Chosen Solution
Hi i have huge horizontal semi transparent lines on top and bottom of my 2016 touchbar retina macbook pro 13inch. Other symptoms includes No audio devices found(cant play sound) Is there any possible reasons for this? I highly doubt is a software problem.
Update (04/08/2019) hey guys an update on my issue, i never went for a fix, the problem went away after i left it to rest for a few days, i believe its an overheat issue. my screen has been working fine for the past few months since reporting this. Not sure it will come back, but this is definitely a faulty hardware, and Apple is not admitting it! Affected model: 2016 Macbook Pro touch bar Update (22 July 2020) I never went for a fix till now and using the same mac, the problem still comes and go, usually happen when overheating/heavy usage. I brought my macbook for de-dusting the fans and apply new heat paste for my processor in hope that it can reduce overheating issues, replacing the whole display costs too much. Apple did an update for this issue for the FlexGate issue: 13-inch MacBook Pro Display Backlight Service Program. Sadly it doesn’t cover the T-CON issues.
Looks like you also have the same problem as black bar at the bottom screen! Sadly your screen is failing! You’ll need to see if Apple will cover it under an extended warranty exception! Update (08/23/2018) Apple has had quite a few of these now, All of the Touch Bar 15” & Fn 13" have this affliction. The 13” Touch Bar appears to be less effected! The T-CON board which sits between the heat exchangers within the main body can over heat damaging it. Either the fans have failed or the vents have be blocked so the system is staved of fresh cool air or the exhaust vents in the back are blocked by bedding. I’ve also seen dust build up as an issue. If your warranty has expired you’ll need a new display assembly as the T-CON board is part of the assembly. If Apple has stuck with the older display design with the T-CON logic within the lid this wouldn’t have been such an issue as the display area is much cooler.
We should organise a campaign for Apple since they don’t acknowledge the problem that causes so much of inconvenience to so many users.
Same problem for me, mostly happens when MacBook is heating up. When I start using it there is no issue but after like 20-40 minutes it appears. I hope there will be a service program at some point. 2017 MacBook Pro
Hello, I have the same problems. Macbook Pro 2017 - I have a 13-inch model. At first, horizontal lines appeared at the top, and now the screen is completely filled with lines. I use the screen by connecting it with HDMI. I think this is Apple’s chronic problem. We need to organize a campaign for Apple to make free exchanges.
Many people live the same problem. but the Apple doesn’t offer a solution at all. 2 months after the end of the warranty.
So I had the exact same problem on my 2016 15” macbook pro and got it fixed for free. If it was a 13” it would be covered by the https://support.apple.com/en-gb/13-inch-… , if not read the rest of this. In my case i started noticing this within one month of the repair of my keyboard under the keyboard service program formac notebooks https://support.apple.com/en-gb/keyboard… So, I went back to the mac service partner, said it started to appear after the repair, and they repaired it under Apple Quality Program(this is what was written on the repair report)! I’m almost sure you already experienced sticky keys on your keyboard or double typing of some keys, if you didn’t it will happen soon, and i think they will only repair it within 4 years from the purchase date (btw i bought my Macbook pro second handed in Malaysia and i don’t have the proof of purchase but it was serviced without problems in Portugal). What i suggest if you do not have warranty is to go to a service center and complain first about the keyboard. They will replace it under the Keyboard Service Program available for several macbooks and after some time go back and complain about the screen and see what happens! PS with my keyboard replacement i also got a new battery as it is glued to the top case :D
HI Jason, Indeed this is likely not a software issue, but it can also have multiple source causes. For the 2016 models, this is unfortunately a common problem. In most cases, I would suggest possibly a failing GPU which likely means that Apple would have to replace the logic board, or a bad connection with the display port cable, and re-seating it could possibly help. But from what I was able to gather from the official apple.com forum, is that many people have had this issue, some specifically say it would happen during cold weather. No solutions found as far as a replaceable part that fails, they blame it on quality. I would take that with a grain of salt as someone might have the answer to the root cause of the horizontal lines issue on the 2016 retina 13” MBP.
