Skip to main content

How annoying is the camera notch while using the iPhone X?

Oops! We couldn't load this video player
One major feature of the iPhone X is how it can unlock the screen with just your face — also known as Face ID. It’s the new replacement for Touch ID, because there’s no longer a home button. Instead of chunky edges around the screen, you’ll have to settle for a “notch” at the top, where the front-facing camera and the sensors for Face ID sit.

But people have already expressed dissatisfaction with the notch on the iPhone X, and some don’t like it at all. In our day-to-day use, we generally liked the look of the operating system flanking the notch, but we did find it broke immersion when watching YouTube videos or movies on Netflix. It can be distracting.

Recommended Videos

iPhone X notch design

iOS splits the top status bar in two with information on both sides. On the right of the notch, we’ll call it a “shoulder,” you’ll see the battery, Wi-Fi, and cellular status. On the left shoulder is the clock. When the device is locked, the clock is placed in the middle of the screen and the left shoulder shows your carrier instead. The right shoulder is also where you swipe down to access the Control Center.

Apps need to support the iPhone X screen

Some social media apps already have added support for the iPhone X. When you open apps such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, the interface blends in nicely with the notch. It will look the same as it does when you’re on the home screen or lock screen of your device, with all of the same information on its respective sides of the notch.

YouTube is another app that has already been updated to work with the iPhone X. The pinch the screen and the video will take over the full display, giving you an immersive experience. Doing this means you’re slightly cropping the video to fit the iPhone X screen, and that may mean cutting off the top of the video. With Netflix, you’ll need to double tap the screen to go into this immersive mode.

But there are still a large amount of apps that do not support the full display. These will easily stand out, because you’ll see large black bars on the top and bottom of the screen — making your iPhone X look like an iPhone 8. You won’t have trouble with Apple’s apps, but even Google has yet to add support for most of its apps. Slack, Trello, even Snapchat are just a few of the apps we saw that have yet to add support for the full display.

Apple told Digital Trends more and more apps are starting to submit updates adding support for the iPhone X, and we’ll likely see most apps adopting the full screen in the coming weeks.

For more about Apple’s latest flagship device, be sure to check out our iPhone X review.

Brenda Stolyar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brenda became obsessed with technology after receiving her first Dell computer from her grandpa in the second grade. While…
iPhone SE 4: everything we know so far
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) and Apple iPhone SE (2020) together.

While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.

The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 in 2025.

Read more
Microsoft is making a major change to using your iPhone in Windows
The Dell XPS 13 on a table with the Start Menu open.

In a recent Windows Insider Blog post, Microsoft announced it's adding the option for iPhone users to access their phones from the Start menu. Thanks to a special widget next to the Start menu, when you connect your phone, you can see data such as notifications, battery indicators, recent contacts, connection status, and more.

To enjoy this feature, you must use the recent Windows 11 preview build from the Dev and Beta channels, and you must be a Windows Insider. You must also update the Phone Link app to version 1.24121.30.0 or higher, have a Microsoft account, and have a PC that supports Bluetooth LE. Microsoft said it does not support PCs running Pro Education or Education SKUs. Even if this doesn't affect you, the update is rolling out in phases, so reaching your PC might take some time if you don't already have it.

Read more
There’s a secret way to free up 7GB of storage in your iPhone
iPhone 16 Pro homescreen with an Apple Intelligence Notification Summary

If you constantly run out of space on your iOS device, you could free up as much as 7GB of data just by disabling Apple Intelligence. The iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates released this past week enabled Intelligence by default, but it isn't a requirement — and if you don't want to use it or would prefer the free space, you can turn it off.

On average, Apple Intelligence requires around 7GB of storage space regardless of platform. The reason for this relatively large requirement -- especially when the operating system itself takes up a decent amount of storage -- is because Apple runs the Intelligence features on-device. This ensures greater levels of security, but it also means less memory. This is a 7GB requirement per device, according to MacRumors.

Read more