Persistent horizontal lines appear on iMac screen

See my reply on the first page of this topic.

Mine just started doing this too. I'm very disappointed because otherwise this iMac has been great and I'd hoped to get many more years of use out of it. Due to recent price hikes, replacing this with an identical configuration would cost me $2200 (+ tax).

Does anyone know if I pay for a replacement screen, have they fixed this defect? In other words, will the replacement screen end up with the same problem a few years down the road?

See my reply here.

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Persistent horizontal lines appear on iMac screen.

24-inch M1 iMac (2021), horizontal black lines have been reported in cases where the repair required replacing the entire display assembly

If you have a M1 iMac it's hardware related: a defective screen.

I have had the same issue and went through the steps suggested to get Apple to admit that the fault is a common problem with this model. They did not take responsibility and still want me to pay AU$1400! I have been with Apple for +25 years. The company can well afford to take responsibility for long term customers to be looked after better than this. They’re not getting any more $$$ out of me!

you are one of the lucky ones!!!

This is the naswer i had from apple this morning following my complaint about the horizontal lines...

Hello Nikolaos,

Thank you for your email to Apple. After careful review, we regret to inform you that we are unable to fulfil your request.

In the interest of fairness to all our customers, Apple adheres to the terms of warranty associated with each product. Terms of the hardware warranty are found on our website at apple.com/legal/warranty.

We regret if you are not satisfied with this response, because Apple strives for customer satisfaction. It is our sincere hope that this situation will not diminish your enjoyment of the products and services that we provide.

You can also provide feedback to Apple by visiting Product Feedback - Apple: Applefeedback/

We apologise for any inconvenience or frustration.

Kind regards,

Apple

Now with this partiality that one customer they offer replacement and the other one write him that they are covered by the warranty time is a joke. Of course i will never touch an apple product again

I am also affected by this issue and would like to add my experience. I am from Germany.

After using my 2011 iMac for around 10 years — which, by the way, still works perfectly to this day — I decided to buy the newly designed 24-inch M1 iMac. I was genuinely excited about it and started using it for my work.

I really love the iMac, and I own many Apple products because I have always appreciated their quality, longevity, and the way everything works seamlessly together.

That is why this horizontal line issue has been so disappointing for me.

Of course, I understand that this is still electronic hardware and that devices can fail after a few years. My iMac has also served me well for some time, although it was not even used on a daily basis. What disappointed me most, however, was being told that there were essentially no other options and that I would have to pay for a complete display replacement myself, costing almost €800.

When I look through the Apple Community and other discussions online, I see many reports describing what appears to be exactly the same symptom on the 24-inch iMac.

For that reason, I sincerely hope Apple investigates this issue and considers offering a repair or replacement program for affected devices.

I would be very disappointed if nothing were done about it. At the moment, I am not even sure whether I would purchase another iMac, because it leaves me with the feeling that once the warranty has expired, customers are largely left on their own even when many devices appear to be affected by the same problem.

In the past, Apple has introduced repair and service programs when certain MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or other Apple products were affected by recurring hardware issues. I would really like to see Apple take a similar approach here if this turns out to be a widespread issue.

I still love Apple products and the quality Apple normally stands for. I also understand that premium, highly integrated technology is complex and expensive to develop and repair, and I am willing to pay more for that quality.

But as a customer, I also expect not to be left alone with a potentially widespread hardware problem simply because the warranty period has ended.

Customers like me want to remain Apple customers for many years. But that also depends on knowing that Apple stands behind its products when recurring issues affect a significant number of users.

I really hope Apple takes notice of how many people are reporting the same display problem and finds a fair solution for those affected.

Apple needs to make a recall for this issue. I lost count to how many people reported this issue in Portugal and worldwide. It is not a user caused issue, it is a manufacturing one.

The same happened to me after 40 years of using Apple products. No exception was granted for my M1 iMac, despite the fact that my 2001 iMac is still working perfectly today.

After this experience, I’m moving away from Apple and looking for alternatives to all my iPhones, iPads, I clouds and the IMAC.

Aug 23, 2026

I’m having the same issue with my 2021 iMac 24”. It has dark horizontal lines covering a good part of the screen and the top left corner is burning hot. We took it to an Apple repair store and was told it would be 700€ minimum to fix. If this is an issue would how the 2021 was made, it seems absurd that we are responsible for this. I have contacted Apple support to see if they offer any exceptions or discounts. I also plan to write to their corporate offices to complain.

I did this but the response was to bring it in for repair

My iMac 2021 is exactly 3 years old and is now showing the horizontal lines at the bottom half of the screen; out of the blue. No scratch or liquid damage; the stand is framed to make sure it won't move or accidentally misplaced. Apple Support senior advisor's only advise to have it repaired as it is a hardware issue...another profit for the company but no concern for the users.

Good day!

I've had the same problem, bought on Nov 16, 2022. I had the problem of parallel lines appearing at the bottom half of the screen. The technician at the Apple Store said it's a screen replacement. Made a ticket for it. Called apple directly and after speaking with a senior advisor, I was told there was nothing to be done because it was passed the 3 year. Fortunately, I've never had any trouble with any other of the apple products. This is my first time, but I'm quite disappointed that nothing can be done. Do you have any advice? I'm I stuck paying over 700$ for a screen replacement? Thank you in advance for your help!