M1 Mac mini display issue

Hey guys,

How many of you actually updated your mini to the latest OS 11.3?

It does resolve the pink squares issue, you know ;)

Not sure about the "snow" issue as I have never experienced it.

I have performed mega stress test on my mini with 30 shut downs and restarts over 10 hours and pink squares are gone for good :)

For about three weeks I was having repeated freezing of my Mac Mini M1 (2TB SSD). I had been running it for some months with no problems but out of the blue it froze, a pink screen flashed briefly and then the screen went dark; I had to reboot it via the power button at the back. Big Sur diagnostics most of the times reported a GPU-related problem. Searching the Internet I found a fair number of apparently sound posts telling that it was a Mini M1 HDMI-port related problem. I tried to run the LG 4K display from the Thunderbolt/USB-C port (instead of the HDMI port) using an adapter but the problem continued. Then I bought a plain USB-C to Display Port 4K @ 60Hz cable (UPGROW) and the problem disappeared for good. Apparently using the Thunderbolt/USB-C port and a plain fair priced USB-C to Display Port cable is just what the Mac Mini M1 / Big Sur wants. For the record.

I am now using my monitor over USB-C (DP), with a HDMI cable just hanging out the back of the machine, no pink dots in two days w/ cold boots each morning and a few test reboots throughout yesterday. Makes no sense though these things never do. All other ports bar ethernet are populated.

After many calls to Apple I have been told that a user notified that I solved the problem only by making an adjustment in mission control, I have tried it and for now, it has not happened to me again. you have to deactivate in system preferences / mission control / "the screens have separate spaces", this has to be OFF. Luck

Has anyone else tried reinstalling the OS?

After the notification I got (posted earlier) I wiped the drive 100% clean (both the OS and Data partitions) and created one single partition. The OS installation ultimately failed from a different bug, but there’s a workaround that resolved the installation. Once it actually installed I, so far, have not experienced ANY of the issues I was before.

Im still convinced my theory is correct, until I find something to conflict with that.

My M1 has been working perfectly for 6 weeks with a HDMI connection to a ProArt 32 in monitor. Today it booted into a pinkish screen. I tried HDMI cable changes and also via an adapter to USB-c with no improvement. Then I shut down the mini using the power button and after a minute restarted. That solved it.

Hoping for an other perfect 6+ weeks.

Same problem here. It started randomly when I was working with App Updates so the unit wasn't on for more than an hour. I switched my display settings from "Default for this display" to "Scaled" with the native monitor resolution and refresh rate. Haven't seen the artifacts since, but this is troubling because artifacts are usually indicative of hardware (in this case GPU) malfunction.

Well, I only had this issue (pink Squares) whenever I've installed new apps and restarted Mac Mini not shut down.

I Have decided to change default HDMI cable that came with my Dell S2721HS with shorter 8K HDMI cable and all issues with pink squares have gone... so far...

Will keep posted if any changes.

Btw; I'm sure that this is an issue caused by software rather than hardware though, not much point exchanging Macs at this stage as the post above suggest. Lets wait and see if Apple can address and fix this issue in the next Big Sur update... ;)

Worth adding that I swapped this panel once already due to dead pixels, but both screens worked otherwise flawlessly with this Mini, which is my second M1 Mini after swapping the first one quickly due to the pink squares (both Minis acted the same with the previous BenQ screen, though the second one didn't feel quite as bad but yeah - minor differences).

Running it USB-C to USB-C with a keyboard and mouse in the back of the display. Cable came with the screen.

Best

I'm just using an hdmi to usb-c cable (not a hub) and have had no more problems with pink squares, but when I change to hdmi to hdmi they return briefly on first boot only. As I don't have a secondary display I can't comment on that!

Big Sur 11.2 (20D62) didn't fix the error for me and even some Apple insiders told me that it's very probably a hardware defect and I should return it before the return period ends. So I did it and waiting for Apple to announce the fix officially to buy another silicon Mac.

i had the Problem with HDMI Connection too

With USB-C to USB-C Connection i had the squares and in addition, the monitor did not wake up until I switched it on and off

now i use a cablematters typ-c to displayport Cable this works without problems since over a week

Have you ever thought about reading previous posts and updating your Mac to the latest os?

it solves “pink squares” issues.

This thread should be closed now, since the latest os update resolved this issue 👍

I have an M1 and was bothering with this issue as well, after switching from HDMI to Displayport

connection everything is fine.

I think the problem is about the HDMI Port or Kind of Signal

Pink squares are finally GONE with 11.3b (20E5172i)!