How to try out different notch styles on the Pixel 3 XL (or hide it completely)
As we all expected − and many of us feared − Google has become the latest major tech firm to embrace the most divisive smartphone design feature of our times: the screen notch.
While the 5.5-inch Google Pixel 3 is notchless, the 6.3-inch Google Pixel 3 XL has a fairly hefty one at the top of its display, which houses the handset’s dual front-facing cameras. Google actually wanted both handsets to have a notch, but that’s a different story.
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People have extremely strong feelings about the notch, and there have been more than a few complaints from consumers about the one on the Pixel 3 XL.
Luckily for them, Gizmodo spotted the following tweet from the MadebyGoogle Twitter account.
For people who prefer a more traditional smartphone look, we’ve added an option to hide the display cutout (the notch).
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) October 9, 2018
That’s right, the notch can be hidden. Unfortunately, hiding it also means sacrificing a big chunk of the handset’s screen. Is it an improvement? We’re far from convinced. It makes the new phone look almost exactly like the year-old Google Pixel 2 XL.
But that’s not all. Notch fetishists, rejoice! You can also experiment with a range of different notch styles, and some − like ‘corner cutout’ (above) and ‘double cutout’ (below) − are truly eye-catching.
To do so, you first need to enable Developer Options. Dive into the Settings menu, select System and About Phone, and then tap Build Number (right at the bottom) seven times.
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Once that’s done, go back to the previous screen, tap Developer Options, select the Display Cutout option from the lengthy list, and tap one of the following options from the popup menu:
- Device default
- Hide
- Corner cutout
- Double cutout
- Tall cutout
Device default
Hide cutout
Double cutout
Tall cutout… apparently
However, if none of those float your boat, you can instead download the Nacho Notch app, which hides the notch, but doesn’t completely waste the screen real estate either side of the cutout.
Are you a notch hater? Tell us why on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
