Can't Get Used to Your MacBook Pro's Notch? These Apps Will Hide It for You

There's an app that will help you adjust to the new MacBook Pro's notch in the middle of your menu bar.


Most observers were surprised to see a display notch in the new MacBook Pros. It was one of the few last-minute rumors.

Apple has responded to criticisms by adding a notch to its design. However, Apple claims that it is a smart way of giving users more space for content. The bezels can be thinner, which allows for increased screen real estate.

The following apps will help you if this logic fails to impress. They don't completely cancel the notch but they do make it less obvious.

Forehead allows you to switch between your default wallpaper or a black notchless wallpaper. It also offers options to round corners, much like the rounded top corners on the new MacBook Pros. An update will allow you to simulate a "notch" on older Macs.

TopNotch (free version): Provides all the features of Forehead but also supports Dynamic Wallpapers. It works with multiple displays and spaces and stays in the background while detecting wallpaper changes.

TopNotch (9.95): De-Notch-ifier offers the same features as TopNotch but with a dropdown menu. De-Notchifier isn’t a new app. It’s an existing version of Boring Old Menu Bar. This gives you a non-transparent, boring menu bar for macOS Big Sur and older. You get one app for free if you purchase the other.

Have you just purchased a MacBook Pro? After spending some time with the MacBook Pro, what do you think about the notch? Please share your thoughts in the comments.