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Did your Mac screen start flashing or flickering after a recent macOS update? This is a common issue known as Mac Screen Flickering. It can happen on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac. Usually, this is caused by a software glitch, corrupted graphics cache, or incompatible display settings rather than a hardware broken. In this guide, we will show you how to fix a flickering Mac screen quickly.
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Why Does the Mac Screen Flicker After an Update?
When you update macOS, the system overrides old files and updates graphic drivers. If the system fails to clear the older display cache or if a third-party app conflicts with the new display engine, your screen will begin to flicker or show strange lines. Resetting the internal display settings usually solves this problem.
How to Fix Mac Screen Flickering
Step 1: Restart Your Mac in Safe Mode
Safe Mode prevents your Mac from loading certain software, such as login items and system extensions. It also automatically clears your system caches.
- For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4): Shut down your Mac. Press and hold the Power button until "Loading startup options" appears. Select your disk, press and hold the Shift key, and click "Continue in Safe Mode."
- For Intel Macs: Restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key until the login window appears.
Once in Safe Mode, check if the screen still flickers. Then, restart your Mac normally.
Step 2: Turn Off "True Tone" and "Automatic Brightness"
The True Tone feature adjusts your screen color based on ambient light. Sometimes a bug in this sensor causes rapid screen flashing.
- Click the Apple Menu and open System Settings.
- Click on Displays in the sidebar.
- Turn OFF True Tone and disable Automatically adjust brightness.
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Step 3: Reset NVRAM or PRAM (Intel Macs Only)
NVRAM stores core hardware settings like screen resolution and display refresh rate. Resetting it can resolve glitches introduced by macOS updates.
- Shut down your Mac completely.
- Turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option + Command + P + R.
- Keep holding the keys for about 20 seconds until your Mac restarts.
Note: Apple Silicon Macs perform an automatic NVRAM check during every startup, so this step is not required for M1/M2/M3/M4 chips.
Step 4: Change Your Refresh Rate Settings
If your MacBook Pro uses a ProMotion screen (120Hz), a dynamic refresh rate bug might cause flickering. Forcing it to a static 60Hz can stabilize the display.
- Go to System Settings > Displays.
- Find the Refresh Rate dropdown menu.
- Change the setting from ProMotion to 60 Hertz.
Conclusion
Mac screen flickering after a macOS update is usually a temporary software bug. Clearing system caches in Safe Mode or tweaking display settings like True Tone and Refresh Rate will get your screen back to normal.
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