Recorded my display misbehaving today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6FficHt… At least in my case, these lines only appear after a while (~30 min or more). If I shutdown the computer and turn it back on right after, lines will still be there. However, if I wait a couple minutes before turning it back on, they won’t be there. The angle of the display doesn’t matter at all. Leaving the macbook on for long periods of time does make the problem worse. In this case, lines get darker and sometimes appear at the bottom as well. Ventilation seems to be working just fine and I can hear the fans kicking in during intensive tasks. Today when the lines appeared I placed my macbook in front of an AC unit and the lines faded slowly, so the problem is most likely heat related. Update (04/09/2019) Well, in my case the problem solved itself (knock on wood). It’s been more than a month since the lines last appeared. The only thing different that I did was to ditch the external monitor. Nothing else. Let’s see how long this lasts. Got a quote for R$3500 to replace the display in an authorised service provider, but wasn’t entirely sure the display was to blame so I didn’t go ahead with the repair. Update (2020) They are back.
Hi! Same problem here. Happened 6 months out of warranty. Unfortunately, no Apple employee would acknowledge this.
My Macbook Pro 13-inch 2017 touchbar model also started showing this issue around two months ago. I did not take it to repair service (and now, with COVID-19 pandemic, it will probably take longer to do so), and I’ve been closely monitoring it to understand what might be happening. I wanted to share what I learned: As others are saying, when the computer is left resting (lid closed) for enough time, the lines disappear.The lines might appear after some time using it, but this will depend on what type of task you are doing. Simple tasks usually do not trigger the heat issue and I can use the computer for hours without seeing them. What I observed is that any task that requires VIDEO PROCESSING (and here I’ll guess that means GPU use) will make the problem pop up very fast. Watching any videos, for instance, will trigger the problem after a while.Once the problem starts, it will get worse and worse until you close the lid and leave it to cool down. Until now, the problem completely disappeared after cooling down. It did not leave any permanent damage to my screen, no matter how bad it looked before.I bought a notebook cooler to see if this would prevent the problem. It didn’t.I also installed Macs Fan Control and tried using the notebook with 100% fans speed and with the notebook cooler. It did not prevent the problem to appear either.The problem did get worse since the first time I noticed it. Now, I see more lines are affected (maybe two times more from the beginning). But it looks like it stabilized in the last month (of course I have started closing the lid as soon as I can when it gets bad).On cold days (< 20ºC) the problem seems to be harder to show up. On hot days (> 30ºC), even normal usage might trigger it. If you have air conditioning, this might help you keep working. UPDATE (22/06/2020) Two and a half months later, the problem persists. It got worse, but I have been reckless lately and kept using it even after the gray lines were strong. What happens when you push through and keep using it is very strange: the image from the screen you are most time at gets burned at the bottom lines (the number of lines where this happens will increase with usage time) and these lines stop being updated (so your mouse cursor will disappear if you drag it to this region). If you change screens you can see this effect very clearly:
But no matter how worse my screen looked like before putting the machine to sleep, it always came back to normal after some 4 hours resting (between 30 minutes to 4 hours, all seems ok, except that you can still see some of the last burned content overlaying the current screen content, almost like a water mark). I have a strong feeling that this is not solely related to temperature, because it looks like the more time I let my machine sleeping, the more time I can use it before the lines start appearing. I have this feeling because if I leave it sleeping for about a day and start using it with full GPU power, the issue takes more time to show up than if I do the same after just 4 hours of sleep. Also, if I wait just 30 minutes, the black lines all disappeared and they will come back very, very fast (less than 10 minutes). Once, I have not used my machine for two days and I started using it in a very hot day (over 30ºC), and the problem took a long time to start appearing. As another user pointed out, putting ice behind the bottom of the screen makes the black lines disappear almost instantly (just to reappear a couple of minutes later). But if you used the machine for enough time and the content started to get burned at the bottom of the screen, then you will also see these burned lines get stronger. So it seems to me that temperature alone doesn’t explain the whole situation. Sometimes I almost feel like it is a software/firmware problem, as if a slow overflow of information would start corrupting the data being written in the screen buffer, but this is just a barely supported suspicion.
This seems to be either torn display flex cable or Components out of specs due to age or thermal cycle. Ether way it’s a hardware issue and likely requiring the replacement of the entire clamshell assembly.
