M1 13” MacBook Pro Webcam Flickering

Brand new MBA M1 here. I unpacked the device from the box on THU 10-dec-2020. Immediately, I noticed in the self-cam that the webcam flickered when I sat in the kitchen, under the light there. The people whom I called using Facetime could see this issue with flickering black lines too, which rolled from the bottom of the screen to the top, and that too with extremely poor pic quality. They even sent me a video of the same .. showing this phenomenon.

The strange part is that I did not have this flickering issue when I sat in my main room (which has a different lamp overhead). Also, this problem does not seem to occur with daylight. The overall quality of the cam remains poor no matter what light is used.

It is really sad that Apple has sold me a "brand new" device which has this failure in it. Video calls are essential for almost all of us nowadays .. and we just cannot accept a cam quality that is not only hazy, but also with this "rolling black lines" issue.

@Apple .. how / when do you plan to fix this?

Hello, this problem is not solved yet. It's already outrageous that the biggest tech company is selling a 720p webcam on its flagship in 2020, when everyone is working from home. This flickering issue is like salt on the wound. Do they even listen? How hard is it to push a bug fix on priority. This is just disappointing.

I have the same problem, however I don't think the problem is 50-60 MHz , The camera has no flickering when I use it in natural light or under my halogen spot lights in the bedroom, the problem is in my main room which has LED spot lights and I believe the LED lights are the problem. Apple support as much as confirmed this today, they have apparently been aware of this since 2018 (that certain type of lights emit a problematic beam for the camera) Apple attitude at the moment is that they see this as normal, they say this camera was upgraded in 2018 from the 2017 (where this problem didn't exist). The only way around this problem at the moment is to replace your LED bulbs with Halogen bulbs as far as I can tell, the web cam works fine in my bedroom under normal Halogen spot lights, I have ordered some for my main room. This is however ridiculous from Apple, they've stuck a camera in which they knew was problematic and now are acting as if it's behaviour is normal 😡 The running costs of halogen lights are much more expensive than LED...

Thanks 40DOMI. However Apple are clueless. I had a MacBook Pro from March 2020, and it worked perfectly fine. This new M1 MacBook Air has the Flickr.

Same light source :-) And you’re right that it doesn’t happen in natural light or candescent lightbulbs. The 50hz/60hz problem happens with halogen and LED lighting only.

But with the early 2020 MacBook Pro’s and before it worked fine. The issue is just the M1 chip macs.

So I hope a software fix comes soon.

Funny fact for me. On my MBP 13", the problem was solved "magically" (without any update or visible action) two days ago.

Is it possible by using iMovie, Photo Booth, or Zoom that it set a right value somewhere ?

Unfortunately, this morning, I made the 11.1 update, and the problem is back.

since my last reply on this thread, I updated to BigSur 11.1 .. and the flickering problem is still there. Sad to read that so many more users are facing an issue with this. Whereas I guess it could be easily solved via a software patch from Apple.

@Apple engineers : come on already and fix this **** issue !

Furious having finally been convinced to give up an early 2014 MacBook Air i5 which handled most programmes without much issue, to this upgraded heap of rubbish that can’t cope with a few LED lights. Might have an M1 chip but can’t run a basic video call, doesn’t like Google meet... never regretted purchasing a new Apple product before. Am now!

I have the same issue, just got my MacBook Air M1 yesterday and I was FaceTiming my family, and it's blurry and very annoying, I don't think that would do for professional meetings! very annoyed and I will probably return.

if Apple could answer and confirm that this is something can be fixed with an update, that would be an option.

looks like it's a common issue with the new M1.

I'm doubting it would have any effect, but I've got a MacBook Pro M1 as well, updated to macOS 11.1. But I'm experiencing the same 'flickering' as described before and in https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/k6eoe9/my_m1_13_macbook_pro_wont_stop_flickering_i_know/

Me too: I have the flickering problem from the webcam as well (it shows up in all software using the builtin webcam). This is almost certainly related to the webcam software not adjusting the framerate for UK electrical frequencies correctly. The issue appears in both 11 and 11.1 for me. All of the standard troubleshooting does not help (resetting PRAM etc). I spent over an hour with customer support to no avail.

I do not have this issue with my three other intel macs.

I will have to return and wait until this issue is resolved before repurchasing. This is especially a shame, because I bought another one for my wife as an Xmas present :(

@SnickZ : Can we get an update on this issue? There are lots of people with this problem evidently and as of yet, there is no solution from Apple. Should we return our macbooks and wait until a fix is available?

I've just had a long conversation with Apple Support about this this morning and they told me it was only the Macbook Air! So that is a lie! I'm in the UK and have it with my M1 Macbook Air and I believe it is a 50Hz/60Hz issue. I've created some videos to demostrate the problem which I sent to support, and they are feeding it back to Enginnering.

I recommmend everyone puts in a support ticket as I was told that they aren't getting complaints about it and sending them a video. Explain that it is a 50Hz/60Hz issue and demostrate it in a video with different light sources. Hopefully soon they will do an update https://youtu.be/zrnP-PGcbAM

What I've found is natural light, and my ringlight (as it is USB) works fine.

https://youtu.be/mINhYopCKb4

Here's my update:

https://youtu.be/HH6wUk41LxU

It is not a problem with just MacBook Air, I have the same problem with my MacBook Pro. Apple told me they have been aware of the problem since 2018 when the camera's were upgraded, (It is the same camera in both) and it is expected as far they're concerned 😡

The only thing I can tell you guy's is that halogen spot lights in my bedroom don't cause this issue, only the LED's in my living room (and I've tried a different type of LED without any joy) so it's back to expensive halogen spot lights or flickering 😡

It's the usual Apple response, "no one complains" it's not true, they just lie, unfortunately unless they have a million complaints and it gets plastered all over the internet, they'll just ignore it 😡 The problem is most internet reviewers are based in North America where this problem doesn't exist

[Edited by Moderator]