full background-run workflow.

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Drop target

While the Edge Bar is visible, you can drag and drop onto it — the same content types QuickHub accepts (files, text, URLs, and other supported pasteboard items). Alter routes dropped items into the active or new QuickHub conversation, similar to dropping onto the QuickHub window itself.

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Configure Edge Bar

Open Settings → General (⌘,) and scroll to the Edge Bar section. All controls are disabled when QuickHub Mode is off.

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Left edge / Right edge

Toggle Left edge and Right edge independently. Defaults: Right edge on, Left edge off.

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All monitor edges

All monitor edges — Use selected left/right edges on every monitor, including edges between displays. When off (default), only outer edges on a multi-monitor setup are eligible. When on, every enabled edge on every connected display can reveal the launcher.

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Opening distance

Opening distance — 0% sticks to the edge; 100% uses the default distance. A slider from 0% to 100% in 25% steps controls how far from the edge the launcher begins to reveal:

• 0% — You must push the pointer against the physical edge; the bar stays tight to the bezel
• 100% (default) — Standard reveal distance; the launcher appears before you reach the absolute edge
• Intermediate values (25%, 50%, 75%) blend between those extremes

Use a lower value if you trigger Edge Bar accidentally when moving between apps; use a higher value if you want the launcher to appear sooner.

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Troubleshooting

Edge Bar never appears

• Confirm QuickHub Mode is on (Settings → General → QuickHub Mode)
• Enable at least Left edge or Right edge
• On multiple monitors without All monitor edges, try the outer left or right edge of your display group
• Check that another app is not capturing mouse events at the screen edge

Launcher appears on the wrong monitor

• Enable All monitor edges if you need inner edges between displays
• Reposition the bar by dragging it vertically on the edge where you want it; positions are saved per monitor

Computer Use card missing

• Edge Bar sessions require QuickHub Mode and an active computer_use_task run
• Open Watch preview from the Tool Inspector if the floating preview is hidden

Settings are grayed out

• Edge Bar requires QuickHub Mode. The footer reads: Edge Bar requires QuickHub Mode to be enabled.

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