How to Fix the Pink Screen Issue on Mac

Trying to find an effective way to fix the pink screen issue on your Mac?

Pink is a cheerful color. However, when it covers the entire Mac screen and the computer display is gone, no one’s happy to see it. While the pink screen issue isn’t as common as the black or white screen of death on Apple devices, it’s just as serious and in need of immediate attention.

Most of the time, this error occurs on a Mac due to screen display or other hardware issues. But in some cases, software incompatibility is the root cause. Whatever the reason behind your pink screen of death, our team is here to help you fix it.

Today, we’ve listed multiple ways to resolve the issue. Each potential solution comes with step-by-step instructions to guide you accordingly. So, don’t worry too much. Here’s how to fix the pink screen issue on Mac.

Let’s get right to it! 

1. Do General Troubleshooting. 

Before you move on to more complex solutions, do general troubleshooting. Try the following basic fixes:

• Reboot your computer: Disconnect the recently plugged external devices. Then, restart your Mac. That way, you can check if the problem is only a temporary bug on your computer or external devices. 

• Connect to an external display: The pink screen probably appeared because of a faulty graphics card or screen. To rule out this cause, connect your Mac to an external display. If your output looks fine through the external display, then it’s a hardware screen problem. Bring your MacBook to the Apple repair center.

Does the pink screen issue persist even after rebooting or connecting to an external display? It’s time to try other troubleshooting methods. Continue reading below.

2. Reset SMC to Fix Pink Screen Issue on Mac. 

System Management Controller or SMC controls hardware settings on your Mac. These include sleep and power functions that may be causing the pink screen of death. So, resetting SMC is worth a try to resolve your Mac problem.

Here’s how to do it:

1. First, unplug the power and shut down your computer.
2. Press and hold the following keys: Shift + Option + Control + Power. Then, release the keys after ten seconds.

3. Replug the power cable. And finally, turn on your Mac. 

As your Mac starts up, see if the pink screen issue persists. If yes, try another fix below.

3. Reset NVRAM Settings.

Non-volatile RAM or NVRAM stores some settings, like display resolution, startup disk selection, and recent kernel panic information. Sudden changes in such settings could cause tons of issues, including the pink screen of death. Reset NVRAM, and see if that gets rid of the pink screen issue and restore the functionality of your Mac.

Here’s how to reset NVRAM settings:

1. First, turn off your Mac.
2. Then, press and hold the following keys: Option + Command  + P + R.

3. Lastly, release the keys once you hear the startup sound for the second time. On Macs with Apple T2 security chip, wait for the Apple logo to appear and disappear twice before releasing the key combinations.

This fix worked for some users. But if that isn’t the case with you, keep on reading for more potential solutions to resolve the pink screen issue on your Mac.

4. Disable Automatic Graphics Switching.

A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized processor that accelerates graphics rendering in computers. Typically, there are two graphic types: dedicated and integrated.

Now, if your Mac has both types, the pink screen may appear during graphics switching. To avoid that, we suggest disabling the automatic graphics switching option. You have two ways to do it. We’ll discuss each option for your convenience.

Disable the automatic graphics switching through Safe Mode:

1. First, boot your Mac in Safe Mode.
2. Then, click the Apple menu. 
3. Select System Preferences.
4. Next, click Energy Saver.
5. Finally, uncheck the Automatic graphics switching option.

Another way to perform this fix is by doing it through macOS Recovery Mode:

1. First, hold down these keys: Command + R to force your Mac to boot into macOS Recovery Mode.
2. Then, select Utilities. 
3. In the drop-down menu, click Terminal.

4. Finally, type this command in the Terminal window:

nvram fa4ce28d-b62f-4c99-9cc3-6815686e30f9:gpu-power-prefs=%01%00%00%00

After that, your Mac will start using only dedicated graphics. Note that while it’s a good workaround to resolve the pink screen issue on Mac, this option might shorten your battery life. Want to explore another way to fix the issue? Read more below.

5. Resolve Third-Party Software Incompatibility.

The culprit behind the pink screen issue on Mac could be software incompatibility. Some third-party software programs don’t work on certain operating systems. So when they are forced to run on an incompatible OS, issues like pink screen can occur.

Have you recently upgraded your macOS? That could be the problem. Some third-party software programs haven’t been updated to run on a new macOS version.

It’s easy to check and fix third-party software incompatibility. All you have to do is boot your MacBook in Safe Mode. macOS starts with a minimum required software and drivers during Safe Mode. So if your Mac starts up in Safe Mode without the pink screen issue, then the problem is due to third-party software incompatibility.

While your Mac is in Safe Mode, uninstall recently installed third-party software. You can also check apps that can’t run on your new macOS version. For instance, 32-bit apps won’t run on macOS Big Sur. Delete those apps before restarting your Mac again.

6. Fix Kernel Panic to Fix Pink Screen Issue on Mac.

The kernel is at the core of your Mac’s operating system. It facilitates interactions between your Mac’s hardware and software components. When kernel panic happens, the system is likely to be corrupted, too. Mac issues like getting a pink screen will then occur.

Hardware failure, software incompatibility, and even malware can trigger a kernel panic. But don’t fret, as there’s a way to fix it. We’ll guide you through all the steps.

Here’s how to fix kernel panic:

1. Start by booting your Mac into macOS Recovery Mode.
2. On the macOS Utilities window, select Disk Utility.

3. Choose your startup disk from the sidebar menu. Then, click the arrow to view all the containers volumes. Apple suggests repairing the volumes first. Then, work your way up to the containers and startup disks.
4. Select the last volume listed from the sidebar. 
5. Then, click the First Aid button from the menu bar on top. Next, click Run to complete the process.
6. Repeat Step 5 for each volume and container listed, then the disk itself.

Each First Aid run could take a while, so don’t be alarmed if it takes too long. Disk Utility needs time to check and repair kernel panic and other startup errors for you.

7. Reinstall macOS to Get Rid of the Pink Screen.

None of the above solutions worked? You might have to reinstall your macOS. This move helps rid any corrupted files, settings, or systems causing the pink screen issue on your Mac. You can reinstall macOS through macOS Recovery Mode.

Keep in mind, though, that reinstalling macOS will lead to data loss. Be sure that you’ve backed up your data through Time Machine before. That way, you can recover and restore them once you’ve reinstalled your macOS.

Here’s how to reinstall macOS to fix the pink screen issue on Mac:

1. First, boot your computer in macOS Recovery Mode.
2. On the macOS Utilities window, select Reinstall macOS. Then, click Continue.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If your Mac is still not working after that, it may have some hardware issues.

8. Check for External Hardware Incompatibility.

Some hardware components can’t work well with particular motherboards or systems. If nothing has worked for you so far, see if the pink screen issue is due to hardware incompatibility.

To do this, unplug all peripheral devices first. Then, reconnect one device and reboot your computer each time. If the pink screen issue occurs only when a particular device is connected, then that device is the culprit. You can then contact the manufacturer of that device and ask for technical support.

9. Contact Apple to Repair Pink Screen Issue on Mac.

If you’ve tried all the methods mentioned and you still can’t pinpoint whether it’s a software or hardware issue, bring your computer to the nearest Apple repair center. There may be serious problems that only Apple can resolve. Book an appointment online before you visit.

This wraps up this article. Hopefully, we’ve helped you fix or, at least, handle the issue. Got more Mac-related problems? Go and leave a comment below. Our team is ready to help you. We’ll offer more troubleshooting tips and how-to guides on our next posts.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