You’re staring at your phone right now. Chances are, there’s a little black cutout biting into the top of your screen. That’s the notch. But honestly, if you ask three different people what "notch" means, you’ll get three wildly different answers. One might talk about their iPhone 13. Another might think of a V-shaped cut in a piece of wood. A third? They’re probably thinking about the guy who created Minecraft.
It's a weirdly versatile word.
Language is funny like that. We take a word that’s existed for centuries—referring to a simple indentation—and suddenly it becomes the most debated design feature in Silicon Valley history. Whether you’re a carpenter, a software developer, or just someone trying to figure out why your screen looks "broken" at the top, understanding what a notch really is requires looking at where it came from and why it refuses to go away.
The Physical Definition: Why We Started Cutting Things
At its most basic, a notch is just a "V" or "U" shaped indentation. Simple. Historically, it was a tool for survival. Woodsmen would notch trees to mark a trail or to guide the direction of a fall. In tailoring, a notch in a lapel isn't just a fashion choice; it’s a functional part of how the fabric sits. It’s about creating a specific point of reference or allowing two things to fit together.
Think about a log cabin. You can’t just stack round logs and expect them to stay. You have to "notch" the ends so they lock. It’s a primitive joint. It’s also used in tallying—the "notches on a belt" idiom comes from the literal practice of cutting a mark into wood or leather to keep count of something. It’s a permanent record of an achievement or a passing event.
What Does Notch Mean in Modern Tech?
Everything changed in 2017. Before that, phone screens were rectangles. Sharp corners, big foreheads, big chins. Then the Essential Phone PH-1 arrived, followed shortly by the iPhone X. Apple didn’t invent the concept, but they definitely popularized the term in the mainstream consciousness.
In smartphones, a notch is the cutout at the top of a display.
Why is it there? Hardware reality. We want "all-screen" phones, but we also want front-facing cameras, ambient light sensors, and FaceID modules. Physics hasn't caught up to our aesthetic dreams yet. Sensors can't "see" through standard OLED or LCD pixels perfectly—at least not without losing significant quality. So, engineers cut a piece out of the screen.
It’s a compromise. Pure and simple.
You’ve likely seen the evolution. It started as a "bathtub" notch on the iPhone X. Then it shrunk. Then it became a "teardrop" or "waterdrop" notch on budget Android phones. Samsung and others eventually moved to the "hole-punch," which is technically just a floating notch that doesn't touch the bezel.
The Psychological Impact of the Cutout
People hated it. Actually, "hate" might be a soft word for the vitriol launched at the iPhone X design. Reviewers called it an eyesore. Users complained it ruined movies. But then, something strange happened: it became a status symbol. For a couple of years, if your phone had a notch, it meant you had the "new" one. It became such a recognized silhouette that cheap knockoff brands started adding fake notches to phones that didn't even need them, just to look modern.
It’s a classic example of "form follows function," and then "form becomes fashion."
Notch: The Person and the Gaming Legend
We can't talk about what a notch is without mentioning Markus "Notch" Persson. If you’re under the age of 30, this might be the only definition you care about.
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Markus Persson is the Swedish programmer who created Minecraft. He used "Notch" as his online handle, and it became one of the most famous pseudonyms in the world. When Microsoft bought Mojang (the studio behind Minecraft) for $2.5 billion in 2014, "Notch" became a billionaire overnight.
While he’s no longer involved with the game, his legacy is inextricably linked to the word. For millions of gamers, "Notch" isn't a design flaw on a phone or a mark in wood. It’s the man who gave them a world made of blocks. It's interesting how a single word can shift from a technical term to a brand name so completely.
Engineering and Construction: More Than Just a Cut
In structural engineering, a notch is actually a bit of a nightmare. It’s a "stress concentrator." If you take a solid beam and cut a notch into it, the stress doesn't just spread out evenly. It bunches up right at the corner of that cut.
This is why, if you’re building a deck or a house, there are very strict codes about where you can notch a joist.
- You can't notch in the middle third of a span.
- The notch can't be more than one-sixth the depth of the beam.
- If you do it wrong, the beam snaps right at the notch.
It’s a reminder that even in the physical world, a notch is a point of vulnerability. It’s where things break if they aren't handled with precision. It's the same in software; adding a notch to a phone display forced every single app developer to rewrite their user interface. They had to account for "safe zones" so that a "Submit" button wouldn't get cut in half by the camera housing.
Idioms and Slang: "Top Notch" and Beyond
We use the word "notch" constantly in our daily speech without thinking about it. "Top notch" is the most common. It basically means the highest quality.
Where did that come from? Most etymologists point to old scoring systems. Imagine a scale or a measuring stick with notches cut into it. The "top notch" was literally the highest mark you could achieve. It’s survived into the digital age because it’s a visceral, tactile way to describe excellence.
Then there’s "taking it down a notch." This refers back to the literal notches on a belt or a mechanical lever. It’s an instruction to reduce intensity or ego. It’s a very physical way to describe a psychological shift.
The Future of the Notch (Or Lack Thereof)
Is the notch going away? In the tech world, yes. It’s already being replaced.
Apple moved from the static notch to the "Dynamic Island." This is a brilliant bit of UI trickery. Since they couldn't get rid of the physical cutout, they turned it into a software feature. It expands, it contracts, it shows you your Uber's arrival time or your music playback. They took a hardware limitation and turned it into a branding win.
But the end goal for everyone—Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi—is the "under-display camera" (UDC). We’ve seen early versions of this in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. The screen pixels actually sit over the camera. When you aren't using the camera, the screen looks solid. When you take a selfie, the pixels turn off to let light through.
It’s currently "kinda" okay, but not great. The photo quality usually sucks. Until that technology matures, the notch (in some form) is here to stay.
Actionable Takeaways for the Notch-Curious
If you’re dealing with notches in your life—whether you’re a designer, a builder, or a shopper—here’s what you actually need to know:
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If you’re buying a phone: Don't let the notch be a dealbreaker. Within 48 hours of using a device, your brain literally "edits" the notch out of your vision. It’s called perceptual filling-in. You won't even see it unless you're looking for it.
If you’re a developer/designer: Always use the "Safe Area Layout Guide" in your code. Never assume a screen is a perfect rectangle. If you hardcode your margins, your UI will eventually get eaten by a camera cutout on some weird new device.
If you’re DIY-ing a home project: Never, ever cut a notch into the bottom of a floor joist. It ruins the structural integrity. If you need to run a pipe or a wire, drill a hole in the center of the beam instead. It’s much stronger.
If you’re a gamer: Separate the art from the artist. Minecraft is a global phenomenon that has outgrown its creator. Knowing the history of "Notch" is great for trivia, but the game belongs to the community now.
The word notch is a perfect example of how language evolves. It’s moved from the forest to the workshop, then to the computer lab, and finally into our pockets. It represents a gap—a space where something is missing—but ironically, it’s that very gap that allows us to measure progress, fit things together, and house the technology that connects us.
Whether it's a mark on a tree or a cutout for a 12-megapixel camera, a notch is always a sign that someone had to make a choice. It's a compromise between what we want and what is physically possible. And honestly, that’s a pretty good metaphor for most things in life.