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What to do on a Mac with no notch

The notch Published

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If your Mac has no notch, you do not need to do anything. The screen has no cutout, the menu bar runs the whole width and no setting is needed. Notch apps can still work: several draw a small floating pill at the top centre of the screen where the cutout would be.

Check whether you have one

Look at the top centre of the display. If the menu bar is one unbroken strip and the screen edge is flat, there is no cutout. For the model, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Apple’s tech specs pages for the MacBook Pro (13 inch, M2, 2022) and the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) show no rounded corner footnote or camera housing for the display, unlike the pages for the models listed in which MacBooks have a notch.

Macs where this applies

Older MacBooks, and Macs with a separate display such as an iMac, a Mac mini or an external screen. The Air page lists which Air models have the cutout.

What a notch app does without a notch

The hardware cutout is black and fixed. Without one there is nothing to blend into, so the app draws its own small black pill, usually near the same spot. The panel, tools and animations work the same. Check the app page for words like external display, no notch or fallback pill, and for the macOS version it needs.

Before you buy

  1. Does the page mention Macs without a notch?
  2. Does it name the fallback?
  3. Does the free trial or free version cover your Mac?
  4. Does it support your macOS version? See how to check your macOS version.

If you want it just for the tools

The cutout is not the point for many people. A clipboard history, a file shelf, timers and a teleprompter are useful on any display. Our guide to notch apps for Macs without a notch covers multi display behaviour and acceptance checks.

NotchStar draws a floating pill on a Mac without a notch and opens the same ten tools from it, such as the File Shelf. It requires macOS 14 or later. Prices as of 4 November 2026: $4 once, with a 7 day trial.

Quick answers.

Do notch apps work on a Mac without a notch?

Often. Many apps draw a floating pill at the top centre of the screen when no notch is present. Check the app's page for a fallback.

Link to this answer

How do I know if my Mac has a notch?

Look at the top centre of the screen. Then check the model name in the Apple menu, About This Mac, against Apple's tech specs.

Link to this answer

Keep reading.

Notch apps for Macs without a notch
Do notch apps work on iMac, Mac mini or older MacBooks? Yes, often as a floating pill. Here is what to expect and how NotchStar handles it.
Which MacBooks have a notch?
The notch models Apple names: 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pro from 2021, and MacBook Air from the M2 in 2022. A list checked against Apple's tech specs.
Does the MacBook Air have a notch?
Yes on recent models: Apple's tech specs show rounded top corners from the MacBook Air M2 in 2022. The M1 Air from 2020 has no such note.
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.

More in The notch.

What is the notch on a MacBook?
The notch is the cutout at the top centre of some MacBook displays that holds the camera. What it is, what Apple calls it and how macOS works around it.
Why do MacBooks have a notch?
Apple added a camera cutout to the MacBook display in 2021 so the screen could reach closer to the edges. What Apple said and what it did not say.
How big is the MacBook notch?
Apple does not publish the notch size in its tech specs. Here is what Apple does list, and how apps and you can find the size on your own Mac.
Does the MacBook notch have a camera and sensors?
Yes, the notch holds the camera. What Apple lists for it, where the green light is, and how to see which apps can use the camera.
How to hide the notch on a Mac
You cannot remove the notch, but you can make an app sit below it with Apple's Scale to fit setting or change how the menu bar looks. Steps and limits.
What Scale to fit below built in camera does
How Apple's Scale to fit below built in camera setting works, where to find it in Get Info, which Macs it applies to and why it sometimes does not show.
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