CrackMacBlack bar at the top of your Mac screen: notch, full screen, a setting, or damage
Most of the time a black bar at the top of a Mac screen is the menu bar, or the strip beside the notch on newer MacBooks, which turns black when an app is in full screen. A per-app setting or a resolution can also leave a black band. If none of those explains it and the bar appeared after a drop or pressure, the top of the panel is damaged.
Not ready to pay for a repair? If the damage sits along an edge, you can block off the broken part and keep using the rest.
1. It's the menu bar
The bar along the top of every Mac screen is the menu bar. With a dark wallpaper or dark mode on, it can look like a plain black strip. If you'd rather not see it, you can hide it until you point at it. Here's how, and what else you can do with it.
2. It's the notch in full screen
MacBook Airs and Pros with a camera notch draw full-screen apps below it, and the strip on either side of the notch turns black. That's by design. Press Globe-F or Control-Command-F to leave full screen, or move the pointer to the top to see the menus in that strip.
3. An app is set to stay below the camera
Some apps have a setting that keeps them below the notch all the time, leaving a black band.
- Quit the app.
- In Finder, open Applications, select the app and press Command-I.
- Turn off Scale to fit below built-in camera and open the app again.
4. The resolution skips the top of the screen
On notched MacBooks, the full list of resolutions includes a few that stop below the camera housing. Pick one and the top strip stays black in every app. Open System Settings, Displays and choose one of the standard options from Larger Text to More Space.
5. The top of the screen is damaged
If the bar appeared after a drop, after closing the lid on something, or after pressure on the top edge, test it:
- Press Command-Shift-3 to take a screenshot, then look at it on another device. If the screenshot shows the menu bar and content where your screen is black, the screen is damaged and macOS is fine.
- Open the free screen test. A dead band stays black on every colour.
- If the band flickers or changes when you move the lid, the display cable may be involved. More on that.
A dead top strip is hard to work with, because the menu bar is under it. You can reach the menus from the keyboard with Control-F2, Fn-Control-F2 on most MacBooks. Here's every keyboard route. Repair means a new display. Here's what that costs. Or you can move your work below the band and keep using the MacBook as it is.
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Quick answers
What is the bar at the top of my Mac screen called?
The menu bar. It holds the Apple menu, the menus of the app you're using, and status icons such as Wi-Fi, battery and the clock.
Why is there a black bar at the top of my MacBook screen in full screen?
On MacBooks with a notch, apps in full screen sit below the camera housing, so the strip beside the notch turns black. It's normal and goes away when you leave full screen with Globe-F or Control-Command-F.
How do I get rid of the black bar at the top of my Mac?
Leave full screen, turn off Scale to fit below built-in camera in the app's Get Info window, and check System Settings, Displays for a resolution that skips the top of the screen. If none of those changes it and a screenshot shows content there, the screen is damaged.
Is the top strip actually dead?
If the black band is damage, CrackMac moves your work out of it. It redraws the menu bar and the app menus just below the band, keeps windows and the pointer out of it, and paints it a clean black.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.