Apple warns that MacBook screens may crack if closed with a camera cover

By Aaron Mamiit July 12, 2020

Apple has issued a warning against closing the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro if a camera cover is installed, as doing so may cause damage to the computer’s screen.

In a support page that was spotted by MacRumors, Apple said that closing a MacBook with a camera cover may damage the display because the space between the screen and the keyboard is “designed to very tight tolerances.” Camera covers have increased in popularity recently amid growing concerns of hackers taking over the built-in webcams of computers.

In addition to the potential damage, Apple said that using a camera cover will affect MacBook features such as automatic brightness and True Tone, as it will interfere with the ambient light sensor.

Instead of attaching a camera cover, Apple advises MacBook owners to watch for the indicator light, which will glow green if the camera is in use. Apple assures that the camera will not activate without the indicator light also turning on. MacBook owners also have control over which apps access the camera through the computer’s System Preferences.

For work environments that require a camera cover, Apple said that the camera cover should not be thicker than printer paper, which is 0.1 millimeters, and it should not leave behind an adhesive residue.

Is your webcam hacked?

There are a few telltale signs that a webcam is hacked, including an indicator light that turns on at strange times, browser extensions turning on the webcam, and unexpected webcam video files stored on the computer, among others.

A camera cover will certainly address the problem of hackers potentially watching you through your computer’s webcam, but for MacBook owners, learning the signs of a hacked webcam is a no-cost alternative compared with having the computer’s screen repaired.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…

News

Here’s more confirmation that 2024 will be a slow year for Macs

3nm iphone ipad processors apple silicon imgae

There's some extra reason to believe that Apple could already be working on the M4 chip, but it may not be coming for a while. New research from Canalys, a market analytics firm, shows that the next entry in the Apple Silicon family could come in the first part of 2025 to target offerings from Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD.

Lining up with previous reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Canalys is estimating that Apple could launch the M4 chip in the first quarter of 2025. It's a vague time frame, but it makes a lot of sense. Gurman previously said that Apple already has the M4 MacBook Pro in "formal development." Although this timing lines up with previous Apple Silicon chip refresh cycles, it would leave 2024 looking fairly light in terms of new Mac releases. Apple usually has some kind of October or November release focused on new Macs, but without new chips to launch, that might not happen this year.

Computing

Which color MacBook should you buy? Here’s how to pick

The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window.

Apple’s MacBook laptops come in a range of colors, and selecting which is right for you can be a tricky business. Sure, it’s perhaps not as important as deciding which chip to pick or how much memory you should buy, but it’s still a vital part of the equation. After all, you’re going to see that color every time you reach for your MacBook. You don’t want it to be something that fills you with regret.

But how should you pick a MacBook color? And what do the colors even look like in the first place? We’ve got the answers to those questions in this guide. We’d also advise you to go to an Apple Store to take a look at the MacBook colors in person, as some can be hard to appreciate just by browsing Apple’s website.

Computing

Why you should buy a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro

The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window.

The MacBook Air has officially caught up. Now with the M3 on board, the MacBook Air has gained the benefits of the new chip, which was previously available just on the MacBook Pro and iMac.

Choosing between the M3 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro is tough, and requires an in-depth look at differences in ports, displays, speakers, and more. It's a legitimately hard decision to make.