Webcam Warning: Covers Can Destroy MacBook Display

Anyone who fears that malware on the Mac could activate the webcam and secretly record what is going on in front of the screen is happy to use the abundant webcam covers available in stores. These should be glued over the camera area of the MacBook Pro or Air, in modern devices this is in the area of the “notch”, the notch in the middle of the top. The problem: If you close a computer equipped with these plastic sliders, this can lead to damage due to the very low tolerances. Apple has been warning about this for some time in a Support document. Since the user is responsible for the installation, the repair can be expensive – it is by no means covered by the warranty.

Fear of filming along

Apple has built a warning light into portable Macs (as well as the Studio Display) in addition to the camera, which turns green as soon as the camera is active. Accordingly, you shouldn’t need a webcam cover. “The FaceTime HD camera built into your Mac computer is designed with privacy in mind and includes a status light that glows green when the camera is active,” Apple says. This way, the user always knows “when the camera is switched on”. In the past (2013), however, there have been very complex hacks with old Macs that bypass the green light Could. Currently, however, nothing is known about such a vulnerability in modern Apple Silicon computers – Apple has also apparently taken further protective measures at the hardware level.

However, the green light is not a physical barrier. Accordingly, some users prefer to “play it safe” to make filming impossible with a camera cover. But this is exactly where hardware damage threatens if you don’t do it right. Apple itself gives some tips for “work environments that require a camera cover at all times” – because they also exist. However, the specifications here are strict: The camera cover must not be “thicker than a sheet of printer paper (0.1 mm)” if you still want to close the MacBook. “If you attach a camera cover that is thicker than 0.1 mm, remove the camera cover before closing the computer,” it says otherwise succinctly. Camera covers that leave adhesive residue should also be avoided.

A post-it helps

Camera covers may also cause other problems: The sensor technology for setting True Tone and the Automatic screen brightness is covered at the same time depending on the design and then no longer works. If the camera cover is too thick, the display can break. This is then only noticed when the MacBook is opened again.

One solution is to simply work with a post-it note, which you cut to size and bend – the adhesive surface is attached to the back of the MacBook. More professional alternatives are available from providers such as Eyebloc, whose magnetic cover also contains holes for the above-mentioned sensors and is comparatively thin. However, the component is currently only available for extremely expensive just under 44 euros available