macOS 12.1 Fixes Menu Bar Icons Obscured by Notch on 2021 MacBook Pros

Apple on Tuesday seeded the macOS Monterey 12.1 Release Candidate to developers for testing, and according to the release notes, the update resolves an issue with the notch obscuring "menu bar extras" on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

macbook pro 2021 notch feature
"Menu bar extras" are the tiny icons that appear on the right side of the menu bar, providing users with convenient access to app-specific controls. These icons could become overlapped by the notch on the new MacBook Pro models, causing the icons to be hidden or only partially visible, but Apple said this bug has been fixed in macOS 12.1.

As for top-level menus like File, Edit, and View on the left side of the menu bar, developers can update their Mac apps to play friendly with the notch. As a last resort for apps that have not yet been updated, users can enable a "scale to fit below built-in camera" setting for the app to adjust the active area of the MacBook Pro's display, ensuring that the app's menus appear below the notch and are always visible.

These changes come after several users complained about the notch interfering with menu bar items on the new MacBook Pro models.

macOS 12.1 also resolves several other bugs, including issues with Tap to Click, HDR video playback on YouTube, and MagSafe charging:

This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:

- Desktop and Screen Saver may appear blank after selecting photos from the Photos library
- Trackpad could become unresponsive to taps or clicks
- External displays may not charge some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers when connected using Thunderbolt or USB-C
- HDR video playback on YouTube.com could cause 2021 MacBook Pro computers to panic
- Menu bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers
- MagSafe may stop charging on 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro computers when lid is closed and system is shut down

macOS 12.1 is expected to be released to all users as early as next week. When available, users can install the update by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, clicking on About This Mac, and clicking on the Software Update button.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...

Top Rated Comments

rpmurray Avatar
47 months ago

So that ends the whining about the notch, right? Right?!
Notch so fast!
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anshuvorty Avatar
47 months ago
Can someone show us how this fix works in practice?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
47 months ago

Jony Ive wouldn't allowed this.




You sure about that?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
terminator-jq Avatar
47 months ago
That’s awesome but let’s get the memory leak fixed…

These new macs have the awesome ability to use their RAM as VRAM and system memory opening up a lot of doors but it doesn’t help if Control center is using up 15gb of RAM…
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheKrs1 Avatar
47 months ago

There was no need for the ugly notch when the webcam is so bad if it was amazing then I would be happy with it, the webcam is terrible quality so it could of been in the small bezel like on dell
... What's wrong with the webcam? It's been reviewed as one of the highest quality on the market?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
47 months ago
All I want is 120hz smooth scrolling in safari
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)