• 2 min read
MacBook owners are filing down sharp edges
Some MacBook users are sanding off sharp front edges to make typing on their laps and desks more comfortable.
Image: TechRadar
Some MacBook owners are taking a metal file and sandpaper to their laptops to fix what they see as a design flaw: sharp front edges that dig into wrists during use.
The latest example comes from software engineer Max Bretschneider, who detailed the process in a blog post. Bretschneider said the issue is especially noticeable when a laptop is used on a lap, where wrists press against the edge at an awkward angle.
“A laptop will be frequently used on a lap, meaning the wrists will touch the sharp edge at an angle which is very uncomfortable.”
To soften the edge, Bretschneider used a metal file and progressive sandpaper, after taping off the keyboard and trackpad and clamping the MacBook in place. While calling the job “very scary,” they wrote that it was also “far easier and approachable than it seems initially,” and said they were able to achieve an even finish.
MacBook edge mods have been around for years
Bretschneider is not alone. TechRadar points to an April 2026 example from designer Kent Walters, and says MacBook owners have apparently been sanding down their machines since at least 2010.
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Users on Hacker News echoed the complaint. One said the sharp edges had bothered them “since they started with the unibody,” while another called it their “number one complaint” about the M-series MacBook Pro line.
This fits into a broader tradition of Apple hardware mods, from adding USB-C to older iPhones to building custom mechanical keyboards with Touch ID and putting Mac minis inside older iMacs. Apple is unlikely to endorse any of it, but the fact that users are willing to physically alter premium laptops says a lot about how strongly some feel about the current design.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via TechRadar
