MacBook Pro screen flickering solution

I see this on 10.14.2 on MBP 2018. My workaround was to turn off:

System Preferences > Energy Saver > Automatic graphics switching

Can confirm, this helped with the issue. I reset my SMC about twice, and then kept to default scaling and I haven't remember whenever I saw it. But I switched to scaled (more space) just to see if it fixed it, and I saw the bottom portion of my screen flicker.

It is weird, it is not the whole screen flicking, but certain sections of the screen seem to blank out. Hard to tell because it is so fast.

I had similar issues for a half of year with JetBrains ToolBox running. I have resolved it by quit app and remove from auto start up. Hope it helps someone.

¿Did you perform an SMC reset as suggested?

¿Did you use Safe Mode to isolate the problem as suggested?

¿Did you upgrade to the latest software available, which may contain any additional fixes for the issue?

Same issue here with 2018 MBP. Deactivating the intel GPU fixes the problem. There is a problem with the switch

Don’t do that re-install , that’s just BS , apple store acknowledges that’s it’s an issue , go one more time to Apple store and talk to their manager , this is not cool , hopefully they will replace your computer !

Ask them if they can , as in your case it’s happening so often !

I mean it’s crazy , we pay $2400 + for this laptop and it’s like doing this crazy stuff , not cool !

Let me know how your experience goes !

Apple support had me try this:

How to reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac

Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

I am facing the same issue running mac High Sierra 10.13.6. The retina display also blanks out at times when connected to an external lcd display which then requires a restart. The flickering occurs in the blurred background behind the user account photo and also continues after startup.

I can’t believe that the most fancy and expensive technology company which sold me a 2400$ macbook hs this killing problem and with no shame not just me thousands like me and didn’t dare to say we stole you we let you bay for a scrap just because it is apple , you should take back your Junk and bay us our money

Yes on an iMac late 2015 model. It started after I took the update to 10.13.4.

If you keep your display pref open and can switch ti a different scaled resolution, it will go away. You can switch back, and for awhile it seems to hold.

@Molly

I'm sure you'll find no surprise in this but mine was ultimately replaced, and the replacement machine exhibits the exact same issue. I'm currently working with a Senior Advisor at AppleCare but have yet been given any concrete information as to a fix or workaround. I handed over a data file and some small videos I took of the issue while it's happening, and am waiting to find out what happens with their engineering people. I don't want to speculate as to the cause except to say that I think this problem may be endemic to this computer model.

The only things I've found out that may be of consequence...

- If I leave the MacBook Pro plugged-in but not hooked-up to anything else, the issue does not spawn, and presumably because of Power Nap.

- If the MacBook Pro is on battery-only, and wakes from Standby Mode, I have a 2:1 chance of it happening.

- I've left the MacBook Pro without anything hooked-up to it overnight (on battery), wake it in the morning, and it flickers.

- Close/re-open the lid doesn't always work to clear the flicker(ing), I will often have to reboot the Mac to get it back to normal.

- NVRAM and SMC resets don't resolve it.

- Even a fresh install (format/erase; no extra software) doesn't resolve the issue.

At first, they theorized the problem was related to an external monitor I often use (27" ACER K272HL 1080p) but it flickered and continues to flicker without an external monitor involved. My wife uses the ACER monitor all the time with her work MacBook Pro (via DVI) and has no issues with it, no flickering. I think that theory doesn't yet hold water but who knows.

The model of the original and replacement MacBook Pro is the same so it remains unclear if this is software and/or hardware. To date, AppleCare has given me absolutely no indication as to if/what the problem is, or what will fix it--the waiting game continues.... ♂ I'm hoping this gets resolved quickly. I've been a Mac owner for fifteen years, this is not helping my confidence in the product.

Anecdotal to this problem, I'm using my wife's old white unibody MacBook (2009) as a workaround, only sparingly using the MacBook Pro as-needed. I spent a few hours over the weekend updating the MacBook to 10.13.5 High Sierra, and it's working just fine albeit slower than the MacBook Pro but no flickering at all. I'm using this white MacBook with the same ACER monitor, no issues, flickering or otherwise. For an older, slower machine, it works pretty well considering it's been mothballed for nearly three years. I'm glad we decided to keep it as a backup.

Thanks. I'm just trying to narrow it down. I'm not saying it is Firefox exclusively but perhaps one of a handful that injects a deleterious effect on the way the GPU works. Knock on wood, I'm entering my third day and haven't seen the flickering. I'm only using Safari at the moment, I do not use Chrome, and have since uninstalled Firefox.

Some of my personal usage patterns that demonstrate graphic anomalies, including the all-black screen flickering...

When I'm on Lucidchart.com (CPU & GPU-intensive site), and this black screen/flickering upon wake issue was happening, the site would periodically show fuzziness and distortions in the graphics while working on flowcharts (zooming in/out, panning, etc.); however, I've not seen any of these distortions since I completely removed Firefox, reset the SMC, reset the NVRAM. Previously, resetting SMC and NVRAM did not resolve the issue but I was using Firefox periodically for compatibility reasons on a few work-related sites.

Netflix does flicker one time only as the status bars disappear, and YouTube has been flawless.

My external monitor would periodically go "fuzzy" or "out of focus" (best example I can give). I sent the monitor in to ACER, and they sent it back to me with a "no trouble found" note. My wife uses the monitor with DVI (not HDMI as I do) and hasn't had a problem with it. The issues with fuzziness or flickering have not spawned in the last three days so I am hopeful that whatever was causing the problem may have been addressed but we'll see.

That's all I can come up with, hopefully it is of some use to you all as we wait for either a fix or workaround.

PS: this is the exact model I have...

Oh yeah I’m totally having all of these issues, it only flickers in full screen mode. I’ve had apple techs help reset the RAM and redownload High Sierra. I’ve sent the computer off to the repair facility and that didn’t work. It still flickers and it gives me the pink and green screen at wake up before my wallpaper. I’m convinced it is just High Sierra.

Guys, the one user is answered in the thread: Re: MacBook 2016 screen flickering

that the problem has gone away after installing MacOS Mojave beta.

So we all hope it will be fixed in the new software update!

I don’t see the Automatic graphics switching