Download How to Hide the MacBook Pro Notch in 2022 (3 Effective Ways) for free
It’s been a few months since Apple launched the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with an iPhone-style notch. By now all of you must have made up your mind about whether you like the notch or not. Love it or hate it, the notch is here to stay, and if you have a shiny new MacBook Pro, you’ll have to live with the notch. That said, there are some clever solutions to make the notch less obvious. And in this article, we have listed the methods that you can use to hide the notch on your new MacBook Pro.
Hide MacBook Pro Notch (2022)
We mentioned Apple’s official solution to hide MacBook Pro notch and third-party apps that you can use to achieve similar results. It might surprise you, but we’ve also added a third-party app that turns the notched screen into a handy Touch Bar. You can choose the app that suits your needs. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Scale and use apps in full screen on MacBook Pro
Apple officially recommended run apps in full screen mode and scale them to get uninterrupted access to your favorite Mac apps on the new MacBook Pro. However, it is not universal and works per app. In addition, you should know that scaling an app won’t hide the notch. Instead, it makes the menu bar and app windows appear below the notch on your Mac and are always visible. None of the menu options are truncated by the notch area when this feature is enabled. That said, let’s see how it works:
- How to use full screen apps on MacBook Pro
As suggested by Apple, one of the most basic tips to avoid the notch while using the built-in apps is to use them in full screen mode. Yes, it’s that easy. And to do that, you can simply click the green icon in the top left corner from a window. Or you can also use the macOS keyboard shortcut “Control + Cmd + F” to maximize the window and take up the entire screen.
- Scaling app window and menu bars
1. Click “Applications” in the sidebar of the Finder and locate the app you want to scale and fit the notch. Now select the app, right click on it and choose the “Obtain information” option.
2. From the App Info window that now appears, select the ‘Scale to fit under the built-in camera’ checkbox to enable it.
3. Close the App Info pop-up window. Now open the app to see that it scales properly to the MacBook Pro screen and that the menu items are not hidden behind the notch.
It’s worth noting that any apps that share the same workspace will appear below the camera until you exit the scaled application. If you’re not a big fan of this approach, you can check out third-party solutions to actually hide the notch from the next section.
Third-party apps to hide notches on the new MacBook Pro
While Apple’s official method of hiding the MacBook Pro’s notch may suffice for many, there are third-party solutions to hide or even decorate the notch. We’ve listed some of the best apps that you can use to hide the notch below:
forehead
Created by developer Jordi Bruin, Forehead is a handy app that adjusts your current background by adding a black bar on the top. Additionally, the app brings rounded corners to your Mac’s screen, along with the option to adjust the corner radius. Forehead is available for free, but you can choose to pay for the app from the download page to support the developer.
Download forehead (Free)
Magnificently
Another free app to hide the notch on your 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro is TopNotch. Created by the team behind the macOS screen capture tool Cleanshot, TopNotch supports macOS dynamic desktop backgrounds and also works well with multiple screens. You also get the option to add rounded corners to your background with this app.
Download TopNotch (Free)
notch master
Unlike other apps that try to hide the notch, Notchmeister embraces it. With this free app you can add effects to your notch. As bizarre as it sounds, it’s a fun new way to make your MacBook Pro stand out. There are five effects to choose from, and it even has a “real replacement notch” for those on previous-generation MacBooks to experience the life of the notch.
Download Notchmeister from the App Store (Free)
De-Notch ifier
To summarize the list of hidden third-party apps, we have: De-Notch ifier. According to the developer, De-Notch-ifier is a pre-configured version of their existing Boring Old Menu Bar app. It automatically detects the height of the notch in screen pixels and offers separate settings for light and dark mode in addition to support for dynamic backgrounds. Also included is support for rounded corners and multiple displays and spaces. Keep in mind that De-Notch-ifier is a paid app, but you get a 14-day free trial before purchasing it.
Download De-Notch ifier (14 days trial, starts at $14.95)
Turn the MacBook Pro Notch into a Touch Bar
Finally, if you want to make better use of the screen real estate around the notch on your new MacBook Pro, you can use this handy third-party software called BetterTouchTool. This is a popular Mac utility tool, which has been around for many years, that allows you to: turn the notched area on the MacBook Pro into a TouchBar-like space. You can add useful shortcuts and widgets to the Touch Bar-like area next to the notch. (see the screenshot below).
Now, for those who didn’t know, Apple has removed the Touch Bar with the release of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. However, if you rely heavily on this hardware utility, you can emulate it using the new Notch Bar feature in BetterTouchTool (requires at least macOS 12 Monterey).
So, what can you add to this notch Touch Bar, you ask? You can add a weather widget, music player, volume and brightness widgets, shortcuts for specific folders and websites, and more. There is also the option to keep track of the clipboard history in the area next to the notch.
Download BetterTouchTool (45 days free trial, starts at $9.99 for two years)
Creative Ways to Hide the Notch on Your MacBook Pro
Thanks to the efforts of third-party developers, you now have more choice to deal with the notch on the latest MacBook Pro models. Do you love the notch? Give it a festive touch with Notchmeister. Not a big fan? Hide it with TopNotch. The choice is yours and we hope this article helped you get used to the notch on your MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, you can go to our linked guide to learn how to share your screen in FaceTime on Mac with SharePlay.
