There are multiple reasons why a MacBook display doesn’t work and it’ll be worthwhile following these steps to see if you’re able to locate the cause of the issue.
Before You Start
- Disconnect any external displays or devices from your MacBook (External drives, external display or other peripherals).
Checking the physical condition of the display
- If you’re seeing lines appearing vertically or horizontally on the display, this is often a sign of physical damage to the screen itself.
- Check the display panel for any cracks, chips or marks. If there is a visible line on the display then you might be able to trace this to a point of damage.
⚠️ Important: If you notice lines across the display then this often indicates that the display is damaged.
If you’ve checked and can see that your display is damaged then we’d recommend speaking to an Apple Authorised Service Provider.
Is the Display switching on?
- What is happening on the display itself? For example, is the display completely black? Is there a slight blueish illumination when the device is switched on? Are there any lines across the display?
- If the display remains entirely black, see if the device is powering on. Listen for the startup chime, observe whether the keyboard backlight activates, and press the Caps Lock key to see if the green indicator light appears, this can help confirm if the Mac is receiving power and responding.
- Check that the brightness is turned up (F2 key).
Test using an External Display
- Connect your device to an external display to check if it works. If the external display shows an image but your MacBook screen does not, the issue is likely isolated to the MacBook’s built-in display.
Reinstall macOS
⚠️ Important: Please note that these procedures will result in the complete removal of all data from your Mac.
- Backup the data on your device and check which Mac model you have, clicking here.
- Follow this guide to erase and reinstall macOS via macOS Recovery.
- Test to see if the display works.
