MacBook Pro 13" 2018 flickering screen

Hello Djaydo,

We'd like to help with your MacBook Pro Display issue. First, you mention it started when you connected an external display, but also that now you see the flickering even when the display is not connected. Is that correct?

Going to a service vendor and walking through an NVRAM reset was a good first step. Let's walk through a few more to help narrow down what might be causing this problem.

1. Disconnect any external devices besides power.
2. Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support
3. Test for the display issue while your Mac is booted to safe mode: Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support
4. Create a test user profile, log in to it, then see if the display issue continues: Change Users & Groups settings on Mac - Apple Support

Reply with what you discover while walking through these steps. Testing in safe mode and another user profile will help narrow down the possible underlying cause of the flickering. We look forward to hearing back from you.

Take care.

Hi Djaydo,

Thanks for confirming that. If the issue does not occur in safe mode or in the newly-created user account, that suggests it's user-specific and could be related to startup items. To rule that out, see the steps below from the resource titled Remove login items to resolve startup problems on your Mac.

"Login items are apps that open automatically when you start up or log in to your Mac. Occasionally, a login item may cause a blank blue screen at startup or other problems. You can test your login items to see if any are causing startup issues on your Mac.

Note: To print these instructions, press Command-P.

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click General  in the sidebar, then click Login Items on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
2. Make a list of the login items in the Open at Login list—you’ll need to remember them later.
3. Select all of the login items, then click the Remove button .
4. Choose Apple menu  > Restart.
5. If this solves the problem, open Login Items settings again, add the login items one at a time, and restart your Mac after adding each one.
6. When the problem occurs again, follow the steps above to remove only the last login item you added."

Keep us updated on the results, and have a good day.

Hi Djaydo,

If this continues when you start up your Mac normally and after updating macOS, the next thing we would recommend is testing to see if this occurs when using another cable or port. This will help isolate which part of the connection is responsible for this behavior.

If this occurs with multiple cables and ports, then we would recommend reaching out to the manufacturer of this monitor next. They would be the best equipped to investigate what's happening further and look into any potential service options.

Cheers!

Hey Djaydo,

Thanks for the information that this happens even without an external monitor connected. Just to confirm with an earlier response of yours, the flickering does not happen in safe mode? And it didn't happen in the test user account? This will help us isolate the issue a little more.

We look forward to hearing back.

We appreciate your hanging with us Djaydo, as we’ve tried to isolate the issue.

With that said, we recommend contacting Apple Support directly as they’ll have the tools to help diagnose the problem you’re having. You should be able to reach them using this link: Get Support

If that link doesn’t work where you live, you can give them a call: Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support If there isn’t a phone number available, call the number in the country nearest you.

All the best.