Removing the notification bar at the top of your phone allows apps to use more screen space and gives a much more immersive feel. You can use dedicated apps to hide the notification bar at the top of your Android device. Most methods require granting special permissions using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on a computer, but launcher apps offer a simpler, though less comprehensive, alternative.
How to remove the notification bar on Android
This guide provides three distinct methods for achieving a full-screen experience by removing the status bar, using either specialized apps that require ADB or a custom launcher app.
Method 1: Using SystemUI Tuner
- Download and install the SystemUI Tuner app from the Google Play Store. Search for “System UI Tuner” by Zachary Wander and tap “Install”.
- Enable Developer Options on your phone. To do this, go to your Settings app, tap “About phone”, and then tap the “Build Number” seven times. You may need to tap “Software Information” first to find the build number.
- Enable USB Debugging. Navigate back to the main Settings menu, tap “Developer Options”, and tap the toggle switch next to USB Debugging to turn it on.
- On your computer, download the SDK Platform-Tools from the official Android developer website. Extract the downloaded zip file to a memorable location.
- Connect your unlocked phone to your computer using a USB cable. If a prompt appears on your phone, tap “Allow” to authorize the connection.
- Navigate to the platform-tools folder you extracted and open a command line window there:
- If Windows: Double-click the folder, click the address bar at the top, type
cmd, and press Enter. - If Mac: Open the folder in Finder, hold the Control key, click the path bar at the bottom, and choose “Open in Terminal”.
- If Windows: Double-click the folder, click the address bar at the top, type
- Enter the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each line, to grant the app the required permissions:
adb shell pm grant com.zacharee1.systemuituner android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGSadb shell pm grant com.zacharee1.systemuituner android.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATSadb shell pm grant com.zacharee1.systemuituner android.permission.DUMP
- Open the SystemUI Tuner app on your phone. Follow the on-screen prompts to accept the license agreement and grant any additional permissions requested.
- Once setup is complete, tap “UI” in the main app menu.
- Select “Immersive Mode” from the list of options.
- Tap the checkbox next to “Status” to hide the status bar and tap “Ok” to confirm.
Method 2: Using Fullscreen Immersive
- Download and install the “Fullscreen Immersive” app from the Google Play Store.
- Follow the steps from the previous method to enable USB debugging on your phone and open a command line window inside the SDK Platform-Tools folder on your computer.
- Connect your phone and run the following command to grant the app permission to modify system settings:
adb shell pm grant com.full.imm android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS - Open the Fullscreen Immersive app on your phone.
- Tap “Ultra” at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the radio button next to “Hide notification bar” to immediately enter full-screen mode. To reverse this, you can select “Hide nothing” in the app.
Method 3: Using Nova Launcher
- Download and install “Nova Launcher” from the Google Play Store.
- Open the Nova Launcher app and follow the initial setup prompts. When asked, set “Nova 7” as your default launcher and tap “Always”.
- Tap and hold an empty space on your new home screen, then tap the “Settings” icon.
- Select the “Look & Feel” menu.
- Tap the toggle switch next to “Show notifications bar” to turn it off. Note: This only hides the bar on the home screen and within the Nova Launcher interface; it does not hide it inside other apps.
Hiding the notification bar creates a truly immersive, full-screen experience. This is especially beneficial when playing games or watching videos, as it removes distracting icons and text, allowing the content to take over the entire display. By eliminating the static elements at the top of the screen, you can focus better on the task at hand and enjoy a cleaner, more minimalist interface.
Beyond aesthetics, this modification can have practical advantages. For phones with OLED screens, hiding the static status bar icons like the clock, battery, and signal strength can help reduce the risk of screen burn-in over the long term. It maximizes usable screen real estate, which is particularly useful on smaller devices, giving your apps more room to display information and controls.
