MacBook black screen or won't wake from sleep — fix list

A MacBook that powers on but shows nothing on screen is deeply unsettling — you can hear the fans, feel the warmth, but the display is dead. Before you assume the worst, try these in order. Most of the time the fix is a key combination, not a repair.

First — can you hear it running?

Open the lid, press the power button, and listen.

• Chime (on models that have it) or fan spin + keyboard backlight briefly on? Yes → system is booting, display issue. Go to section 1.
• Nothing at all, no fans, no LEDs? No → not a black-screen issue, see our laptop won't turn on guide.
• Fans spin but no chime and no keyboard backlight? Hardware fault on the logic board (section 5) or graphics.

1. Check the display is actually off

Sometimes the system is running but has lost track of the display.

• Shine a torch at a very oblique angle to the screen (almost parallel to it).
• Can you faintly make out the desktop or login window?

If yes, the backlight has failed but the LCD panel itself is working. This is usually a blown fuse on the logic board or a failed backlight driver — repairable at component level. Takes the load off suspecting the whole display assembly.

If you see nothing at all, the panel, cable or GPU has failed.

2. Force a reboot

The display can hang for bizarre reasons after a macOS update or a display-drawing bug in an app.

• Hold the power button for 10 seconds until the laptop fully powers off.
• Wait 5 seconds.
• Press power once to boot.

About a third of "black screen" cases clear here.

3. NVRAM reset (Intel only)

NVRAM holds display settings. Corrupted NVRAM can blank the screen.

Intel MacBooks:

• Shut down.
• Power on and immediately hold Cmd + Option + P + R together.
• Hold for 20-25 seconds (two chimes pass on older models).
• Release, let it boot normally.

Apple Silicon (M1 onwards) resets NVRAM automatically when needed — no user command. Just shut down fully and power on fresh.

4. SMC reset (Intel only)

The System Management Controller handles display power among other things. Resetting SMC clears stuck display states.

Intel MacBooks with T2 chip (2018-2020):

• Shut down.
• Hold Control + Option + Shift (right) + Power for 7 seconds.
• Release all, wait 10 seconds, power on.

Older Intel MacBooks:

• Shut down.
• Hold Control + Option + Shift (left) + Power for 10 seconds.
• Release, power on.

Apple Silicon doesn't have a user-accessible SMC reset — just power off fully and restart.

5. External display test

Plug the MacBook into an external monitor or TV via HDMI (or USB-C if your model doesn't have HDMI). Power on and wait 30 seconds.

• External display shows the desktop: the MacBook is fully functional, just the internal display is broken. The fault is either the display cable, the backlight, or the LCD panel. All repairable.
• External display also shows nothing: the GPU or logic board has failed. Harder to fix, may not be economic on older models.

6. Safe Mode and Recovery

If the external display works, try booting into Safe Mode to rule out software issues:

Apple Silicon: shut down → press and hold power until "Loading startup options" → pick your drive while holding Shift → Continue in Safe Mode.

Intel: shut down → power on while holding Shift. Release Shift when you see the login window.

If Safe Mode boots normally and the internal display works there, a third-party extension or corrupt system file is the problem. A full macOS reinstall from Recovery usually fixes it.

Common hardware failures

In descending order of what we see most:

• Display cable (flex) — cracks where it bends through the hinge. Symptom: display works at some angles, not others, or develops vertical lines before going completely black. Cable replacement is £40-80 fitted.
• Backlight fuse blown — image visible under oblique torch light. Fuse swap is a component-level repair under microscope, £60-100.
• GPU failure — Intel MacBook Pros with AMD dedicated graphics (2016-2019 15-inch specifically) have a notorious failure of the discrete GPU. Symptoms: crashes on graphical tasks, then won't boot. Replaceable only by swapping the entire logic board in most cases.
• LCD panel damage — crack across the glass (sometimes invisible until you shine a light on it), or a sudden fall/knock. Panel swap £180-350 depending on model.

When to send it in

If you've tried the reboot, NVRAM reset, SMC reset, and an external display test without success, it's a hardware fault. Post the MacBook in — we'll identify whether it's cable, backlight, panel, or logic board, and quote the specific fix. Free diagnosis, no-fix-no-fee, 90-day warranty. Most display repairs turn around in a week.