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

Doing so could damage your display, the company cautions.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
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Apple is cautioning users against closing their Mac notebooks with a camera cover on.

CNET

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. 

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Watch this: Why Apple says don't cover your laptop camera

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.