#Which MacBooks have a notch
If you're shopping used or just trying to identify a machine, here is the clean answer to which MacBooks have a notch. Four laptop lines carry it, and I measured the cutout on the two Pros I own while building NotchBay, so the numbers here come off the hardware, not a spec sheet.
| Model | Notch since | Chips | Notch |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 16″ | Oct 2021 | M1 Pro/Max → M4 Max | Yes |
| MacBook Pro 14″ | Oct 2021 | M1 Pro/Max → M4 Max | Yes |
| MacBook Air 15″ | 2024 | M3 → M4 | Yes |
| MacBook Air 13″ | 2022 | M2 → M4 | Yes |
Lineups shift each year; check apple.com for the current chip options, but the notch has been standard on all four lines since the dates above.
Everything else is a variation on those four. The base 13″ and 14″ MacBook Pro that ship with a plain M-series chip (M4, for example) still have the same notch as their Pro/Max siblings; the housing is identical across the 14″ family and across the 16″ family.
#Notch size by model
The exact dimensions, measured with Apple's NSScreen APIs on real hardware. Points are what your layout code sees; native pixels are the physical dots on a 2x Retina panel:
| Model | Notch (points) | Default resolution | Share of width | Native pixels (@2x) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 16″ | 220 × 38 pt | 1800 × 1169 | ≈12.2% | ≈440 × 76 px |
| MacBook Pro 14″ | 185 × 32 pt | 1512 × 982 | ≈12.2% | ≈370 × 64 px |
| MacBook Air 13″ / 15″ | notch present; height equals the menu bar (≈32 pt at default scaling)* | 1470 × 956 / 1710 × 1112 | ≈12%* | - |
* Air figures match reports and the same design ratio, but I've only put NSScreen on the Pros I own. The Pro rows are exact.
Two things most write-ups miss: the notch's height is not a round number by accident, it is set to match the menu bar so the bar's background fully covers the cutout; and the point size changes if you pick a different scaled resolution in Display settings, while the physical glass obviously does not move. For the full breakdown, including corner radii and the ten-line script to measure your own, see MacBook notch size, every dimension measured.
#Which Macs don't have a notch
Plenty of Macs still ship with a flat top bezel. The notch is a MacBook laptop feature, and not even all MacBooks:
- The 13″ Touch Bar MacBook Pro: the last non-notch Pro. If it has a Touch Bar strip above the keyboard, it has a flat bezel and no notch.
- Every Intel MacBook: all Intel MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models (2020 and earlier) predate the notch redesign.
- The 12″ MacBook and the wedge-shaped MacBook Air: the older Air with the tapered profile (M1 and Intel) has no notch; only the flat M2 redesign onward does.
- The iMac: the 24″ M-series iMac has a slim chin, not a notch, and its camera sits in the top bezel.
- External displays: Apple's Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, and every third-party monitor, have flat bezels. Plug a notched MacBook into one and the second screen has no cutout.
- Headless Macs: the Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro have no built-in screen at all.
Quick test if you're unsure: open a notched Mac and the menu bar wraps around a black camera housing at the top center. No housing, no notch.
#Why these models got a notch
Apple added the notch when it shrank the top and side bezels to fit a larger screen in the same lid. The camera and its sensors still need a certain amount of lid thickness, so rather than keep a thick bar across the whole top edge, Apple pushed the display up around a small camera housing. Three things drove it:
- Thinner bezels, bigger screen: the display now reaches nearly to the top edge, adding a strip of screen above the classic 16:10 frame instead of losing one.
- A better camera: the housing holds a 1080p webcam plus an ambient light sensor and the camera indicator LED. It does not hold a TrueDepth array, so there is no Face ID on any MacBook to date.
- Somewhere to put the menu bar: the notch height equals the menu bar, so the strip on either side of the camera becomes menu-bar space you didn't have before.
That is also why the notch is worth using rather than hiding. If it bothers you visually, macOS scaled modes and black-bar utilities can make it disappear, covered in how to hide the MacBook notch. For what the camera housing actually contains and does, see what the MacBook notch is for.
#Putting the notch to work
Since the strip is permanent and always visible, a small category of apps turns it into a Dynamic Island for the Mac. The honest landscape, all fair picks depending on what you want:
- Boring Notch: free and open source. Media controls, a file shelf, battery and calendar. The lightweight pick.
- NotchNook: polished widgets and a Files Tray with AirDrop; subscription or one-time, and on Setapp. Check their site for current pricing.
- Alcove: Dynamic-Island-style animation, live activities and Now Playing. One-time or subscription; free trial.
- DynamicLake Pro: feature-dense: music, files, Bluetooth, weather and a compact mode.
- NotchBay: the one I build, aimed at work: calendar with one-tap Join, in-call Zoom and Meet controls from the notch, OCR-searchable clipboard history, on-device dictation, and drop-to-share via your own Google Drive. $19 one-time, 3-day trial.
If you're new to the idea, Dynamic Island for Mac walks through what these apps do and how to set one up.
#Frequently asked questions
Which MacBooks have a notch?
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro (every model since the 2021 M1 Pro/Max redesign) and the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air (M2 in 2022 and M3 in 2024). No other Mac has one.
Do all MacBook Pros have a notch?
No. Only the 14-inch and 16-inch Pros released since late 2021 have one. The older 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro and every Intel MacBook Pro before it have a flat top bezel.
Does the MacBook Air have a notch?
Yes. The 13-inch Air gained one with the M2 redesign in 2022, and the 15-inch Air has had one since it launched with the M3 in 2024. Both size the notch to match the menu bar, about 12% of screen width.
How big is the notch on each model?
220x38 points on the 16-inch Pro (default 1800x1169) and 185x32 points on the 14-inch Pro (default 1512x982), roughly 440x76 and 370x64 native pixels. The Air's notch is sized to its menu bar height. I measured the Pro figures with NSScreen on real hardware.
Does the Mac notch have Face ID?
No. It houses a 1080p webcam, an ambient light sensor and the camera indicator LED. There is no TrueDepth array, so no Face ID on any MacBook to date.
Do the iMac or external displays have a notch?
No. The iMac, Studio Display, Pro Display XDR and every third-party monitor have a flat bezel. The notch is exclusive to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptop lids.
