If you’re a MacBook user, you know how frustrating it can be when your screen suddenly goes black while the laptop appears to still be running. It’s easy to feel powerless in these situations and think that something may have gone seriously wrong with your computer.
It’s incredibly frustrating to know that something is wrong with one of our most important tech investments, and I have been there myself. If this issue has been plaguing you as well, then don’t worry – I’m here to help!
This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on how to identify this issue, its causes, and solutions. You’ll be up and running again without any further delays in no time! First, let us understand some potential reasons behind this problem.
9 Potential Reasons Why Your MacBook Screen Has Gone Black
A black screen while rebooting your MacBook Pro can be downright terrifying, but fear not! I’ve compiled a list of the most common causes to help you identify and solve this issue quickly. Possible explanations include:
Application Bugs
A bug or software glitch can be the cause of a black screen on your Macbook Pro, especially when third-party applications are involved. This issue often occurs due to errors in these programs and could lead to decreased performance and other issues with usability.
Power Issues
Power problems are the most probable culprits when your MacBook’s screen is black. Whether it’s a faulty battery or an inadequate charging cable, this should always be at the top of your checklist for diagnosing and troubleshooting purposes.
Compatibility Issues With an Updated MacOS
If you are now seeing a black screen and your Mac is non-responsive after updating the operating system, it’s possible that some compatibility issues have impaired its performance.
Battery Drainage
The MacBook Pro screen going blank and not responding is oftentimes a result of the battery being totally depleted. Additionally, faulty batteries or charging cables can also be to blame for this issue.
MacBook Waking Up from Sleep Mode
Troubles with black screens are an all-too-common occurrence when waking your MacBook from sleep mode. It is yet to be determined if this issue lies on Apple’s shoulders or the user, however, it often appears as such: you open up your laptop only for its screen to remain dark despite the device being active and running.
Despite being able to detect the activity of your computer through indicators, fans, and noises, it may still have a blank screen. This is an entirely common phenomenon.
Display Issues
If your MacBook is successfully booting up and you can hear the fan sound, yet the screen remains black – this may be a sign that something has gone wrong with your MacBook’s display.
Issues with Login Item
Your MacBook may not boot up as quickly if you have too many items in the auto-startup list. This can slow down your computer’s login process, making it difficult to access your device.
Issues With Disk Permissions
Sometimes MacBooks experience problems with login items, but there may also be an issue with disk permissions. This can cause a slowdown on your device, resulting in the MacBook Pro screen going blank. At times, user control and incorrect authorizations associated with system disks can keep Macs from booting up or becoming unresponsive.
Poor Coordination Between Firmware & Hardware
If there is any damage, looseness, or accumulated dust in the connections between the hardware and firmware components of a computer, it will be unable to start up correctly. This issue can also cause MacBook screens to go black.
Hardware Issues
Hardware can also be to blame when MacBook screens go blank. Overheating, faulty components, loose cables, and dust accumulation are all potential causes of this issue.
By now, you have a better understanding of the causes behind a black MacBook screen. With this knowledge, it’s time to move on and discuss the solutions available to help you fix the issue.
How to Fix a Black MacBook Screen?
If a MacBook screen goes black but still running, here are a few methods to help you get your MacBook back up and running again with its display working as normal:
1. Boot into Safe Mode
On occasions when MacBook’s monitor displays a pitch-black screen, malfunctioning information on the startup disk could be at fault. By booting your MacBook in safe mode, you can clean out any bugs or glitches that may be causing the black screen issue.
For this process, you need to boot the MacBook in the Safe Mood with the following steps:
- Power off by pressing and holding the power button.
- Press and hold the shift key.
- Now press the power button to turn on MacBook while still holding down the shift key until you see an Apple logo with a progress bar below it.
- Once MacBook is in Safe Mode, it will perform some automatic actions such as repairing disk permissions, deleting fonts caches, and rebuilding system databases before loading the macOS desktop environment.
- If everything goes well, the MacBook Pro screen should be back up and running normally after this process is complete.
The boot process may take longer than usual as the system executes diagnostics during this time. Allow it to finish its safe-mod boot sequence for successful completion.
2. Check Your MacBook’s Power Source
If MacBook Pro’s screen is still black, it could be due to the MacBook being unable to access a power source. Check your MacBook’s power settings and see if it needs charging or if you can try using another charger.
Before proceeding, ensure that your MacBook Pro was not disconnected from its power source without notice or that the cord wasn’t disturbed due to any accidents. Additionally, review your battery cycles and determine if replacement is necessary for optimal performance.
To get started, click the Apple menu in the top left corner of your MacBook and select About this MacBook. System Report should then open; from there you can pick Power on the right-hand side.
