This MacBook privacy screen has completely changed the way I work in public

I can’t sleep On planes. So I’m one of those annoying people who is always using my laptop to get some work done. My problem (other than fighting for elbow room on the armrests) is that the lack of privacy on my laptop screen makes me feel uncomfortable.

I do my best to convince myself that no one is watching and that no one cares about the information that might be off limits on my screen. But I also know that often I can’t help but look at someone else’s glowing screen next to mine airplane. It’s a similar feeling when I work in a crowded café or other public place.

I’ve always known I should try a privacy screen for my laptop. I finally did it, and now I consider him one of the best Best MacBook accessories You can buy.

No assembly required

Photo: Luke Larsen

Privacy screens have been around for decades, but I never thought they would be right for me. I never liked the idea of ​​changing my laptop screen permanently (or even semi-permanently) because of the adhesives used. The last thing I want to do is pay for… MacBook Pro The Mini-LED display is great only to block it by sticking a piece of plastic over it. And in the case of the privacy screen, this isn’t a feature I always need anyway. Sometimes I am He wants To be able to see my laptop from an angle.

But I found a magnetic option, and it piqued my interest. Unlike the kind that sticks to your laptop screen (like a standard screen protector), this one didn’t use adhesives at all. This means – in theory – that it is easy to turn on and off. Once I tried it, I was sold.

The internet is full of different versions of this, and they all work basically the same way. But the one I used is the one I tried Targus 4Vu Magnetic Privacy Screen For my MacBook Pro. You need to get something that fits your device’s screen size perfectly, and you really want to make sure it’s magnetic. Since the MacBook Pro already has magnets built into the top and bottom of the screen to help close the lid, this solution works particularly well. But be careful: Some privacy screens labeled “magnetic” still require small strips of adhesive to be stuck to the edges of your laptop screen.

Once you turn it on, it works like a charm. You’ve probably seen these in action, whether on a phone, laptop or screen, and they’re often used either in a hospital or a bank.

The idea is simple: This technology reduces viewing angles dramatically, usually by 30 degrees on each side. So, if someone is sitting directly to your left or right, the screen content will be blurred. This privacy screen doesn’t make things completely invisible on your screen, although this depends on your brightness levels. On a MacBook Pro, if it’s 50 percent or higher, viewing from the side equates to as low brightness as possible. If you really want to block out your content from people nearby, you need to reduce the brightness to 25 percent or less.

In the real world

Even though I didn’t have a flight coming up, I would bring this with me to coffee shops. While anyone sitting directly behind me could still see my screen, I found a new freedom to do my work in public once I had this on my laptop. One thing I was concerned about at first: how easy it would be to store something like this. Accidentally bending the screen in the bag would really ruin the experience. Fortunately, Targus offers a slim folder for storage.

One of the big surprises when using this privacy screen was how subtle the effect was when viewed live. When I put it on straight away, I could see the slightly fading effect. But after a few minutes, I completely forgot he was there. As it turns out, this is something I wouldn’t mind leaving on my MacBook Pro long term.