Big Sur - randomly goes screen to black.

An update! I updated to Big Sur 11.1 and the blackout problem wasnt addressed. The only diff I may be noticing is a longer stretch between blackouts. Also, once blackout occurs, it goes into shutdown quicker. Shutdown doesn't care what you may be doing. Sitting idle or in middle of typing, it just goes black.

I have the same problem, I just upgraded this week to a new 16" MacBook Pro and upon startup it immediately starting blacking out periodically. There really isn't any pattern to it, just whenever it feels like it, sometimes for a second or two sometimes it seems like 5-10 seconds. And yes my new Pro came with Big Sur on it.

Similar issue here on a 13" MacBookRetina late 2013 connected to an external Iiyama display.

Both display turn black randomly and stay black (external display shows "no input") until I close and reopen the MacBook which I normally had used in clamshell model until this error occurred.

No True Tone on this device but automatic nightshift (turned off now for testing).

No errors shown in console.app but a report which might be the same time as the last incident:

displaypolicyd.0:2:0.log:

2021-01-05 11:48:25.896107+0100: NOTICE: accepted No_Media_Mode enter, Tue Jan 5 11:48:25 2021

2021-01-05 11:49:02.552431+0100: NOTICE: accepted No_Media_Mode exit, Tue Jan 5 11:49:02 2021

2021-01-05 11:49:16.114755+0100: NOTICE: doChange: addr 1.0 [7]

2021-01-05 11:49:16.116346+0100: NOTICE: doChange: addr 2.0 [7]

2021-01-05 11:49:16.126679+0100: NOTICE: doChange: addr 3.0 [7]

2021-01-05 11:49:16.180639+0100: NOTICE: Port non-scanned FB[ 2 ] link is good ...

2021-01-05 11:49:16.446031+0100: NOTICE: Populated addr 3.0 26cd:6637 UUID d6040000 order 0:0 tx 2:2 dsp 1 WL 0 MS 0 edid 256 undef 0 DSC 0

2021-01-05 11:49:16.446139+0100: NOTICE: Device addr 3.0 is same ...

Any help on this would be highly appreciated...

Never had this problem before updating and using Big Sur.

Edit: found another report:

ims-2021-01-05-11-48-20.log

11:48:20.110 INFO [date]: Tue Jan 5 11:48:20 2021

11:48:20.110 DEBUG [awd.location]: E911LocationAwd Constructor

11:48:20.111 DEBUG [bambi.call]: EmergencyCallhandler: resetting conditions

11:48:20.111 DEBUG [power]: SleepWakeMonitor started

11:48:20.112 DEBUG [util]: Adding observer 0x7fbaedf20b50 for NSSystemClockDidChangeNotification

11:48:20.112 SPAM [sip.lock]: SimpleNetworkManager: acquired lock [BambiClient] (count=1)

11:48:20.112 DEBUG [bambi]: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

11:48:20.112 DEBUG [bambi]: = Welcome to Bambi! =

11:48:20.112 DEBUG [bambi]: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

11:48:20.113 DEBUG [prefs]: Key found in prefs file: ImsLoggingEnabled with value: 1

11:48:35.079 DEBUG [ims.irat]: Register IMS-iRat Client

12:06:34.875 DEBUG [ims.irat]: Register IMS-iRat Client

12:14:28.402 DEBUG [ims.irat]: Register IMS-iRat Client

12:14:55.564 DEBUG [ims.irat]: Register IMS-iRat Client

Likewise, same issue with MacBook Air silicon 2020 Big Sur 11.1. Started to happen following failed Xcode install. Can't get Xcode 12.4 to install and MacBook randomly restarts. Considering factory reset and reload from backup. Thoughts?

The real question to this problem is when are they planning on a fix for it? I have been dealing with it for months now and it is very annoying. Clearly Apple doesn't give a **** about their users or they would address this issue and fix it.

11.2 does not fix the issue for me. Within 10 minutes of upgrading the screen blanked and I lost the USB attached speakers again. Back onto the AirPods (which don't drop when the screen blanks...). Very frustrating if we have to wait for some 11.3 now to fix this...

I have this issue too (which I'm calling Fade to Black) - im getting it every 5-10 minutes now though, so wondering if its safe to try an upgrade as the screen could go blank and then i won't be able to see progress on the upgrade and closing the lid could cause the upgrade to fail mid way and i then worry about bricking the laptop!

Doesn't seem to help anyway according to Archi_07. So at this stage there is no known cause or cure?!

Another update. I reported my screen blacking out and system shutting down on Dec 14th. After the first update, I reported nothing had changed other than it seemed it shutdown a little sooner.

Now 2 more updates later (11.2.1) and I'm still seeing shutdowns, but maybe not as many as I was seeing before. It was shutting down as I was in the middle of typing. I haven't seen that yet, but its still shutting down.

I'm beginning to wonder if the problem is being addressed directly or are these changes in the blackouts symptoms from addressing other problems. Apple has the brightest, most talented developers in the world. Testing is second to none. Replicating this problem isn't difficult based on the number of people reporting it. This is why, after 3 updates, I wonder if the problem is being directly address or are we just considered anomalies because the problem isn't big enough to spend resources? I'm not mad. I'm frustrated and disappointed. Please help?!

I excitedly updated to 11.2.2 (20D80) this morning. Unfortunately this hasn't fixed the issue. M1 MacBook Pro + LG 5K screen. Still cutting out to black randomly every hour or so.

Come on Apple... there must be a fix somewhere!

Well, that's sad to hear. My system updated 1.2.2 overnight. So I just wait because it's coming. Now I can say that the difference in this one and the last two, was the blackouts happened almost immediately and much more often. I've been running for hours now and I'm waiting for the first blackout. So let me close this out before it shuts me down. Thanks for the feedback.

Well I have to agree that it is sad as well, I just updated this morning to Big Sur 11.2.2 and am already getting black outs on my screen. Most of them are only a couple of seconds and once in a while it is what feels like 10 sec. or more. Very frustrating, come on Apple IT let's get this resolved.

Update: it just blacked out while typing this message! ugh

I don't believe it. I responded yesterday morning that my Mac updated overnight and had not seen a blackout yet, but was just waiting since there were already a report. Well, I literally went over 24 hours without a blackout, before that changed this morning. My screen has blacked out 3 times in the last 4 hours, while typing. I didn't make any system changes. I don't know what provoked it. Like I said before, I don't know if Apple is working on this problem specifically or just hoping it comes along the back of another fix. Once again, disappointed and frustrated.

So 11.2.2 has made it worse, can’t get the screen back above 1080p (4K BenQ) even with nvram etc resets, and any combination of cables unplugged or switching on and off etc. And the random blackouts still happening. Really hope 11.3 fixes this 🤞🏻

Same problem. But my MB Pro 2017, running with the latest OS Big Sur, does NOT have True Tone, and Night Shift is already turned off. ZERO help or suggestions from Apple - except the standard "send it in for a total bulking of your SSD and repairs."

Exactly same problem. ZERO suggestions from Apple. I'm wondering if the problem gets worse with time (more frequent blackouts) and whether this may be causing damage to the computer or it's ability to function. In the old days, this was a sure sign of impending hard disc drive CRASH. Not sure what it might mean in an SSD.