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How to hide the notch on the OnePlus 6

Want a OnePlus 6, minus the notch? Here's how to get it

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Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends.com

You hate the notch, but still want a OnePlus 6? Not since the removal of the headphone jack from the iPhone has such a design shift caused such a split in opinion, but luckily there is a way to avoid seeing the notch on the OnePlus 6, and use the phone just like it had a more traditionally shaped screen.

Here’s our guide on how to hide the OnePlus 6 notch, or to bring it back if you decide it’s not so bad after all.

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What does the notch do?

On the OnePlus 6, the notch conceals the speaker, notification LED, and the forward-facing camera. It doesn’t hold a depth-mapping sensor like the iPhone X. OnePlus told Digital Trends the notch is the most effective way of increasing the size of the screen, without increasing the size of the phone itself, or forcing the adoption of technology that isn’t quite ready yet or is awkward to use.

By hiding it away you’re not losing anything, technically, as it’s still used to show important information.

Get rid of it

You don’t care about the reasons, you just don’t want to see it. We get it, so here are the steps you must follow to make the notch disappear.

  • Open Settings, scroll down to Display and tap it.
  • In the Display menu, look for the option called Notch display. Tap this and you’re presented with two choices: To show the notch or to hide the notch.
Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends.com
  • Select Hide the notch area, and the software adapts itself so the screen sections either side of the notch are black, to blend in with the notch itself.

All the notifications, icons, connectivity information, and battery level are still in the same place — to the left and right of the notch — but the main display area and apps will ignore the notch’s existence.

I’ve made a huge mistake

You’ve been living without the notch, but realized that actually, it’s not the hateful design feature you once thought it was, and would like to give life with the notch a try. Luckily, hiding the notch is easily reversible at any time, just by following the same instructions above, only when you get to the Notch display menu, tap Show the notch area instead. Exit the menu, and the screen will adapt to surround the notch as it did from the start.

If understanding the notch can be hidden has encouraged you to buy a OnePlus 6, we review the phone here, and if one is already in your hand, you may be in need of a special case to keep the smooth, glassy body safe from harm. Or, if you want to further master your phone, then we’ve got plenty more tips on how to use it.

Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Former Senior Mobile Writer
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
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