The notch at the top of the screen on newer iPhone models houses important components like the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors. While some users don’t mind the notch, others find it obtrusive and want to minimize its appearance and impact. Luckily, there are techniques that you can use to customize the iPhone notch settings to better suit your needs.
Understanding the iPhone Notch Settings and Its Purpose
The notch was first introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. This black cutout area at the top of the screen conceals components for Apple’s facial recognition system called Face ID. Face ID is used for securely unlocking the iPhone, approving purchases, and authorizing access to apps and data.
Some key components housed in the notch area include:
- Infrared camera
- Flood illuminator
- Proximity sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Dot projector
- Front camera
- Microphone
- Speaker
While the notch infringes on a small portion of the screen, it enables Face ID, which many users prefer over entering passcodes. The infrared camera and other sensors work together to scan and recognize your face accurately.
Over the years, Apple has managed to shrink the size of the notch by integrating some components under the display. But it still remains a core identifier of the iPhone design.
Hide the iPhone Notch with Wallpapers
If you find the notch unsightly and want to hide it, there’s a simple trick using wallpapers.
There are many apps like Notcho, Notch Remover, and Lucky Notch that let you create wallpapers designed to conceal the notch area. Here are the steps to hide the notch using such an app:
- Download a notch-hiding wallpaper app from the App Store. Many options are free.
- Open the app and select a suitable wallpaper image. You can use your own photos too.
- Adjust and scale the image so that the notch blends into the wallpaper pattern or imagery seamlessly.
- Save the wallpaper image to your Photos app.
- Go to Settings > Wallpaper and select the new wallpaper. Choose Home Screen, Lock Screen or both.
This makes the notch appear invisible against the distracting patterns or colors in the wallpaper. Just keep in mind this only works on the Home and Lock screens, not within apps.
Use Display Zoom to Minimize Notch
You can also minimize the visible area of the notch using the Display Zoom feature. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
- Tap on Display Zoom and select the “Zoomed” option.
- Adjust the toggle below to find your preferred zoom level. A more zoomed-in view makes interface elements larger while reducing the notch footprint.
- Tap “Set” once happy with the zoom level. This will restart your device.
With a zoomed-in display, you’ll get a bit more vertical space and slightly smaller notch intrusion. Just note that icons and text will appear bigger.
Adjust Status Bar Settings
You can utilize some status bar settings to reduce visual clutter around the notch area:
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and disable “Show Battery Percentage” if you don’t need constant battery level updates.
- Disable unnecessary status icons in Settings by turning off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, etc when not required. Less icons means more breathing room beside the notch.
- Turn off “Show Notification Count” in Settings > Notifications if app badge numbers bother you. This also cleans up the area near the notch.
- Use a minimalist wallpaper with sparse elements at the top. Wallpapers with busy graphics near the notch make it more noticeable.
Use Landscape Orientation for Videos and Games
The notch is most bothersome when viewing full-screen videos or playing games in portrait orientation. Using landscape provides a notch-free viewing experience.
To lock orientation, swipe down from the top-right corner on an iPhone X or later to open Control Center. Tap the Portrait Orientation Lock icon to disable it.
Alternatively, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle off “Auto-Rotate Screen”. Now apps will remain in landscape without automatically rotating to portrait.
Explore Alternatives Like iPhone SE
If you simply can’t stand the notch, getting an iPhone SE provides a notch-free design with Touch ID. Alternate Face ID-equipped options like the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro models have pill-shaped front camera cutouts instead of the usual notch.
So, while the iPhone notch won’t appeal to everyone, there are ways to conceal, minimize, or avoid it entirely for a better experience. Customizing your wallpaper, display zoom, status bar, and orientation can help alleviate notch disturbances during daily iPhone use.