The notch on Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro is a controversial design element, and for folks who absolutely cannot stand it, there's a free app that allows you to hide it in seconds. The notch has been a hallmark of Apple's product line for a few years now. It made its first appearance in 2017 with the iPhone X, and in years following that, every major iPhone release has continued the notch tradition.
Four years after the infamous notch came into the world, Apple added it to a Mac for the first time with the 2021 MacBook Pro. To accommodate the MacBook's slimmer bezels, improved display technology, and upgraded camera, Apple decided to throw a notch on the machine. It's a relatively insignificant change that doesn't adversely impact the MacBook experience. For some folks, however, it's impossible to overlook. If you find yourself with the latest MacBook Pro but loathe the notch every time you see it, there's a quick and easy way to get rid of it.
To get rid of the MacBook Pro's notch, all users have to do is download a free app called 'TopNotch.' It's from the same people behind the CleanShot X screenshot application, meaning it's from a reliable development team and not some random company that popped up overnight. Regardless, downloading TopNotch is as easy as can be. Visit the TopNotch website from the 2021 MacBook Pro and click the 'Download for free' button. Find the downloaded .dmg file for the application, double-click it, and drag the TopNotch icon into the Applications folder. Just like that, TopNotch is installed and ready for action.
How To Use TopNotch To Hide The MacBook Pro's Notch
From here, using TopNotch is a piece of cake. Open the Finder app, click the 'Applications' menu, double-click TopNotch, and click 'Open' on the pop-up menu to open it for the first time. There should now be a shortcut for the app at the top-right of the screen, represented by a notched display. Click that icon, click the toggle, and TopNotch instantly adds a black bar at the top of the screen to make the notch disappear. If you want to remove the black bar and see the notch, click the shortcut again and click the toggle to disable it.
While the TopNotch application is pretty straightforward, it does have a couple of settings for users to adjust. By default, TopNotch will automatically start at login so users don't have to open the app every time they want to use it. If someone wants to disable this for whatever reason, click the TopNotch shortcut at the top of the screen and click the check next to 'Start at login.' Additionally, users can select the 'Use dynamic wallpapers' feature on that same screen to have TopNotch work with macOS's dynamic wallpapers feature.
That's all there is to know about TopNotch. If someone has the MacBook Pro and doesn't mind the notch, they can ignore this application and keep using the laptop like normal. If the notch is proving to be an unavoidable annoyance, TopNotch is a great tool to have.
Source: TopNotch