MacBook Pro Liquid Retina XDR display hurts my eyes

I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing eye discomfort with your new MacBook Pro. That is certainly not the expected user experience. There are several adjustments and potential solutions you can explore to mitigate the issue:

1. Brightness: Adjust the brightness of your screen to match the lighting in your room. This is often the most common reason for eye strain. You can do this manually or enable “Automatically adjust brightness” in System Preferences -> Displays.

2. True Tone: Try disabling or enabling True Tone, which adjusts the color temperature of your display based on ambient lighting. Some users find it helpful, while others don’t. You can do this in System Preferences -> Displays -> Display -> True Tone.

3. Night Shift: Similarly, you can try adjusting or disabling Night Shift, which changes the color temperature of your display to be warmer during the evening. It’s found in System Preferences -> Displays -> Night Shift.

4. Resolution: Try changing the resolution of the display. Go to System Preferences -> Displays -> Display -> Scaled, and choose a different option.

5. Avoiding Blue Light: Prolonged exposure to blue light can cause eye strain. You can try using a third-party application that reduces the amount of blue light emitted by your screen.

6. Breaks: It’s always good practice to take regular breaks when using a computer for extended periods.

In addition to checking with your medical professionals, owners reporting problems should also be checking their computers to make certain they seem to be operating as designed.

You can have your computer examined at an Appointment at an Apple-owned store (Free, in warranty or out). They will run diagnostics as well. These folks put their hands on these computers all day every day, and can tell very quickly if your computer is not operating correctly.

if you are having issues, it's worth doing.

See Tesserax's post for some possible relief…

Eye Pain, Headaches, Nausea in Newer Vers… - Apple Community

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Community.

We want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your device. We recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Get Support.

Don't use google search as an authority. Using search, you can find [dubious] evidence to support ANY supposition, and also its complete opposite. You need to be using authoritative sources if you use this [extremely dubious] technique.

The Hosts have asked Readers to refer these complaints DIRECTLY to official Apple Support. They will want to help you with this issue.

Official Apple Support

if the device does not meet your needs, you should return it or sell it and use the proceeds to obtain a computer that better meet your needs. Whatever brand and model that might be.

Try turning your brightness down of make the display a more orangey color instead of blue.

let me know how it goes.

djrtez wrote:

These new MacBook Pros Liquid XDR Displays are trash. Would it kill Apple to make an option to lower the color bit depth or to turn off dithering? Or whatever the issue may be, but all the new Apple silicon machines are a nightmare to look at for people with optical/ neurological sensitivities.

Not all Apple customers are looking for a beautiful fancy display, some of us just wanna get our work done without experiencing pain. Wish Apple was more considerate to their loyal customers that have always supported their company.

Perhaps you should share these thoughts with Apple:

Product Feedback - Apple

But Apple is going to continue making the product that sells the most. And, unfortunately for you, that's the beautiful screens.

yegor78 wrote:

I just got a 2023 Mac Book pro 14 as a gift for my birthday and having real issues with eye problems. I wear proper glasses and just had my eye exam so I know thats not it. My 3 other apple products Intel with retina screens (prior to XDR ). Gave me really huge eye problems. Had to stop using screens for a few days. This is a huge issue. Many others have also experienced. What do I do with a very expensive laptop I cant use. Plugging in external monitor yes. But this is a "Laptop" / "Notebook" what is the point. I believe apple needs to rewrite their drivers for the screen or / and these screens are not good enough and there is a major issue with refresh rate or dithering.

What would you suggest apple folks?

I suggest you consult with an eye specialist. We users can not fix your eye issues.

With regards to your computer, if you can not use it, I suggest you return it or sell it.

yegor78 - I'm having the exact same trouble with a new 2021 MBP 16" and am totally baffled by this given my lack of trouble with other Apple displays.

• Per screen size, I used a 16" MacBook Pro from 2015-2020. No eye trouble.

• Per screen type, I've used an iPad Pro 12.9" w/ "Liquid Retina XDR display" about two years. No eye trouble. I'm using it along with the new MacBook. My eyes still feel fine with the iPad Pro, sore and strained with the MacBook.

I've set the monitor present to P3-500 nits and reduced the screen resolution to the smallest preset, to scale the fonts larger, to no avail.

I assume there's some significant difference between the MacBook and iPad Pro displays, though they use the same technology.

If I can't figure it out within the next few days, I'll have to return the MacBook.

if the iPad Pro’s mini-LED screen uses PWM, it’s possible that the PWM flicker rate could be much higher on the iPad Pro than on the MacBook Pro.

I haven’t seen test results for the iPad Pro screen, so this is only a guess. But I would guess that PWM flicker rates can vary between different mini-LED screens, much as they vary between regular ones.

I have the same experience with the 16 inch M1 MacBook Pro. I’ve never been sensitive to PWM before and I can use my 5K iMac or older 15 inch retina laptop all day without any issues. But 5 minutes on the new one and my eyes are cooked!

I’ve tried everything possible to get around it. If you google around a bit you’ll find that many people have this issue.

barbYMe wrote:

Thanks! Couldn't have solved this problem without your input.

You are welcome. We are not medical professionals and therefore can not diagnose or treat medical issues. Millions use Mac devices without suffering your symptoms. If it were me and I was having eye issues, I would seek professional medical help and advice before placing blame on a device where millions of users do not exhibit the same medical symptoms.

I have loved the Apple brand. I am, and will continue to be, a loyal Apple customer. That being said, I have also been experiencing the extreme blurry eyes. I actually was so worried that I went to see an eye doctor. He said that I had over perfect ( 20/21 ) vision, which was great, but how do you explain that? Yes, it is after a few hours of use, maybe about two movies worth, but I mean, it's 2024, devices are all day sometimes.

I noticed subtly that other devices don't do this. I am a bit relieved to find that other people are having the same issues as me. I don't think this is a complaint to Apple by any means. It is more of a concern, from my perspective at least.

I noticed that there is a film on the screen. It isn't just the panel like in the past. There is an actual film or layer on top of the screen. There are tiny scratches on it too, a manufacture defect I read.

So maybe the film is experimental a type of new or misused material or technology that is still being developed and released too early. I am not sure but I feel like that has something to do with it. I have never had eye stuff like this happen to me and I was quite concerned. I really am happy with my laptop so I can't just stop using it.

If Apple had any solutions, that would be great though from a loyal customer's stand-point. I have a feeling that the 2024 model will be better.