SOLVED: As I mentioned above, my MacBook Pro 2017 13” had the same issue. This week I scheduled a repair in a AASP so they checked my model was in a quality program (recall) for both screen and keyboard. My warranty has past 6 months but they covered the replace of both lid and top case (with battery) anyway with no cost. Now I’m waiting for my almost brand new MacBook Pro comming from repair. I suggest everyone with the same issue to find a AASP as soon as possible. For those who already paid for the repair, I suggest to try a refund from Apple.
in China, we have a Wechat group and there are over 400 group members have the same issue, whose MBP models covering from 2016 to 2018. We’ve already contacted the Apple and some consumer-protection agencies, and it doesn’t work. Apple just refuses to admit their design and manufacturing flaw! We need to sign for the petition (search recall 2017 macbook on change.org) and require Apple to recall the defective products or agree to repair the display for free!
Hello I have the same issue on my MacBook Pro (13-inch Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports with touchbar - 2017) as you can see in the photos. Since May this lines started to appear temporarily on the screen and by the time using the computer, they started to increase and expand. I waited till last week to get the support because of the pandemic and also I needed the mac for work. First at an Apple Authorized Service Provider I have been told that they fix the problem by updating a firmware. This proved to be wrong since after only1 hour of usage (two pages of Safari opened) the lines have appeared again. So yesterday I took the macbook to the Apple Genius Bar (Italy): the technicians told me the problem is in the LCD display and the only way to solve this is by changing it for a cost of over 500 euros. They also said that if a certain (?) number of users experience the same issue and report it to the Apple support, “maybe” Apple would start some free support program (like the blacklight one). Does somebody have some info or have solved the problem yet for free?
My MP 2017 is fixed by (unofficial) local store, they spend a lot of time to investigate, and they find out the root cause, I remember they said they just replaced a wire somewhere connect to monitor (hmm, I can’t remember exactly, but the point is “a wire cause this issue”). So I don’t have to replace any hardware else.
This is my screen before repair (horizontal line at the top edge and bottom edge):
I’m another victim of this problem. My device is MacBook Pro 13-inch, 2017 with Touch Bar. it seems that it’s heavily affecting 2016 & 2017 models, 2018 will follow soon. I’m running my Mac always in A/C controlled environment, few lines start to appear at the lower part of display then increase in numbers until they form a thick grey bar. the only way to solve it is to close the lid or shutdown the laptop for an hour or so.
Sometimes this thick bar starts flickering and displaying random rainbow colors as show.
Apple should really consider a recall program for this issue. Update as of 08/07/2020: I escalated the issue to Apple customer support, they’ve managed to give me warranty exception for out of warranty service, the display was replaced for free!
Hi Guys, If your macbook pro is the 13” 2016 touchbar model, you can take advantage of this: https://www.apple.com/support/13-inch-ma… Just tell Apple that you got an intermittent backlight issue and I got my screen replaced for free.
Sign this petition guys http://chng.it/tw2Px6C5Kx to get Exchange and Repair Extension Programs
I’m Having this issue with my Macbook Late 2017 (A1708)
Update I have tried every possible thing nothing worked, I literally had to give my mac away to some guy who later used it for spares, all I got was 50$… Apple will never claim responsibility its been 3 years since the product came out and I dont thing if they havent agreed until now they will. I have attached a picture of my mac
I had warranty left (since I bought my MBP 2016) from JBHifi Australia and proceeded to get it repaired when I had this problem. Took about 7 weeks to repair for me and luckily it was under warranty, otherwise the parts used totalled $523.75AUD. I’ve been using it again for another month now and these lines has began to appear again. So I honestly don’t know what to do, repair seems to do absolutely nothing and I’m too poor to either get a new MBP (for editing purposes) or get another repair.
Same here :’(( macbook pro touchbar 2017. Really need help
Same here.
You can see the mouse cursor rolling on the screen this happens after somes hours using. If i shutdown and wait for an hour, it disappears. Anyone know if i have to change the whole display or there some kind of fix. Thnks
Same problem here. 2017 MBP13 inch Touch Bar. 6 months out of warranty
Same here!
