Written by
Rivers Wong
Flexgate Issue with MacBook Pro Display: All You Should Know
Summary: This article tells you what is flexgate issue with the MacBook Pro display, and what are the symptoms and causes of it. It also provides answers regarding the flexgate and helps you fix the MacBook Pro display backlight issue.
If you are suffering from the flexgate issue with the MacBook Pro display, don't fret! You are not alone. Many MacBook users have claimed in the forum that their 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pros manufactured in 2016 and 2017 are enduring this MacBook Pro display issue.
Read on to know more about this annoying problem that causes several users a lot of financial and mental stress. Once you have a deep understanding of it, you won't be afraid of it anymore.
What does flexgate mean?
Flexgate is an unofficial term used to display backlight-related issues with certain models of MacBook Pro caused by a fractured display flex cable. In other words, flexgate refers to a MacBook Pro display backlight issue.
Once the problem was diagnosed and came to the public, our netizens dubbed it as “flexgate” quickly. Because specialists found out that the flex cable is the main culprit of the annoying problem.
Flexgate issue with MacBook Pro display, what are the symptoms?
If you think you are disturbed by the flexgate issue with the MacBook Pro display, check out the followed symptoms to see if your MacBook is really suffering from that problem first. Because sometimes, you may confuse flexgate issue with other problems, such as green lines on Mac screen, or pink screen on Mac.
MacBooks with flexgate issue may exhibit one or several following behaviors:
- Stage light effect: Alone the entire bottom of the screen on your MacBook, the display backlight will show alternatively bright and dim areas. It looks like a distinctive “stage light” effect.
- Backlight turns off after opening the lid beyond a certain angle: In this situation, you will find that your screen seems to be fine as usual, but once you open the lid all the way up, it goes black suddenly and comes back on again when you reduce the lid angle.
- Complete backlight failure: In this situation, the display looks black and completely off. But if you observe the screen very closely, you'll find that the display is not black or blank at all. The pictures and text on the screen is just too dim to be seen.
- Graphic Glitches: If your MacBook shows this behavior, its display stays bright but shows negative colors, like purple, with a vertical patch of varying brightness and color.
Causes that may lead to flexgate issue
Flexgate, the MacBook Pro display backlight issue is mainly caused by faulty flex display cables. Essentially, it is a design flaw of Apple. For your information, here are the MacBook models with a design flaw that are easy to be afflicted by the flexgate issue:
- A1707 - MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016-17, Touchbar model)
- A1706 - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016-17, Touchbar model)
- A1708 - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016-17, non-Touchbar model)
The affected MacBook models use thin and weak display flex cables. Since the flex cables are loosely wrapped around the display controller panel, they are pulled tight every time you open and close the lid of your Mac. That creates room for the MacBook Pro display issue, including flexgate.
Flexgate issue with MacBook Pro display, how to fix?
Can the flexgate issue with the MacBook Pro display be fixed? Well, the answer is yes.
To take responsibility for the flexgate issue, Apple launched a display backlight service program. But this program is only valid for the following MacBook models:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
If your MacBook is one of the above models, you can simply send your computer with flexgate issue to Apple, and let them fix it, free of charge. But, if your MacBook Pro is not eligible for that program, you will have to get a paid display replacement on your own.
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Conclusion
This article covers all you should know about flexgate issue, including how to fix that problem, causes that might lead to flexgate issue with the MacBook Pro display, and what are the symptoms when your computer is suffered from it.
If you want to learn more about Mac screen-related problems, read these articles:
