How to remove black horizontal lines appearing on the screen of MacBook Pro

Black horizontal lines on the screen can be caused by various factors, such as a faulty display cable, a damaged LCD panel, or a malfunctioning graphics card. Some possible solutions are:

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) and the NVRAM.

Updating the macOS to the latest version.

Booting into safe mode and running Disk Utility.

Connecting to an external monitor and checking if the lines persist.

While I can write more solutions here but it’s better if you check out a professional guide with proper steps dedicated to this issue. You can check out this guide on 10 Working Solutions to fix lines on Macbook Screen. 

This guide covers a detailed solution to fix the issue of black horizontal lines on your MacBook screen. I hope this helps you resolve your problem.

i have '16 macbook pro and it just developed horizontal lines also. took to repair shop. they thought it was cable from base to screen, replaced that, didn't fix it. now they say it needs a screen replacement for $700 total. not worth doing imo.

one detail on it, if i tilt the screen toward the keyboard, at about 45 degrees the lines go away, but it's not usable like that of course.

Its extremely shocking that a corporate of the strature of Apple does not have a conclusive diagonistic for this huge issue faced by large number of users. It should be bought to the notice of industry observers and regulators since taking Apple to courts is not easy for individuals. It borders on mis-guidance and mal-practise and leaves the door open for incompetent unaccountable Apple Service center ( who focus more on sales than service) to give tentative and speculative advice . Apple warranty and Apple Care terms probably include this matter but its definately not loud and clear to many many like us.

Apple, how are you not going to respond here with a solution??

Het ihrushi,

I do have Mac M1 2021, I am also facing the problem. I really don't think that the issue is with the display. It's possibly the GPU, because the I am noticing similar pattern, it's very light on external monitor.

I gave it to service center, they said display needs to be changed, billed be around 650$. I denied. Mostly the service center are third party here, they lack the skills.

Even if the display is changed that will temporarily fix the issue but the issue will comeback.

Could share a screenshot of the screen, please

Same issue today, with exact behavior other users reported:

> if i tilt the screen toward the keyboard, at about 45 degrees the lines go away

Apple where are you? the solution can't be always "bring your mac to an Apple store, they will fix"!

LCD panel can't be damaged since it works perfectly then the screen is half-closed, seems more like some software bug on Sonoma?

Edit: I already tried to reset anything, NVRAM, PRAM and SMC, issue still there.

Same thing happend to my macbook air which I just purchased this year. Haven’t dropped it and I barely used it

It's possible that your MacBook Pro is experiencing a hardware issue with the display or the graphics card. The black lines on the screen could be caused by a variety of factors, such as a loose connection or a malfunctioning component.

To troubleshoot the issue, you can try a few steps:

1. Reset the PRAM and SMC. This can help resolve some display issues. Here's how to do it:

- Shut down your MacBook Pro.

- Hold down the Command + Option + P + R keys together.

- Turn on your MacBook Pro and keep holding the keys until you hear the startup sound twice.

- Release the keys and let your MacBook Pro start up normally.

2. Boot your MacBook Pro in safe mode. This will load only the basic system files and drivers, which can help determine if the issue is software-related. Here's how to do it:

- Shut down your MacBook Pro.

- Press the power button to turn on your MacBook Pro.

- Immediately hold down the Shift key.

- Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo.

3. Connect your MacBook Pro to an external display. This can help determine if the issue is with the display or the graphics card. If the external display works fine, then the problem is likely with the MacBook Pro's display. If the external display also shows the black lines, then the issue may be with the graphics card.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it's recommended to take your MacBook Pro to an authorized Apple service provider or Apple store for further diagnosis and repair.

My wife’s 2021 m1 13 inch MacBook Pro just got this. It appeared out of nowhere. She’s taken really good care of the laptop never dropped etc.

She took it in and they said the display has gone bad 600+ tax. Even the tech admitted he could find no damage. This laptop is only 3 years old.

This is obviously is a defect and apple needs to come out and admit so. Never had a screen start to fail so quickly on any Mac before. Heck never had a screen fail like this until now period.

Disappointing Apple will not take responsibility for a QC issue or hardware defect.

.

Computer screen filled with vibrating lines

I have the same issue, if I tilt the screen back lines pop up. MacBook 16 inch 2019. Must be a hardware issue

Same thing happened to my macbook pro m1 2020 last night. It was on the desk and I was talking to my friend when I realised there are horizontal lines filling about 3 centimeters of bottom of my screen and they flicker.

I tried resetting, updating os, reseting PRAM. None worked. Don't know what else to do.

Tilting the screen tward my keybord make the flickering weaker but still see the lines.

also now some times when I shut the macbook down, for a milisecond the mac screen becomes pink entirely.

Any solutions?

I had the same issue - black lines and when bending it over to 45 degrees, it dissapears.

Apple authorized service said that it is a problem with the display cable, but it cannot be fixed alone, whole display should be fixed which is 700 euros.

Not going to do it just going to buy a new laptop, not apple, since this is already the second big issue with this computer, first one cost 850 euros.

I purchased my MacBook Pro 16 Inch M1 and I'm experiencing the same thing. Luckily I'm still under warranty and have insurance in my MacBook Pro, but I had to buy THIS new MacBook Pro because my old 16 inch MacBook Pro took a s*** after 1.5 years of use (was told I needed to buy a new logic board on that model while hundreds of users were experiencing a similar defect).

Been getting really disappointed with Apple as of late. I've spent more than $20K on Apple products over my lifetime and I'm starting to see Apple's priority over profit vs. its product.

I'm getting my screen fixed and if this happens again, I'm done with Apple.

Same issue here with my Macbook Pro 16 2019: When closing / tilting the screen to about 45 degrees the lines disappear until you open it again. The lines then permeate the entire screen in regular intervals.

Playing with the issue a bit I also find other behavior that might narrow the issue down

1. as described the lines are permanent when the display is open, disappear when the display is closed to 45 degrees and then reappear when you open it again
2. they do not appear on any of my extended monitors
3. when you have your screen open and scroll through content, the first displayed content becomes a permanent watermark that interferes with the display of other content

I am guessing here, but

1. this sounds like the display itself is working (otherwise the lines would be permanent)
2. the graphic card is by and large working (otherwise the lines would appear on the external monitors)
3. it has to be an issue between graphic processing and the actual display (someone mentioned further down that a cable might be faulty? ... I am not certain how a faulty cable could create such a regular pattern though)
4. this pattern seems to exist for many other users, folks that had the device less than a year and longer. Hence indicating a systemic issue with the device

Consequently I would definitely point at Apple here to fix the issue since they shipped a device that is now malfunctioning and (at least for my case and others apparently here as well) without user error.

Apple will probably argue to read the warranty / general "fine-print" about device longevity though ...

For my part I have to weigh the same decision now as others did below: Is the next one an Apple device or do I finally break out of the ecosystem lock ... once gone, I will probably not come back.