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

Hi. I opened my MacBook Pro this morning and when I turned it on I saw my screen full of horizontal symmetric black lines covering literally everything . The pc wasn’t damaged in any way, didn’t fall, didn’t hit anything, didn’t touch water. Does anyone know what the issue can be and how to fix it? Thank you 🙏🏻


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Apr 14, 2023 9:48 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 24, 2024 6:20 PM

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.

46 replies

Mar 10, 2024 12:16 AM in response to kukiii

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.

Mar 13, 2024 3:13 AM in response to kukiii

black horizontal stripes appeared on the MacBook pro 16-inch screen, an authorized service center reported that the entire screen needs to be changed, the screen cable does not change separately, I gave $ 4000 for a laptop and now I will give $ 700 for repairs, this problem is massive where your engineers look, it's time to turn on the brains and do your job efficiently!


all the described methods did not help to remove the stripes from the screen

May 16, 2024 6:16 AM in response to kukiii

This is basically damage to the cable connecting the display. The cable gets wear and tear easily by opening and closing of the display lid due to the design flaw. Sadly the cable alone cannot be replaced and will have to change the whole display. For some models apple have addressed the issue, but lot of other models have the same issue which apple did nothing about

Aug 1, 2024 2:28 AM in response to kukiii

I had a similar issue. Here's what happened:

  1. My Macbook Air 15 inch (M2, 2023) model suddenly developed black lines on the screen (I did not do anything to it). It was completely autonomous.
  2. I did a software upgrade and PRAM/SMC reset, which did not work. I then took a screenshot and AirDropped that photo to my iPhone. I could see lines on the screenshot on my Macbook but could not see those lines on my iPhone. Hence, it was pretty obvious that there was something wrong with the display.
  3. I went to the Apple store for further diagnosis. Fortunately, I was under the 1 year warranty period and they sent my laptop for repair.
  4. They replaced 3 parts: "lid angle sensor", "display, midnight", and "bottom case, midnight".
  5. They returned my laptop in a few days.


It works well now.

Apr 16, 2023 1:53 PM in response to kukiii

Greetings kukiii,


If you are having issues with your Mac display, these are the best steps to take:


"If the display is black or dim: Try adjusting your display’s brightness.


If images are too large or too small: Try adjusting your display’s resolution.

If the colors don’t look right: Try using the display profile designed for your display. For example, if you’re using a Thunderbolt display, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Displays in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click the pop-up menu next to “Color profile” on the right, then choose Thunderbolt Display. If that doesn’t work, try calibrating the display.

If your display is blurry: Make sure your Mac has detected that display. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Displays.

To see the Detect Displays button, press the Option key. Then click the button to detect the display.

If the display is flickering: Make sure your Mac and display are connected to one another with good quality cables and adapters. You may also be experiencing interference from a nearby power line, a fluorescent light, a radio, a microwave oven, another computer, or another electrical device. Try relocating nearby electrical devices, or moving your Mac and display.

If you see bright or dark spots on a flat-panel or Mac laptop screen: Your display may have pixel anomalies. If you suspect your Apple display contains a high number of anomalies, contact Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for service. Repairs performed by untrained individuals or using non-genuine Apple parts may affect the safety and functionality of the device. 

If none of these solutions work: If you have an Apple display and can’t correct the problem, contact Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for service. Repairs performed by untrained individuals or using non-genuine Apple parts may affect the safety and functionality of the device." If your Mac display doesn’t look right


If the issue continues, contact Apple Support directly. They will be in the best position to help: Get Support


We hope this helps!


Sincerely.

Jan 27, 2024 2:31 PM in response to kukiii

I am experiencing this same issue. I took my Macbook to Apple two weeks ago and was immediately quoted nearly $700 to repair the screen. I took it back 8 days ago while I was visiting Apple for my iPad which is also giving me issues. They quoted me a $355 trade-in value and said the lines are not a factor and do not affect the trade-in value. I left it with them overnight, they ran a diagnostic and said it would be $598 + tax to repair. Today I went to Apple to trade it in and now they tell me I won't get anything for it. A supervisor came over and told me whoever looked at it before filling out the trade-in questions was wrong because $355 is the max and it has no trade-in value. The supervisor didn't have anything to say other than telling me she didn't know why they quoted me anything more than $0. I have a 2019 so the Applecare I purchased with the laptop has run out. If you take it to Apple without AppleCare, the only solution they offer is to pay $600+ to fix it and you only get a 1 year warranty on the fix. Or of course, you can buy a brand new laptop and pay more than double what it costs to fix it while getting nothing for your laptop because it has horizontal lines on it.

May 16, 2024 10:42 AM in response to kukiii

orin146 wrote:


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


Welcome to the Apple User-to-User discussions forums.


Readers are other Users like you. Apple does not monitor the forums for technical issues, and only respounds when a discussion goes completely unanswered for days. Otherwise, NO official response are provided here, and the discussions are not tracked or tabulated.


If other Users are unable to make enough helpful suggestions to solve your problem, you should contact official Apple Support.


Official Apple Support

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

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