This is definitely a thermal/load issue. I’ve been having the lines at the bottom of the screen everyday after I use my MBP 15” mid 2016 after a few minutes. I used to be a power user with a lot of heavy apps and tabs open in the background all at the same time and I only put my laptop to sleep by closing the lid and never shut it off completely. The fan of the laptop always spins up to the max most of the time I use it. Then I tried shutting it off and closing unused background apps and turning off the machine during the weekend when I’m no longer using it. I also opened the back cover of the laptop to see that the vents and fans have a lot of dust build up making the laptop not cool down efficiently. Now the lines are no longer appearing unless I push the laptop to the max again for an extended amount of time making it run hot. I think this is definitely a hardware defect in the screen where the screen is overheating creating the lines and maybe the diffuser is getting delaminated which is a shame. But the cause is high temperature and can be avoided by cleaning the vents and fans and not making the laptop run to the max for an extended amount of time.
Hello, I am also one of the countless victims of this problem. No luck, I don’t have an apple store in my country and because of the lockdown, I can’t send it to another country. So I went to a professional apple repairer and I changed then screen with a new one.. but the problem returned again a few days later. I went back to the repairer again who was surprised, we thought at the beginning that the problem came from the new screen (manufacturing defect), he then changed the screen again with another new one … But again, a week later, the horizontal lines reappeared below the screen especially when I plug it in with an external monitor. This is where I discovered this topic and I get to better understand the problem. But my question is: Why does changing the screen not solve the problem? knowing that those who have changed the screen at Apple no longer have problems? Also, are the 2 new screens are actually really damaged for good ?
I have the same problem, and lines are increasing in size since they first appeared. I hope Apple will recognise this design issue. I’ll bring my Macbook (2017, no TB) to the Genius Bar as soon as Apple Stores reopen here in Lombardy.
Got the same issue out of warranty, my job got stuck bc of it please suggest what we all can do by the way i already filed a consumer complaint here in India hoping to see if any help comes from there or will to argue with the poor support people who doesn’t have part in this at all.
Same issue, anyone have any luck with the trade-in program? I’m considering this since it seems like repair will cost upwards of $700, and if Apple won’t admit a manufacture issue, it may be possible to claim good condition on the MBP?
2016 MODEL OWNER CHECK THIS OUT! I have same horizontal lines issue. I went to apple store and sent MBP back under the Stage-light program, I have just received my MBP with new screen for free. Just talk to a guy in Genius bar, go thought some diagnose and question and ask for sent your MBP to repair center under the program. What you expected is just waiting for your mac ship to your address with new screen. That’s it. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) Timeline: Oct. 19 went to Genius Bar Oct 22 received!
As an update for 2017 MBP owners, I thought it over a lot and decided to try to go for the trade-in. I initially approached Genius Bar to ask about the price of a repair, showing them the issue. The estimate was around $575. Since the issue was a come and go thing, at the time of presentation my screen appeared fine other than the horizontal line that was at the bottom of screen. Since at the time of inspection it appeared near-perfect condition, I was able to get the full trade-in value which was $610. My issue is exactly the same as many of the posts above with horizontal lines at the bottom and top of screen, and at worst, the whole screen would have lines and programs became transparent on top of one another. Since my alternative was to pay for repair, which I have no guarantee that the problem won’t come back, I decided to trade in and get a new Mac. It sucks, its not the best solution, but it was the most hassle-free for me. TLDR: if your screen appears fine at the time of inspection (bring it in person), they will give you full value trade-in.
Hello Everyone, So I just wanted to post my case, I had a similar issue with Display, there were display lights and Keyboard issues in 13’’ inch MacBook Pro 2016, I never knew about this program and keyboard program and frustrated with my MB all this time. Thanks to this Forum, I was able to get approval for the replacement of my keyboard and Display. It is still in process at AASP. I will update this thread once I have received my Macbook back from Apple.
It started with horizontal lines and ended up like this…
I contacted Apple and they told me I have to buy a new display… We should do something. For a 3 year model this is unacceptable…
WE ALL NEED TO STICK TOGETHER AND HAVE APPLE RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, ITS ABOUIT TIME APPLE GET INVOLVED, ITS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED. FELIPE ROSA Puerto Rico
Hi,
Yet another user experiencing issues. I’ve been on to apple support today getting me to run diagnostics, which returned no issues??
