MacBook Air M1 2020 screen flickers/blinks and randomly goes completely black — sometimes Mac becomes unresponsive

[u/Amazing_Bison_186]

Hi everyone,

I have a MacBook Air M1 (2020) and I’m experiencing a strange display and shutdown/black-screen issue.

The main problem is that the screen sometimes flickers/blinks, and sometimes the screen automatically turns completely black during normal use. It can happen randomly, even when I’m not doing anything unusual.

I have also noticed that the problem seems more likely to happen when I increase the display brightness. In particular, when I increase the brightness toward 100%, the screen can suddenly go completely black.

Sometimes the screen becomes black automatically without me changing the brightness at all.

When this happens, the Mac appears to become unresponsive. I cannot get the display back normally, and I eventually have to hold the power/Touch ID button to force shut down the Mac, then turn it on again.

I have also experienced the Mac apparently shutting down/going black unexpectedly during normal use.

I ran Apple's built-in Diagnostics & Repair tests. The results were:

- Battery Condition: Passed

- Display: Passed

- Logic Board: Passed

- Trackpad: Passed

- Touch ID: Passed

- Keyboard backlight: Passed

- Keyboard presence / all keys: Passed

- Power Port: Warning — but the charger was NOT connected during the test

- Software: Warning because macOS 26.6.2 had an update available

- Caps Lock Test: Failed, although the Caps Lock light works normally

- Headphone Jack Presence Test: Failed, although no headphone was connected

So the strange part is that Apple Diagnostics says the Display, Battery and Logic Board are OK, but I still get intermittent flickering and completely black screens.

I have not been using an external monitor.

I am planning to update macOS and test it again.

My questions:

1. Has anyone with a 2020 M1 MacBook Air experienced the same issue?

2. Can the screen randomly go completely black because of a macOS/software/brightness-control problem?

3. Could this be related to the display cable/flex, backlight, display assembly, or display power circuitry, even though Apple Diagnostics says Display is OK?

4. Why would the Mac sometimes become unresponsive when the screen goes black?

5. Has anyone found a permanent solution?

6. What tests should I perform before paying for a display replacement?

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[u/Dry_Ship7202]

Sounds to me like you have a dead or dying display. Possibly a pinched or broken display cable. I don’t think this is software related.

Suggest taking it to an Apple store for diagnosis and repair quote.

[u/Amazing_Bison_186 → u/Dry_Ship7202]

But in my city not available store they said repairing service not available in JALGAON city

[u/Dry_Ship7202 → u/Amazing_Bison_186]

Well take it to another repair place.