Check your MacBook Pro’s battery life with the power panel. If it reads “Poor” or “Bad”, then you should consider replacing the battery soon for optimal performance.
3. Restart Your MacBook
After verifying the laptop has a power connection and eliminating any potential interference from other devices, the next step is to restart your machine. A simple reboot may be all that’s needed to get things running again!
Restart your device in seconds with a simple press of Control + Command (the symbol with four loops) + Power/Eject/Touch ID button – all dependent on the model you’re using.
To restart your MacBook Pro, press and hold the power button for five seconds to turn it off. Then wait 15 seconds before pressing again to reboot – with any luck, this should do the trick!
4. Remove All Peripherals
When you are attempting to resolve the dreaded black screen issue on Mac, only attach your charging cable and adapter – no other accessories should be connected.
To ensure your Mac is up and running properly, be sure to remove all external accessories such as printers, flash drives, phones, etc. Disconnect any device connected to the computer before restarting the machine.
These external devices may initiate their own conversations, which could disrupt the display settings of your Mac.
5. Verifying System Permissions
It is essential to make sure that the system permissions are properly set, allowing legitimate users access to the MacBook’s functions. To do this, use the disk utility and select “verify disk permissions” in order to make sure all of your data is accessible.
6. Resetting The SMC & NVRAM
The SMC (System Management Controller) and NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) should also be reset if MacBook screens go black, as any issues within these two components could cause them to malfunction.
Resetting these will allow for a fresh new start and will give MacBook Pro the chance to begin functioning properly again.
Resetting SMC
- To reset the SMC, shut down your MacBook Pro first.
- Then press and hold Option + Control + Shift for 10 seconds. Now release all the keys and turn on MacBook if it does not power up automatically.
- For MacBook that has a T2 chip, use the below process to reset SMC:
- Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds; then release them together.
Resetting NVRAM
Similarly, you can also try resetting NVRAM by pressing Command + Option + P + R together during startup until MacBook reboots itself. This should fix any possible issues with MacBook Pro’s screen becoming blank or black.
7. Reinstall Your MacOS
If all else fails, you can also try reinstalling your MacBook Pro’s operating system. Make sure to back up any important files before attempting this as they will be deleted during the process.
Reinstalling macOS can fix a variety of issues with MacBooks, including black screens. To do this, power down your MacBook and turn it back on while pressing Command + R until an Apple logo appears on the screen. Once booted into Recovery Mode, select Reinstall macOS and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.
8. Try Turning Off the Automatic Graphics Switching
If you own a MacBook Pro with two GPUs, this solution is the perfect remedy for your black screen problem. On certain MacBook Pro models featuring dual graphics cards that switch automatically, the possibility exists of a computer booting up to a black screen.
How To Turn Off the Automatic Graphics Switching?
This can be done in the MacBook Pro’s System Preferences. Click on Energy Saver and select Graphics. You will then see an option to turn off the Automatic Graphics Switching – this should do away with any black screen issues you may have been facing with your MacBook Pro!
9. Fix The Disk Permissions
Resetting app permissions on Macs is often a critical step to resolving many issues, including the dreaded black screen. Disk authorizations are what allow applications and documents access to different settings, which can explain why they cause problems in the first place. Taking control of disk permissions can make all the difference.
10. Forced Startup For MacBook
In times of MacBook issues, try a forced reset – it may be the solution you need. A simple power-off and reboot can often solve all kinds of problems in an instant!
Performing MacBook Forced Startup
To access the startup options window on an Apple-chipped MacBook Pro (M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max), press and hold down the power button for around 10 seconds. You should be able to view a gear icon named “Options” in this window — select it and click Continue if you want.
If not, then release the power button once more before pressing and holding it again after 10 seconds have passed by. Once macOS Recovery starts up successfully, Disk Utility will appear within a new utility window that follows thereafter.
To get your Intel-chipped MacBook Pro up and running again, press and stay the power button for around 10 seconds. Then immediately hold down Command + R until you catch a glimpse of an Apple logo or alternative image on the screen—if it still looks blank after 20 seconds, try another solution.
If this does work to recover your screen, run Disk Utility as well just in case there are any errors that need to be repaired; once these have been fixed, turn on your device again.
Conclusion
Hopefully, one of these solutions has been able to help you solve your MacBook problems. Understanding the cause will always be your way to go. If none of the solutions have worked for you yet, it may be time to take your MacBook Pro in for a check-up from an Apple technician or Apple Support. Fingers crossed, you can enjoy a fully functioning MacBook Pro from now on! Thanks for reading and best of luck.
