T
The Daily Insight

Is the notch on iPhone X annoying

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published Feb 22, 2026

Some people find the notch annoying; others don’t even seem to care about it. But the truth is, the notch feels more like a temporary solution than something Apple wants on its devices for good.

Can you get rid of the notch on iPhone X?

Although the notch is not a technical problem at all, removing it from the screen is not bad at all for many iPhone users. It is a built-in hardware feature though so there’s no way to get rid of it for good.

Why does iPhone X have a notch?

You’ve undoubtedly noticed the notch at the top of the iPhone X or iPhone XS display. It’s that black part that houses the top speaker, camera, and Face ID technology that cuts into the display, leaving it to extend into two corners. … It houses the speaker and camera system.

Is the notch on iPhone annoying?

It’s a constant annoyance, and gets in the way of how good the iPhone X, and subsequent iPhones are. But the iPhone 13 series now has a notch that’s 20% smaller horizontally, while the height is slightly longer, with apps not needing additional work to adjust to this smaller design.

How do I hide notch?

Swipe down twice from the notification shade to display the full list of Quick Settings tiles. Tap the pencil icon on the bottom to edit the panel. Scroll down to find the “Hide notch” tile.

Why does iPhone 12 have a notch?

The notch is an important design aspect that allows several sensors to reside on the front side of the iPhone, aiding it in carrying out Face ID requests. The notch also has an earpiece in the middle. However, Apple is reported to move the earpiece to the bezel.

Will iPhone 13 have a notch?

iPhone 13 Models Feature 20% Smaller Notch That’s Just a Tiny Bit Taller. Apple’s new iPhone 13 models that were released today feature an updated TrueDepth camera and a new design for the notch, which has been slimmed down.

Will iPhone 14 have notch?

Last week, Korean website The Elec reported that the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will feature a hole-punch display design, much like those seen on some high-end Android devices, instead of the notch. …

What's an iPhone notch?

What is a notched display? Credit: Apple iPhone X. The term notched display refers to a smartphone screen that features an irregular shape due to a cutout on one of the device’s edges (usually the uppermost one) rather than a regular, rectangular screen.

Why notch display is good or bad?

Like a taller aspect ratio, a notch helps you fit more screen in the same footprint while leaving room for the camera and sensors. You might not be using that chunk of screen very often anyway. The middle section of the status bar is usually empty (unless you’re the type to let notifications pile up for hours).

Article first time published on

Will iPhone get rid of the notch?

According to a research note attributed to popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will offer a big redesign that replaces the notch with a punch-hole cutout.

How much smaller is notch on iPhone 13?

The iPhone 13 to launch with a 25% smaller notch Just as previously rumored about the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 13 will have а notch that is 0.99″ (26mm) in width, instead of the current 1.38″ (35mm) that Apple has been using to house the Face ID components and earpiece since the OG iPhone X.

Why is iPhone notch so big?

However, a change in the iPhone 13 shows Apple does know the notch is an unfortunate compromise. It’s a mole pitched as a beauty mark, because Apple made it 20 per cent smaller this time around. You need to look at the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 side-by-side to see the change.

What does the Notch do?

The so-called notch can have different sizes and shapes, but its main purpose is always the same: increase the surface area of the display on the front of the devices without giving up the front cameras or the various sensors.

What is the use of notch?

A notch is essentially a cut-out, at the top, of a part of the screen display. Its advantage: It offers the ability to retain the display space on either side of it, for information such as date, battery statistics and more, and for apps.

Can you hide the notch on iPhone XR?

You can’t hide the notch. It houses the TrueDepth Camera system that powers Face Recognition.

Is the notch taller?

In side-by-side shots, the notch is substantially less wide and appears to be slightly taller. It certainly takes up less space, but it’s not nearly as small as the punchhole designs seen on many recent Android phones like the Galaxy S21.

Why can't Apple get rid of the notch?

If you are asking if Apple could maintain the edge-to-edge screen and eliminate the notch, no — because there is no existing technology that would allow the cameras and sensors to be embedded behind an active screen and still function reliably.

Does iPhone 12 have a smaller notch?

There is a smaller notch on the way… While the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 models feature notch areas that are the same size as before, the compact 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will have a “slightly narrower notch area for displaying the information well in the upper left and upper right corners.”

Will the notch go away?

While Android phones have been freed from bezels for several years as most manufacturers opt for the hole-punch design, iPhone owners have been denied the view of the top center of their wallpaper. In the fall of 2022, that might change, and a number of noted leakers appear to agree that the notch is on its way out.

Do all iphones have a notch?

Most Android flagships have eliminated the notch, using less-intrusive hole-punch camera designs instead. But Apple’s iPhone still has one, even four years after its debut in 2017.

What's the notch on a phone?

The smartphone “notch,” of course, is a little cut-out that allows for a selfie camera to exist within an edge-to-edge phone display. Phone makers have found workarounds for physical buttons through the use of gestures, but people still really need the selfie camera, as much as they want an all-screen phone.

What is notch in mobile phone?

The notch displays have a small cut-out at the top of the screen to house the front camera, speakers and various sensors. This allows the smartphone displays to extract more screen real estate.

What is punch hole in Mobile?

Punch-Hole displays refer to mobile phone screens where the camera lens is cut-out separately at the corner of the screen, allowing cell phone makers to make more room for display.

How did Apple make the notch smaller?

Still, I’ll take what I can get and I commend the effort to shrink the notch. To accommodate the size reduction for the iPhone 13 notch, Apple moved the earpiece above the notch and smushed the Face ID sensors closer together.

Did the notch shrink?

While the iPhone 13 lineup didn’t receive major design changes, Apple did shrink the notch slightly compared to older Face ID iPhone models. If you’ve been wondering how Apple managed to fit the same hardware in a smaller space, we now have some answers.

Why is the notch smaller?

iPhone 13 notch is 20% smaller in width, but it is also a little taller in height. One of the few design changes coming as part of the iPhone 13 is that the display cutout at the top of the screen is now smaller in width, thanks to the fact that Apple redesigned the layout of the TrueDepth camera housing.

Will Apple ditch the notch?

Instead, Kuo claims that the iPhone 14 will feature a punch-hole display, providing a similar design to many Android devices – but, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this rumor. …