When Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro (and later the MacBook Air), they introduced a highly controversial hardware feature: the “notch.” Similar to modern iPhones, the camera module intrudes downward into the display area. While Apple uses this space efficiently by pushing the macOS menu bar up into the resulting corners, many users find the physical cutout highly distracting, especially when viewing content with a light-coloured wallpaper.
While you cannot physically remove the hardware, you can utilise software tricks to completely hide the notch, making it visually disappear into a uniform black bezel across the top of your screen.
Method 1: Scale to Fit (App-Specific)
If the notch is only bothering you when using a specific, older application that hasn’t been updated to handle the new screen layout (often resulting in menu items being hidden behind the camera cutout), macOS includes a built-in compatibility mode.
- Close the application that is experiencing issues with the notch.
- Open a Finder window and navigate to your Applications folder.
- Locate the application in the list.
- Right-click the application icon and select Get Info.
- In the Info panel, look for a checkbox labelled Scale to fit below built-in camera.
- Check the box and close the Info panel.
When you relaunch the app, your Mac will artificially shrink the entire display output, moving the menu bar down below the camera housing and filling the top area with solid black pixels. This effectively hides the notch, but it only applies when that specific app is active.
Method 2: Use a Dark Wallpaper (System-Wide)
Because modern MacBooks use Mini-LED or high-contrast displays, black pixels are rendered incredibly deeply. The simplest and most elegant way to hide the notch permanently across the entire operating system is to use a clever wallpaper.
- You need a wallpaper that is entirely black at the very top. You can create one yourself in an image editor by adding a solid black bar to the top of your favourite photo, or you can search online for “MacBook notch hider wallpapers.”
- Once you have a suitable image, open System Settings.
- Click on Wallpaper in the left-hand sidebar.
- Scroll down to the “Add Photo” section and select your custom image.
When the wallpaper is applied, the black pixels of the image will blend seamlessly with the physical black plastic of the camera housing. The white text of your menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.) will remain perfectly legible, but the notch itself will become virtually invisible.