frazzle76
Level 1 (4 points)
Notebooks

Q: 13" Air screen flickering

Hi, The screen on my 13" macbook air has started to flicker and a dark pattern (a bit like a diamond pattern) has started to appear at the bottom of the screen. Has ayone had this issue and able to advise how to fix it?

Posted on Oct 22, 2016 2:41 AM

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frazzle76

Q: 13" Air screen flickering

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  • by chris_g1,

    chris_g1 chris_g1 Oct 22, 2016 3:36 PM in response to frazzle76
    Community Specialists
    Oct 22, 2016 3:36 PM in response to frazzle76
    Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities, frazzle76. 

    It looks like your MacBook's screen is flickering and is also displaying an odd pattern at the bottom of the screen. I know how important it is to get the best picture possible on your computer, so I’m happy to help you out with this. 

    The first thing I recommend doing is a NVRAM reset on your Mac. The NVRAM controls the functions of various settings on your Mac, including screen resolution. To reset the NVRAM, follow the steps in How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac, specifically this section: 
     

    Resetting NVRAM

    1. Shut down your Mac.
    2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. 
    3. Turn on your Mac.
    4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys immediately after you hear the startup sound.
    5. Hold these keys until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for a second time.
    6. Release the keys.

    After resetting NVRAM, you may need to reconfigure settings for speaker volume, screen resolution, startup disk selection, and time zone information.


    If you still have the same issues with your screen after the NVRAM reset, the next step would be to reset your Mac's SMC. The SMC controls certain hardware functions on your computer. You can find the steps on resetting the SMC in Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac, specifically this section:
     

    Reset the SMC on Mac notebook computers

    First determine whether the battery is removable. Mac notebook computers that have a nonremovable battery include MacBook Pro (Early 2009) and later, all models of MacBook Air, MacBook (Late 2009), and MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015). Learn more about Mac notebook batteries.

    If the battery is nonremovable 

    1. Shut down the Mac.
    2. Plug in the MagSafe or USB-C power adapter to a power source and to your Mac.
    3. Using the built-in keyboard, press Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, then press the power button at the same time.
    4. Release all keys, then press the power button again to turn on your Mac

    If the issue persists, the next best steps would be to test out your screen while booted into a new admin user account and after that’s completed, test out the screen while booted in safe mode. This is going to troubleshoot the issue, as well as help narrow down wether the issue is system-wide or related to  something on your main user account. You can find support articles below that list the steps on how to create a new user account and boot to safe mode. After you have tested your screen while booted in safe mode, restart your Mac like normal and test it again. 
     

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up
    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac​

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. 

    Take care.