I don’t know if anyone else has this, but my command & shift keys on the left hand side have started being temperamental too. I purchased this machine in Dec 2017, and had a 3 year warranty so 2 months out of it… very annoyed, but we move.
Re-posting the link for anyone who’s new/doesn’t read the whole forum, it’s definitely clear this issue isn’t a consumer fault or ‘one off’…. https://www.change.org/p/apple-apple-ser…
I Agree, their issue they should replace!!
have the same problem with MacBook Pro Touch Bar 2016. I went apple service and they offered me to replace screen for about 600 US dollars. Of course I declined it. This is bullshit. Why apple doesn’t start a service program for this problem? This is their fault, why we should pay for this?
It’s getting worse after a couple of hours usage :( about 6 hours later i can not see the Dock. Then there appears same horizontal lines on top of the screen.
I started experiencing this in December 2020, about 4 months after the expiry of my AppleCare Plus. I had only had the laptop since August 2016 so I was stunned. At first, I thought I broke the screen or something, but after a few google searches, I found out this was just a flaw of the laptop. I was told I would need to pay for a screen replacement but that was way out of my budget. I called Apple & spoke to them candidly about this issue. I showed them the online posts on Reddit, the 2 petitions going on on change.org, and made them understand that as a loyal customer, I was extremely disappointed. They offered to fix my screen for me & said they’d cover the parts costs but I would be responsible for labour. But ultimately, they didn’t even charge me for labour. Screen as good as new & I will definitely consider buying Apple products again.
Same. 4 months after the end of warranty. I contacted Apple Support to claim a warranty exception so they said this problem is not one which Apple will consider an exception. They also said in future Apple can consider a refund if they confirm the range of the problem, for now the only thing I can do is repairing for myself and spend a lot of money.
Late 2016 13’ TouchBar got same issue here!!
Late 2016 13’ TouchBar got same issue here!! And 6 months out of warranty, anyone with the solution?
Happening on my MacBook 15” Retina mid 2016 and when i stopped using it for a few weeks when i went on vacation, when i returned the problem did not appear for a few days. Then it came back again after I used the computer heavily and has not stopped happening since. I think its related to thermals and appears when the computer runs hot. I hope Apple acknowledges this problem and creates a service/recall or extended warranty program. They need to know that there are already a lot of units affected. This is also happing on my 2 friends MBPs - a Retina 13” and a 15”.
I have solution, you can try to install fan mac control. this software is customizer prm on your macbook. I think its not flexgate. Its overheating issue.
for me, fan mac control make the shadow is gone ..
I did not yet had the chance to exchange my display using the coating program. My problem is getting worse. I don’t have any apple nearby as I am traveling and the only chance is to give it to an authorized service for a minimum of 2 weeks for repair. If it would be a 2016 model, apple would replace it outside warranty as well: https://www.apple.com/support/13-inch-ma… but people are facing the same issue with 2017 model (just like mine). Some are mentioning T-CON board issue, is that related to it? What is the T-CON and where is it located?
I’m having this issue on my 2017 fn keys. I’m suffering this issue for months and Apple are not admitting that is a design flaw. A test you can do to see your device is defected with this issue. Use your MBP for a time then put a solid grey background on your screen and check if you can see a dark lines on your screen
I have same display issue with the macbook pro 15 inch late 2016. In addition, I have also have had Keyboard issue. Apparently, the up arrow is not working properly. Today I have submitted the Mac at the Authorised service centre for keyboard replacement. At the service center, I have explained my display horizontal issue to an enginner. I was wonder when he said that he knew about horizontal line display issue.He also said that many users have complained about display issue. Sadly there is no solution for that. Eventually, I contacted to Apple support and explain the issues. Apple support have told me that Keyboard issue will be fixed however display will be fixed after the diagnosis. I am waiting for diagnosis report. I shall get within 7 days. I will update the diagnosis report. Please sign this petition https://www.change.org/p/apple-fix-all-m…
