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Translucent grey border on screen that defies all solutions

I’ve got a faint grey overlaid border on my screen: it appears all the time and as soon as the screen turns on after a shut down. It arrives on the screen even before the Apple logo.


User uploaded file


I’ve found various suggestions online such as terminal: killall Dock, reset the NPVR, I’ve booted into Safe Mode (bars are still there) and back out. Even booting into SafeMode, the grey box was there as it was loading up safe mode. I’ve


While I’ve been doing this it has changed to a fainter version shown above (the first version I saw when I came to my machine this morning was much thicker).


User uploaded file


I’m baffled. Machine is a Mid-2015 15” MacBook Pro.


The overlay DOES NOT appear in screenshots but it is visible to me on the screen all the time.


It’s driving me somewhat insane.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS Sierra (10.12.5), Mid 2015

Posted on Jul 15, 2017 1:29 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 15, 2017 10:55 PM

UPDATE, SOLVED: I shut down and switched off the computer for 24 hours which is not something that happens very often.


The border has gone. I have no idea what caused it to appear, I didn’t think it was a burned in artefact on the screen but who knows.


At this point time seems to heal the problem. I hope this helps someone else.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 15, 2017 10:55 PM in response to gadgetdoctor_ny

UPDATE, SOLVED: I shut down and switched off the computer for 24 hours which is not something that happens very often.


The border has gone. I have no idea what caused it to appear, I didn’t think it was a burned in artefact on the screen but who knows.


At this point time seems to heal the problem. I hope this helps someone else.

Jul 15, 2017 2:56 AM in response to gadgetdoctor_ny

Have you tried this particular solution suggested in Translucent gray border around mac screen?


"This happens because you have the "Show Desktop" trackpad gesture turned on. The gesture that activated it was to spread your thumb and three fingers. You can undo it by pinching your thumb and three fingers together.


Look under the "More Gestures" tab in the "Trackpad" section of the System Preferences for a video demonstration of how to do it, or scroll down to the "Show Desktop" section of this article: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204895"

Translucent grey border on screen that defies all solutions

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