You can fix your flickering Mac by trying the solutions below but before that, check if the screen flickering issue occurs in the MacBook’s safe mode. Moreover, check if trying the following temporary workarounds (reported by users) solve the flickering issue:
Update the OS of the MacBook to the Latest Built
An outdated macOS of the MacBook may cause the screen flickering as the OS may become incompatible with other modules/applications. In this case, updating (or upgrading) the OS of the MacBook to the latest release may solve the problem. But before proceeding, make sure to back up the system by using the Time Machine. If no more update is available at step 2, then you may try to downgrade (from an older backup) the OS of the MacBook (if the issue started after an OS update).
Disable Shake Mouse Pointer to Locate
Although the feature of locating the mouse pointer (by shaking it) is quite nifty but it may cause the issue at hand as the feature interferes with the display modules of the Mac. In this context, disabling the feature of Shake Mouse Pointer to Locate may solve the problem. If the issue persists, then you may resize the cursor (increase or decrease the cursor size and then revert to the initial) in the Display tab of the MacBook’s System Preference and check if the issue is resolved. You may have to repeat the same after every system restart till the issue is permanently fixed.
Disable the Dark Mode of the MacBook
MacBook’s screen may flicker if its dark mode is enabled as it can conflict with the display modules of the OS and disabling the dark mode of the MacBook may solve the problem. If that did not work, check if disabling the Night Shift (System Preferences» Displays» Night Shift) solves the screen flickering issue.
Disable Auto-Brightness and True Tone of the MacBook
The MacBook Pro’s screen might flicker if the options of the Auto-Brightness and True Tone are enabled as they may interfere with the display modules of the system. In this context, disabling the Auto-Brightness and True Tone may solve the problem.
Disable Automatic Graphics Switching of the MacBook
If your MacBook Pro is configured to automatically switch between the best graphics card of your system (if your MacBook is a dual graphics card machine) to extend its battery life. In this context, disabling the Automatic Graphics Switching of the MacBook may solve the screen flickering issue (but it may badly impact the battery life of your MacBook). If that did not work, check if disabling the Prevent Computer from Sleeping Automatically When the Display is Off (System Preferences» Energy Saver» Power Adapter) sorts out the screen flickering issue.
Uninstall the Conflicting Applications and Remove Startup Items
The screen of your MacBook Pro may flicker due to a 3rd party application or if any of the startup items are interfering with the display modules of the OS. In this context, uninstalling the conflicting applications and removing the startup items may solve the problem. Users have reported the following applications to create the issue: You may check if any of these or a similar application is causing the issue for you, for illustration, we will discuss the process to remove the Firefox browser from the MacBook. If the issue persists after removing the conflicting applications, then you may create a new user account on the MacBook and check if the flickering issue is not occurring in the new user account. If so, then you may remove the Startup Items from the main user account.
Reset SMC of the MacBook to the Defaults
The screen of the MacBook Pro may flicker if the low-level settings (battery management, thermal management, motion and light sensors, etc.) of SMC (System Management Controller) are corrupt. In this case, resetting the SMC to the defaults may solve the MacBook issue.
Reset NVRAM and PRAM to Defaults
The MacBook Pro screen may flicker if the PRAM (Parameter RAM) and NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory) memories of your system are corrupt. In this case, resetting the NVRAM and PRAM to the defaults may solve the problem but keep in mind resetting these memories may overwrite any temporary or customizable configurations. But before moving on, make sure to back up the Mac system by using the Time Machine.
Run the Apple Diagnostics
If nothing has worked for you, then running the Apple Diagnostics may solve the issue by clearing the incorrect flags of the PRAM, NVRAM, and SMC (if it does not detect any hardware issues). If none of the solutions did the trick for you, check if using a 3rd party tool like SwitchResX and selecting billions of colors solves the issue. If not, check if performing the clean installation of the macOS on the MacBook solves the flickering issue. If the issue persists, check if Windows 10 shows a similar behavior when installed through the boot camp. If so, then get your system checked for a hardware issue.
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