Apple says don’t close your MacBook with a camera cover on

If you’re concerned about privacy and have a camera cover on your MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, you could damage your laptop’s display by closing your notebook with that cover on, Apple said earlier this month on a support page on its site. 

If you’re concerned about privacy and have a camera cover on your MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, you could damage your laptop’s display by closing your notebook with that cover on, Apple said earlier this month on a support page on its site. 

The iPhone maker said closing your laptop with a camera cover can lead to damage because “the clearance between the display and keyboard is designed to very tight tolerances.” Covering your laptop’s camera could also interfere with the ambient light sensor and cause features like automatic brightness to stop working, the company said.

“As an alternative to a camera cover, use the camera indicator light to determine if your camera is active, and decide which apps can use your camera in System Preferences,” Apple said on the support page. “The camera is engineered so that it can’t activate without the camera indicator light also turning on. This is how you can tell if your camera is on.”

If you feel the need to keep a camera cover on all the time, Apple recommends choosing one that isn’t “thicker than an average piece of printer paper (0.1mm)” and doesn’t leave adhesive residue.