White or Grey Horizontal Lines Appearing on MacBook Screen

What causes horizontal lines on a MacBook screen?

Horizontal lines, white, grey, or coloured, that span all or part of the MacBook display are almost always a hardware problem. The three most common causes, in order of frequency:

1. Loose or damaged display flex cable

The display flex cable (also called the LVDS cable on older models, or eDP cable on newer ones) carries the video signal from the logic board to the display panel. On MacBooks that have been previously opened, dropped, or subjected to stress, this cable can loosen from its connector or develop a micro-fracture. The result is horizontal noise lines, flickering, or a screen that works only at certain lid angles.

How to test: open and close the lid slowly at different angles. If the lines appear or disappear at specific angles, or if gently flexing the hinge area changes the display, the cable is the suspect. This is a straightforward repair, reseating or replacing the cable typically costs AED 300–500.

2. Flexgate on 2016–2019 MacBook Pro

The 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 MacBook Pro 13" and 15" used a display flex cable that Apple routed over a sharp edge inside the hinge. With repeated lid opening and closing, the cable fatigues and fails. The typical progression:

• A backlight that fades from the bottom of the screen, especially at wide-open angles.
• A thin line of lighter colour at the bottom edge.
• Eventually, horizontal lines or a dead backlight.

Apple acknowledged this issue and ran a free repair programme for affected 2016 and 2017 13" MacBook Pro models. Check if your serial number qualifies , we can verify this in the workshop for free. For models not covered, the display assembly replacement costs AED 800–1,400.

3. GPU fault on older Intel MacBooks

The 2011 MacBook Pro 15" and 17" had a known GPU fault where the discrete AMD Radeon GPU's solder connections fail with heat cycling. Symptoms include: horizontal lines across the full screen, a screen that goes grey and lines appear before a crash, or lines that appear only after the Mac warms up. Apple ran a free repair programme for this model which has since ended, but the GPU can be reflowed or replaced by a logic board repair specialist.

The 2013 MacBook Pro 15" with Nvidia GPU had a similar issue. If your MacBook is from this era and lines appear only when hot, GPU is the prime suspect.

4. Physical damage to the LCD panel

If the MacBook was dropped or had something pressed between the lid and keyboard (a pen, earphone cable), the LCD panel can be physically damaged. Cracked or pressure-damaged LCDs typically show coloured or white lines in a specific area that don't change with lid angle. The panel needs replacement.

Software causes: very rare, but worth ruling out

True horizontal lines that are caused by software are unusual, but:

• Restart the Mac and check if lines appear on the startup screen before macOS loads. If lines appear in the startup screen, it's hardware. If they only appear in macOS, it could be a GPU driver issue, try a macOS reinstall or Safe Mode boot.
• Connect an external monitor. If the external display is clean and only the built-in screen has lines, it's the internal display or its cable, not the GPU.

Repair cost for horizontal lines in Dubai

• Display cable reseat: AED 200–300
• Display flex cable replacement: AED 350–500
• Full display assembly (Flexgate or panel damage): AED 800–1,800 depending on model
• Logic board GPU repair: AED 600–1,200

We diagnose first at no charge and give you a fixed price before any work starts. Bring it to Concord Tower, Dubai Media City, or use our free pickup service. Call or WhatsApp 055 741 3706.