START WITH THE TASK
Do you need a quick glance or a trading screen?
If you are checking a few symbols between work tasks, a compact ticker can keep that check in one place. If you need charts, news, or order entry, open the tool designed for that job and give it your attention.
Stock Island is the small display in that workflow: selected quotes around the MacBook notch, with a watchlist that expands when you hover. On an external monitor or a Mac without a notch, it uses a floating ticker at the top of the screen.
For occasional research without installing another app, Apple's built-in Stocks app offers watchlists, charts, and business news. See Apple's Stocks guide →
Start with a small watchlist.
Add the symbols you actually want to check during the workday. Three to five is a useful starting point, even though Stock Island supports more. Search for each symbol and check that you have selected the intended market or crypto pair.
Keep longer research lists elsewhere. A shorter list makes it easier to find the quote you came to see.
Choose a view that fits your desk.
Use the normal view for familiar prices and percentage changes. Try Stealth Mode if you prefer code-like text, or Pixel Mode for a dot-matrix display. Choose the price-change color convention you read most naturally.
Hover to check the watchlist, then move away to let it fold back. The idea is a brief check while your document or editor remains the main workspace.
Know what the displayed quote tells you.
Automatic refresh and real-time data are different things. An app can refresh frequently while its provider supplies delayed prices. Availability can also change outside a market's trading session.
Use the ticker for awareness. For a price-sensitive decision, check the instrument, timestamp, and available quote in your brokerage platform.
BEFORE A MEETING
A discreet display can still be shared.
Stealth Mode changes the appearance of quotes, not who can read them. Before a presentation or screen share, close the ticker or share the intended app window, then check your sharing preview. Do not rely on the code-like view to conceal information.
What Stealth Mode does →