MacBook Pro nano-texture display: what you need to know

Since late 2024, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro has been available with a nano-texture display, an option that removes almost all glare. It is cleaned differently from a glossy display and is replaced with a display of the same finish. Here are the essentials.

In brief

  • What it is: glass etched at the nanometer scale, which scatters light instead of reflecting it. It is not a film or a glued-on matte coating.
  • Which Macs: optional on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, starting with the late-2024 M4 models.
  • Care: only with the polishing cloth supplied by Apple. An ordinary cloth or a paper towel can mark the glass permanently.
  • Replacement: you need a nano-texture display for the same model (same A-number) to keep the finish.

Nano-texture or glossy display: the difference

A glossy display reflects light like a mirror: facing a window or under office lighting, you can see the lamp in the picture. Nano-texture glass is etched with tiny reliefs that scatter that light. Reflections become a faint, diffuse haze, and the image stays readable even in broad daylight.

The trade-off: blacks look slightly less deep and contrast a little softer than on a glossy display, especially in a dark room. For working near a window, outdoors or under fluorescent lights, nano-texture is far more comfortable. For video in the dark, the glossy display keeps the advantage.

How to recognize a nano-texture display

The simplest test: with the screen off, a glossy display reflects your face sharply, like a mirror; a nano-texture display gives a blurry, milky reflection. The A-number engraved on the bottom of the Mac is not enough: it is the same for the glossy and nano-texture versions of a given model.

How to clean a nano-texture display without damaging it

  1. Turn off the Mac and unplug it.
  2. Take the polishing cloth supplied by Apple with the Mac. Do not use paper towels, wipes or just any microfiber cloth: their fibers can leave marks in the reliefs of the glass.
  3. Wipe gently, without pressing.
  4. For a stubborn stain, lightly dampen the cloth with water, or with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Never spray a liquid directly onto the screen.
  5. If you have lost the cloth, buy a new Apple polishing cloth rather than using another one.

Keyboard marks on the screen come from contact when the Mac is closed: a nano-texture display is not protected from them. They come off with the polishing cloth. If a mark does not come off at all, it is no longer dirt: see our guide on screen stains.

Replacing a nano-texture display

On a MacBook Pro, the glass is not sold separately: the complete display is replaced (panel, glass, hinges and lid). To keep the matte finish, you need a nano-texture display for the same model, identified by the A-number engraved on the bottom of the Mac, and in the same color (Space Black or Silver).

Our nano-texture displays for MacBook Pro:

Frequently asked questions

Can nano-texture be added to a glossy MacBook Pro?

No: the etching is made in the glass during manufacturing. The only solution is to replace the complete display with a nano-texture display for the same model.

Does a matte film have the same effect?

An anti-glare film also reduces reflections, but it adds a plastic layer that softens the image and can get in the way when closing the Mac. Nano-texture, by contrast, is part of the glass.

Is the nano-texture display more fragile?

It does not break more easily, but its surface marks more quickly if rubbed with an unsuitable cloth. That is why Apple supplies a polishing cloth.

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