When the MacBook Pro 2021 was first released, users were stumped because Apple had not figured out a consistent way to display menu items around the camera notch. But that may be about to change.

The release candidate for the next macOS Monterey 12.1 update claims in a patch note (seen by MacRumors) to fix this problem with "menu bar extras," or shortcut icons on the right side of the macOS menu bar. The update also fixes several other bugs, including those related to the desktop and trackpad, and appears to fix recently reported issues with the MagSafe charger and external display.

This particular update, as a release candidate, is not available to all users by default, but only to specially registered developers. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too long before a stable update is available for all users, and those lucky enough to have a new MacBook Pro will be able to update their OS and hopefully fix the notch issue for good.

If you are not already familiar with the issue, the gist is as follows. Shortly after users got Apple's new ultra-high-performance laptops, it was discovered that the camera notch overlaps part of the menu bar, so that if enough options and icons are displayed to the center of the display, the menu options are covered up. While not an issue that affects all users, it seemed like a major oversight on Apple's part to not consider the impact of cutting into the menu bar in this way.

Some apps had workarounds, but they were not consistent at launch; there was an option to downscale the MacBook display and add a black bar around the screen, but it did not move the active portion of the display away from the notch. This would have solved the problem, but would have meant intentionally not using the laptop's display to its full potential, which would have been an expensive waste.

The menu of apps that appear on the left side of the display has already been fixed, and developers can update their apps to work properly on notched MacBooks. Hopefully your apps have already made this change.

It is a shame that the MacBook Pro has such frustrating problems: the 120Hz display provides excellent visuals, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips offer performance beyond use, the HDMI port and SD card slot along with long battery life. At the very least, if the notch bothers you, there are three external displays rumored to arrive in 2022, one of which may feature custom silicon.

For those who think spending $1,999 or more for a MacBook Pro is overkill, there is more good news. Apple is reportedly planning an entry-level MacBook Pro 2022 within the next year, which will reportedly be priced much closer to the current $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro M1.