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All new iPhone apps must embrace the iPhone X notch, Apple decrees

Love it or hate it, the notch isn't going away.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
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Sarah Tew and Ian Knighton/CNET

The notch is here to stay. 

On Wednesday, Apple informed developers that all future iPhone and universal apps must support the iPhone X's display -- meaning they need to incorporate the large cut-out at the top of that screen for Apple's Face ID sensor, as well as the nearly edge-to-edge screen.

"Starting April 2018, all new iOS apps submitted to the App Store must be built with the iOS 11 SDK. All new apps for iPhone, including universal apps, must support the Super Retina display of iPhone X," reads an update to the company's developer website today. 

(If you're curious about human interface design, here's the page that explains Apple's requirements.)  

As 9to5Mac points out, Apple doesn't seem to require app updates to support the notch yet, which is arguably more important than apps that are being freshly designed.

Still, a betting man or woman might take this opportunity to suggest that perhaps Apple plans to produce more phones with notches in the future. Then again, a betting man already suggested that last October. 

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that the next version of Android may also be optimized for phones with camera notches.