01 / SHORT ANSWER
Which MacBooks have the camera notch?
For the mainstream Apple notebook families, the modern MacBook Air design introduced with M2 and the 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro design introduced in 2021 use a camera housing that cuts into the top display area. Older MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro designs do not. The MacBook Neo introduced in 2026 also has no notch.
A physical notch is a hardware detail; a “Dynamic Island for Mac” is third-party software. Some notch utilities also offer a floating mode on notchless or external displays, but that support varies by app and should be verified separately.
02 / MODEL FAMILIES
MacBook notch compatibility at a glance.
| MacBook family | Built-in display notch? | Notes for notch apps |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air M2 and later 13-inch and 15-inch redesigned Air family, including current M5 models | Yes | Physical camera housing is part of the modern Liquid Retina display design. |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch / 16-inch, 2021 and later Including current M5 Pro / M5 Max models | Yes | Physical camera housing is part of the Liquid Retina XDR display design. |
| MacBook Air M1 (2020) and earlier Air designs | No | A notch app needs a documented floating/notchless mode to make visual sense. |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro M1 / M2 and older 13-inch Pro designs | No | Older chassis keeps the camera in the bezel. |
| MacBook Neo (2026) | No | Camera sits in the top bezel; there is no display cutout. |
This table describes the physical display design, not whether a specific third-party app supports every listed Mac. Always check the vendor's current macOS, chip and display requirements.
03 / MACBOOK AIR
The redesigned MacBook Air moved the display up around the camera.
Apple's 2022 M2 MacBook Air redesign expanded the 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display closer to the edges and “up around the camera to make room for the menu bar.” That is the design people usually mean when they refer to the MacBook Air notch. The current 2026 MacBook Air with M5 continues the modern Liquid Retina design in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes.
Sources: Apple's M2 MacBook Air introduction and the M5 MacBook Air announcement.
04 / MACBOOK PRO
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro use the camera housing design.
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021 established the current Pro display shape with a top-center camera housing. Apple lists those models with Liquid Retina XDR displays and a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, while its camera-area support documentation specifically covers MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display. The 2026 M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro continue the 14-inch/16-inch Liquid Retina XDR family.
Sources: MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) specs, Apple's camera-area guidance, and the 2026 MacBook Pro announcement.
05 / MACBOOK NEO
MacBook Neo is a current Mac notebook without a notch.
Apple introduced MacBook Neo in March 2026 with a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. The camera is housed in a thicker top bezel rather than a display cutout. That means a notch-shaped utility cannot wrap around physical notch hardware on Neo; it would need to create a software-only floating or simulated area.
Apple's MacBook Neo page shows the current design. MacRumors' hands-on coverage explicitly notes that the Neo has no notch and instead uses uniform, iPad-style bezels.
06 / HOW TO CHECK
You do not need the exact model number to spot a physical notch.
- Look at the top center of the built-in display. A black camera housing that cuts down into the active screen is the notch.
- Open About This Mac. Use the model name and year to confirm the family if you are buying or troubleshooting.
- Check app menus near the camera area. If controls are hidden, Apple may expose “Scale to fit below built-in camera” in the app's Get Info window.
- Separate hardware from software support. A Mac can have a notch and still fail an app's macOS or chip requirement.
Apple's camera-area support page is also useful when menu items disappear behind the housing.
07 / NOTCH APPS
Physical notch support and app compatibility are not the same thing.
Fide Island's current public requirement is macOS 14 or later, with macOS 15 or later required for on-device translation. The public site does not yet provide a verified model-by-model hardware matrix for every MacBook or external-display configuration, so this guide should not be read as a promise that Fide Island supports every notched Mac listed above.
Before installing any notch utility, verify three separate constraints: your macOS version, your chip/hardware requirement, and whether the app supports the display where you plan to use it. For category-level choices, see Best Dynamic Island apps for Mac. For Fide's current installation caveats, read the install guide.
08 / QUICK ANSWERS
MacBook notch FAQ.
Does the 2026 MacBook Neo have a notch?
No. It uses a thicker top bezel with the camera above the display area rather than a notch cut into the screen.
Does the M1 MacBook Air have a notch?
No. The notch-style camera housing arrived with the redesigned M2 MacBook Air in 2022.
Does the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro have a notch?
No. The 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro retained the older 13-inch chassis. The 14-inch and 16-inch Pro families use the notched display design.
Do current 2026 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models have notches?
The current M5 MacBook Air uses the modern Liquid Retina Air design, and the current M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro uses the 14-inch/16-inch Liquid Retina XDR design. Those are the notched Air and Pro families.
Can a Dynamic Island app work on a Mac without a notch?
Some third-party apps offer a floating or simulated island on notchless Macs or external displays. Support varies by product, so verify the vendor's current documentation instead of assuming the feature exists.