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What is the MacBook notch?

Mac basics Published

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The notch is the cutout at the top centre of some MacBook screens. Apple calls it a camera housing built into the screen bezel. It holds the camera and sensors, and it sits where the menu bar runs across the top of the display.

Why it matters

macOS keeps menu items out of the notch, so the menu bar is split into a left half and a right half. A crowded menu bar can push some status icons behind the notch, where you cannot see or click them. Apple says the notch applies to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with a Liquid Retina or Liquid Retina XDR display.

The notch is fixed hardware. Software cannot remove it or move it. What software can do is draw around it, and that is what a notch app does: it places a small panel in the same spot so the space is useful.

Macs without a notch

Many Macs have no notch, including desktop Macs and older MacBooks. Some notch apps, NotchStar among them, draw a small floating pill at the top centre of the screen instead. See notch apps for Macs without a notch.

Read more

The full explanation, with a table of fixes, is in the MacBook notch explained. For hidden icons, see menu bar icons hidden by the notch. Developers read the notch size from the safe area.

Keep reading.

The MacBook notch explained
What the notch is, which MacBooks have it, why menu bar icons disappear behind it, and the options for working around or making use of it.
What is a notch app? A plain English guide
A notch app turns the dead space around the MacBook notch into a tiny control center. Here is how they work, what they do and what to watch for.
Mac notch menu bar replacement: fix hidden icons
If menu bar icons disappear behind the MacBook notch, compare built in fixes, menu bar managers, TopNotch and notch utilities before replacing anything.
What is the Mac menu bar?
The menu bar is the strip along the top of a Mac screen with the Apple menu, app menus and status icons. Learn how it works and how the notch changes it.
What is the safe area on a Mac screen?
The safe area is the part of a screen where content is not covered by hardware such as the notch. Developers read it from NSScreen safeAreaInsets in AppKit.

More in Mac basics.

What is the Mac menu bar?
The menu bar is the strip along the top of a Mac screen with the Apple menu, app menus and status icons. Learn how it works and how the notch changes it.
What is the safe area on a Mac screen?
The safe area is the part of a screen where content is not covered by hardware such as the notch. Developers read it from NSScreen safeAreaInsets in AppKit.
What is AirDrop?
AirDrop sends files wirelessly between nearby Apple devices. Learn what it needs, how to use it on a Mac and how a notch file shelf can start a send.
What is Universal Clipboard?
Universal Clipboard lets you copy on one Apple device and paste on another nearby one. Learn what it needs and how it differs from clipboard history.
What is Apple silicon?
Apple silicon is the family of Apple designed chips that replaced Intel processors in Macs. Learn how to tell which chip your Mac has and why apps care.
What is a universal binary on Mac?
A universal binary is one Mac app file that contains code for both Apple silicon and Intel chips, so it runs natively on either. Learn how to check one.
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