5 Cool Accessories You Can 3D Print For Your MacBook

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Getting the right accessories for your MacBook is one of the best ways to overcome its physical limitations, improve security, enhance productivity, and even protect other accessories. You can purchase a wide range of accessories on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, but if you have a 3D printer, you can make them yourself. Although it’s not always the cheapest way to get an accessory, especially when you factor in the costs of filament, replacement parts, and specialized tools, it can be satisfying to create something for yourself that works. 

To that end, the products you can 3D print include strain reliefs, an iPhone holder for the Continuity Camera, an under-the-table holder bracket, a camera cover, and corner bumpers. Just be sure to read the instructions provided by the author of the print files, as some include notes on how to achieve the best results. You might also need a few extra accessories, but overall you have enough variety to cover several useful scenarios for your MacBook.

USB cables tend to fail near the connector because this is where most of the mechanical stress is concentrated. Sometimes, we just don’t take care of our USB cables, causing them to bend, twist, and pull at this vulnerable point, which can cause them to fray or the internal wires to break at the connection point. To make this vulnerable area more resilient, especially against bending stress, you can attach this MagSafe 3 strain relief to your MacBook’s USB charger. As the author notes, this design is for the MagSafe 3 charger, meaning it only works with MacBooks that have a MagSafe 3 port.

A strain relief is a flexible, protective material that reinforces a USB cable at the connection point. The base of the strain relief covers the cable connector and is followed by U-shaped loops that protect the cable’s weakest point by preventing it from bending sharply. As a result, the cable will bend into a smooth curve, minimizing stress on its internal wires and outer layer and preventing breakage and fraying.

If you have an iPhone XR or newer running iOS 16, you can use its rear camera as a webcam for your MacBook. The feature is called Continuity Camera, and it’s available in macOS Ventura or later. Instead of holding the iPhone awkwardly in your hand or finding angles where it can stay steady, you can 3D-print this MagSafe iPhone holder for the Continuity Camera. 

While it’s designed with the MacBook M1 in mind, it can fit other MacBooks as well, since they share similar designs. However, you will need the magnetic mounting disk to print the MagSafe version. You can get the Encased Magnetic Mount-Anywhere iPhone Disk, which goes for $16.99 for a two-pack on Amazon. Once printed, mount the iPhone onto the holder and then place it on top of the MacBook.

While MacBooks have good cameras, the ones on iPhones are better. For example, the MacBook Pro M5 has a 12MP camera with 1080p video recording, while an iPhone 13 has a dual 12MP camera with a larger sensor and up to 4K video recording, which can outperform the MacBook Pro M5’s camera. If you want to use that to record videos or jump on a Zoom call, it could be a smoother and clearer experience.

Unfortunately for MacBook users, there’s no toggle or dropdown menu in Settings to disable the camera when it’s not in use. There’s also no MacBook model with a camera cover you can slide to block visual access, as with Lenovo or HP laptops. Instead of covering the camera with tape, which looks unpolished and messy, you can 3D print yourself this laptop camera cover to enhance your privacy. 

To attach the camera cover to your MacBook, use thin double-sided tape, which you can get on Amazon for less than $10. Since you don’t clip this camera cover onto the MacBook, it has an ultra-low profile. This can make it seem as if it’s part of the laptop, especially if you 3D print it in a color that matches the MacBook’s aluminum case. When it’s time for privacy, just slide the shutter to block the camera. This is important because hackers have ways to turn on your camera so they can spy on you. 

Do not believe the myth that macOS cannot be infected with malware. That’s why it’s important to learn the signs that alert you when your MacBook’s camera is being used, with the biggest clue being the green LED light suddenly turning on when you’re not using the camera. This camera cover is your first line of defense as you investigate whether someone is using your camera.

Clamshell mode allows you to use your MacBook like a desktop computer. The MacBook needs to be connected to power and to an external monitor using an HDMI cable. When you close the lid, it will continue displaying on the monitor. Afterward, you can use an external keyboard and mouse. But instead of placing the MacBook on your desk, where it will take up space, you can print this MacBook Pro under-table holder bracket built for MacBook Pro M2 and newer.

You will see that the bracket holds the MacBook Pro where the vents are located, so the author put cutouts into the design to allow the laptop to breathe. You’re meant to print three brackets: two to hold the MacBook Pro on the sides and one on the back. If it’s a 16-inch MacBook Pro, two should be enough to hold it in place, but you shouldn’t push it all the way to the back.

You’re going to need extra materials to install the design. You’re meant to screw the brackets into the desk using 4mm wooden screws. The author recommends adding gliders or pads to the brackets to ensure a snug fit and protect the MacBook Pro’s casing from scratches.

The corners of your MacBook are one of its most vulnerable spots. With a single bad drop, the aluminum case and the laptop’s internal components can absorb the full force of the impact. At best, all you will have is a dent that compromises the MacBook’s aesthetics. At worst, it can crack the screen or fracture the motherboard, with the latter rendering the MacBook unusable. To give it some extra reinforcement around the corners, you can 3D-print these MacBook corner bumpers that protect the fragile corners from drops, bumps, and scratches.

The files even include bumpers that you can 3D-print for the external drives you connect to your MacBook. This can be essential for protecting hard drives, which have moving parts that can break if you drop them hard. These bumpers can even help prevent the drops from happening in the first place. For instance, external hard drives often fall when they slip from someone’s hand or are knocked off a desk. Bumpers provide adequate grip and friction to prevent both scenarios.