Apple approves iPhone X 'Notch Remover' app

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,240   +192
Staff member

The “notch” on Apple’s iPhone X is a point of contention for many. Some find the cutout to be visually unappealing while others have legitimate usability issues with apps that haven’t yet been updated to account for it.

If you fall into this category, there’s now an app for that. Best yet, it has gained approval from Apple which is a bit surprising given the language Cupertino uses in its developer guidelines.

The App, fittingly called Notch Remover, is available as of writing from the App Store for $0.99 (freebie clones are likely on the way). The app works by modifying your wallpaper with a black bar to account for the notch. It’s essentially a software-enabled “bezel” that fills in the cutout areas with a black bar to give the illusion that the notch isn’t there.

An app of this simplicity normally wouldn’t be a big deal but because it addresses such a controversial change with the iPhone’s design, it’s gaining attention. Its functionality also seems to directly contradict Apple’s human interface guidelines for iPhone X developers.

Don't mask or call special attention to key display features. Don't attempt to hide the device's rounded corners, sensor housing, or indicator for accessing the Home screen by placing black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Don't use visual adornments like brackets, bezels, shapes, or instructional text to call special attention to these areas, either.

Given the app’s name and sole functionality, it seems unlikely that Apple would have approved it in error.

With enough usage, however, you’ll likely grow used to the notch as David did and hardly notice it at all.

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Looks very nice. You can actually see the icons now regardless of which wallpaper is used. I'm reluctant to congratulate Apple for allowing the App as I half expect them to realise what they have done and take it down.
 
Hmmmmm .... seems a bit like the car with or without an ashtray .... but then again, I never smoke in the car anyway ....
 
I'm not a fan of Apple products, but it definitely looks much nicer without the notch, while still keeping important information like battery life and the time.

Gotta respect Apple for convincing 99% of their customers to spend more money they don't have for a status symbol year after year. My friends think I'm rich because I go on vacation 4+ times a year, I'm not, I just don't waste money on brand-names and status symbols.
 
I'm not a fan of Apple products, but it definitely looks much nicer without the notch, while still keeping important information like battery life and the time.

Gotta respect Apple for convincing 99% of their customers to spend more money they don't have for a status symbol year after year. My friends think I'm rich because I go on vacation 4+ times a year, I'm not, I just don't waste money on brand-names and status symbols.

Cool story bro. Every individual on earth is different. Someone like you loves to travel, someone like to get the newest gadgets, someone like working their free time in charities. Its all in how you feel. If you feel other persons are missing out on because they bought the iphone X to use it as status symbol, you should mind your own business . That is more of jelousy of what others have. Can't get enough of people who attack its user base. You can attack the iphone X all you want but dont include those who bought it.
 
Cool story bro. Every individual on earth is different. Someone like you loves to travel, someone like to get the newest gadgets, someone like working their free time in charities. Its all in how you feel. If you feel other persons are missing out on because they bought the iphone X to use it as status symbol, you should mind your own business . That is more of jelousy of what others have. Can't get enough of people who attack its user base. You can attack the iphone X all you want but dont include those who bought it.
I'm speaking from experience with a lot of my friends, did I hit too close to home? It may not apply to you. I am generalizing the many Apple users who I know personally. It reminds me of people who live in the ghetto and try to look rich by wearing huge name brand logos and sporting gold chains on the outside of their shirt, vs rich celebrities wearing plain looking clothing.

I'm talking about people who complain about not being able to afford their bills, but they're all rocking the latest trendy name brand clothing and the "newest gadgets". If you choose to live beyond your means, I don't care to hear your complaints. Anyways, good job extending my off-topic rambling, lol.
 
I'm not a fan of Apple products, but it definitely looks much nicer without the notch, while still keeping important information like battery life and the time.

Gotta respect Apple for convincing 99% of their customers to spend more money they don't have for a status symbol year after year. My friends think I'm rich because I go on vacation 4+ times a year, I'm not, I just don't waste money on brand-names and status symbols.

Cool story bro. Every individual on earth is different. Someone like you loves to travel, someone like to get the newest gadgets, someone like working their free time in charities. Its all in how you feel. If you feel other persons are missing out on because they bought the iphone X to use it as status symbol, you should mind your own business . That is more of jelousy of what others have. Can't get enough of people who attack its user base. You can attack the iphone X all you want but dont include those who bought it.
Cool story bro. Every individual on earth is different. Someone like you loves to travel, someone like to get the newest gadgets, someone like working their free time in charities. Its all in how you feel. If you feel other persons are missing out on because they bought the iphone X to use it as status symbol, you should mind your own business . That is more of jelousy of what others have. Can't get enough of people who attack its user base. You can attack the iphone X all you want but dont include those who bought it.
I'm speaking from experience with a lot of my friends, did I hit too close to home? It may not apply to you. I am generalizing the many Apple users who I know personally. It reminds me of people who live in the ghetto and try to look rich by wearing huge name brand logos and sporting gold chains on the outside of their shirt, vs rich celebrities wearing plain looking clothing.

I'm talking about people who complain about not being able to afford their bills, but they're all rocking the latest trendy name brand clothing and the "newest gadgets". If you choose to live beyond your means, I don't care to hear your complaints. Anyways, good job extending my off-topic rambling, lol.


lol!!!! There really is no need to complain unless of course your reality is nowhere near as pleasant as you’d like to have complete strangers think it is.

