My Retina Display has stain damage, HELP!!!

I had the same issue and the only way to help I found is to remove the coating. I cleaned mine with a tiny bit of ceramic hob cleaner on dry kitchen paper - I had to do this about 3 times until it came off the entire screen. I then wiped it over with a damp microfibre cloth and it's perfect! It only took about 10 mins for the whole thing and now it's like new (except without the anti-glare coating). Hope this helps!

Have you taken it to an Apple Store to get it checked?

According to, Shankar9:-

'The Quality Program was initially on till 15/16 Oct '16. It apparently has been extended till Oct 16. 2017. Your 2014 Mac should be covered for a free replacement provided it is diagnosed as the above problem.'

I took mine in because my screen glass got broken and I wasn’t aware of the 'staingate' problem which showed up when the Apple Store Genius Bar had a look at it. I got a free replacement screen under the 'program'

So you have until 16 October to get it sorted. Please take it to your nearest Apple Store.

I'm from Argentina, we don't even have official Apple Stores here and my macbook is no longer under warranty, but I contacted the apple support (chat) and they said I could reach a reseller here in Argentina and they will take care as an Apple store would do. The apple support gave me the numbers, I called, they saw the stains and replace my display free of charge. The program has ended on Oct 16 but if your mac is 3 years old or less they will replace it.

My MBP Retina 13" (Late 2013) was not under warranty or Applecare. The replacements were done under Apple's Quality Program for this particular problem commonly being referred to

as "staingate" or marks/stains/discolouration of the glossy black coating on the display which appear suddenly and on their own.

The Quality Program was initially on till 15/16 Oct '16. It apparently has been extended till Oct 16. 2017. Your 2014 Mac should be covered for a free replacement provided it is diagnosed as the above problem.

Hi!

I will get mine replaced. The program is up to 3 years old MBP. Everyone should call local certified service! Will drop mine off tomorrow. Will take some days to get the display for replacement, because comes directly from Apple.

Thanks a lot for the tip here!!!

The official word is this:

Until October 16, 2017 or until three years after purchase, whichever is longer.

Apple will replace your screen an almost unlimited number of times during that approved period. However, Apple is unfortunately replacing the screens with the same kind of screen that has a weak antiglare coating that will definitely come off. This really is unacceptable in light of the fact that iOS devices do not have the same problem. My personal theory is that iOS devices don't have a problem because they have an anti-fingerprint coating on them, whereas MacBook Pro displays do not. So if my theory is correct, all Apple would need to do to solve the problem once and forever more would be to just offer replacement screens that have an anti-fingerprint coating on them!

Yes, the antiglare coating coming off problem afflicts even the late 2016 MBPs too. I've read reports on our FB group about it. One can only guess that no reports have come out on the 2017 models because they are still new and not enough time has passed for users of them to notice if they have the problem.

UPDATE #1: My local AASP said Apple denied me the 3rd free repair asked after October 16. (My MacBook is 3,5 years old)

UPDATE #2: I was talking with Apple Support in Chat after receiving reject from AASP. I described my story in details, they switched me to Apple Senior Adviser (2nd time, first was at previous repair) and she said "in fact replacement program expire a on the 16th. I can make a one time exception to have it covered for you again. That repair will carry a 90 day warranty and no other exceptions will be made for this device in the future."

So I will do it at Monday/Tuesday and keeping my fingers crossed.

This has happened on every MBP Retina I've had since the first Retina model was released. It starts about four to six months in, and no amount of cleaning will stop the progression. The only fix is to replace the screen, which can be done at an independent service place for ~700 USD. (Forget about Apple service--way too expensive and slow!!)

I'm a photojournalist who regularly shoots for The Associated Press, Getty, and other media outlets, and we have to edit and submit our deadline work in whatever lighting exists at the assignment. Often this means using the MBP in direct sun, with harsh reflections (I'm writing this under the Nicaraguan sun late morning, before heading back to the US this evening) and it makes editing **** near impossible unless I can find a shady place with no light spilling across the screen.

The general sense I get from my colleagues at AP and Getty is that everyone is moving away from Macs for this, and other, reasons. (Poor support and very slow turn around time for maintenance is another--I have two machines for this latter reason.) It's too bad, as when the machines are new the image quality of a MBP Retina is great--makes on-location photo editing a breeze--but once the degradation moves beyond the periphery of the screen, where it always starts, it becomes much harder.

I used Madarzone, effectively a parazone, with cotton. Cleans off without pressure. Had tried ethanol, paraffin etc before and all didn't work.

UPDATE

January 24, 2017

To all staingate victims--

Apple has you covered. They know they f'd up big time so they are offering to fix the screens under their "quality program." No warranty needed. It was a manufacturer's defect that took them a while to figure out. Just visit an Apple Store, drop off your MacBook, and you'll have a new, stain-free screen in under a week.

I brought my MacBook Pro into the Manhattan Beach store on Saturday, no hassles. They estimated five business days but probably sooner than that. I have my work laptop in the meantime so it's not too inconvenient.

Hope this puts some of you at ease. Again, just bring your computer in to an Apple Store and they will take care of it free of charge.

Mark

How can there be? Anything that affixes to the screen would use some kind of adhesive, right? Now consider that the weak antiglare coating comes off even if you hardly every wipe it down and even if you gently wipe it with a soft cloth. So do you honestly think that removing something affixed to the screen with an adhesive would NOT cause the coating to come off?

I've read buyer comments on Amazon regarding screen protectors that took of some of the antiglare coating. So I am not merely guessing here.

The only thing you can and should do is write to Apple about your experience, such that Apple will finally use iOS display tech in a replacement screen that would ensure this kind of crazy problem never happening ever again. (The problem does not happen on iOS devices -- not even on the 12.9" iPad Pro.)

I took my mid-2014 MBP13 Retina in yesterday for screen replacement. Bought Dec 2014. Apple literally took one look at it and said it was the staining problem and it would be replaced for free within 3-5 days. Literally took 5 minutes total (although wasn't wise to book the day after new products launched, store was so busy so took a while to be seen.)

Shame to hear someone comment that they had to get their screen replaced a second time. 2 and 3/4 years in for me and the problem just started happening, hopefully it won't happen for a while again. Does anyone know if this problem is affecting the new macbook pros with touch ID? Was thinking about purchasing but kinda put off paying for a new one if the problem is going to happen on a more expensive laptop

Looks from the pic as a pretty extreme case. Apple should replace the display under the Program that was on till Oct 16. No information as to any extension. But I feel that it is bound to be extended because many are reporting same issues with the replacements also. I got mine replaced twice - once in Oct 2016 and the second in Sep 2017. Really hope that this has been permanently fixed by now at least. But every time I see a spot, I start worrying ! The dirt spots seem to appear like magic, even though I use a case since purchase as also a keyboard protector !

Actually, we don’t need Apple to continue the current screen replacement program because it is not a “quality“ program. They are simply replacing your screen with the same type of screen that has a weak antiglare coating that will eventually come off. And yes, even the late 2016 and 2017 models have the same problem according to user reports I’ve read.

Instead, the company needs to incorporate their iOS display technology into a revised replacement screen so they only have to replace our screens once and forever more.

The fact is that iOS devices do not have the same problem of the antiglare coating coming off, probably because they have an anti-fingerprint coating. So my guess is that if the same coating is applied to MacBook Pro displays, probably the problem would be solved.