You assume that all people fall within your two designated groups. How cute. Some of us can far more than afford to buy the devices we like and travel as often as we choose (22 countries and counting) or any other activity. Then again, happiness, true happiness, isn’t about the things nor the places ventured. It’s about the people you surround yourself with along with your own internal happiness.

I don’t know where you spend your time but I know that I’m not surrounded by people complaining about paying their bills while living well outside of their means.

FYI: There are plenty of people who can’t afford the latest iPhone and therefore do not own the latest iPhone. Your life experience and that of your circle of “friends” represents far less than 0.01% of our population. In other words, the sun doesn’t rise when you decide to wake up.
 
I'm speaking from experience with a lot of my friends, did I hit too close to home? It may not apply to you. I am generalizing the many Apple users who I know personally. It reminds me of people who live in the ghetto and try to look rich by wearing huge name brand logos and sporting gold chains on the outside of their shirt, vs rich celebrities wearing plain looking clothing.

I'm talking about people who complain about not being able to afford their bills, but they're all rocking the latest trendy name brand clothing and the "newest gadgets". If you choose to live beyond your means, I don't care to hear your complaints. Anyways, good job extending my off-topic rambling, lol.

It did not hit me. Or should I say It wont hit me ever. Im always happy of what I bought and never ever compared my life to others. If you are generalizing your friends then you must be ashame of yourself.
 
Both of you, offended much? I didn't realize Apple users were so thin skinned. Maybe I should add that to my list of generalizations. <3
 
Both of you, offended much? I didn't realize Apple users were so thin skinned. Maybe I should add that to my list of generalizations. <3

lol! This guy just can’t help himslf.

Offended is the guy with the silly complaints to begin with. Troll around and then when the replies come, point the fingers as if you’ve served some profound purpose other than to display a hint of your bittter existence. Good luck with that.

Now, please put down the keyboard and let the little mouse go. Then proceed to ask someone, anyone who might care about you, for a great big hug. It’s all going to be okay.

BTW’ why on earth would anyone (other than a little troll) spend a minute of his time reading an article about a product he has no interest in?! In case you missed it, that was a rhetorical question.
 
Then again, happiness, true happiness, isn't about the things nor the places ventured. It's about the people you surround yourself with along with your own internal happiness.

Close, you're on the right track though, internal happiness does not come from within.
 
I'm speaking from experience with a lot of my friends, did I hit too close to home? It may not apply to you. I am generalizing the many Apple users who I know personally. It reminds me of people who live in the ghetto and try to look rich by wearing huge name brand logos and sporting gold chains on the outside of their shirt, vs rich celebrities wearing plain looking clothing.

I'm talking about people who complain about not being able to afford their bills, but they're all rocking the latest trendy name brand clothing and the "newest gadgets". If you choose to live beyond your means, I don't care to hear your complaints. Anyways, good job extending my off-topic rambling, lol.
I agree with you entirely. I lived in Forest Park, Chicago area in the 70s. I have seen people driving latest Cadillacs and Lincolns using food stamps. I even raed about one man suffocating to death on one particularly hot summer day because AC on his Cadillac had conked out, did not have the money to fix it but would not roll down the windows because others would learn about his financial status. People always try to appear what they are not. Bragging rights are what they are all about.
 
Both of you, offended much? I didn't realize Apple users were so thin skinned. Maybe I should add that to my list of generalizations. <3

lol! This guy just can’t help himslf.

Offended is the guy with the silly complaints to begin with. Troll around and then when the replies come, point the fingers as if you’ve served some profound purpose other than to display a hint of your bittter existence. Good luck with that.

Now, please put down the keyboard and let the little mouse go. Then proceed to ask someone, anyone who might care about you, for a great big hug. It’s all going to be okay.

BTW’ why on earth would anyone (other than a little troll) spend a minute of his time reading an article about a product he has no interest in?! In case you missed it, that was a rhetorical question.

Spot on and well said.

He lost all credibility the moment he started generalising.
 
Scientists generalize, researchers generalize, unfortunately generalizing gets a bad rap today since the new generation is so sensitive, and the media and politicians feed on that sensitivity, causing more people to become caught up in the rampant victim-hood society. Saying men are generally stronger than women is factually correct, however feminists get upset thinking you're saying all women are physically weaker than men, of course not, there are definite outliers in most generalizations.

Ideally researchers would collect data from entire populations, but that is rarely ever possible, so researchers focus on smaller groups of people to collect their data and try to use that data to generalize entire populations. That is comparable to my collection of data through experience with my own small group of people (friends). Now obviously that should be taken with several grains of salt as with any small scale study (which is why multiple studies are generally required before something can be taken as an absolute). To disagree is fine, but to get upset over the generalization of my personal experience is absolutely ridiculous.
 
I don’t have any first-hand information that proves this one way or the other. Given Jony Ive’s role at Apple however, there is no way that a flagship product like the iPhone X would have gone out the door without him signing off on it. Apple appears to have made an exception to its rule that developers "embrace the notch" on the iPhone X, by approving an app called Notch Remover for the App Store.
 
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