Apple is known for taking its time with software updates, polishing features and squashing bugs before they reach the public. That’s why it’s surprising to see a growing number of users reporting an annoying display problem after installing macOS Tahoe, Apple’s latest operating system for Macs.
According to multiple user reports, macOS Tahoe can cause random screen flickering on certain devices. The issue doesn’t appear to be limited to one product line, either. People have described similar flickering on MacBook models as well as Apple’s Studio Display, suggesting the problem may be tied to the software rather than a single piece of hardware.
A common pattern is starting to emerge: the flicker seems more likely to show up when switching between apps with bright, stark white backgrounds, or when scrolling through web pages dominated by white elements. For some, it’s a quick blink that’s easy to miss. For others, it becomes a rapid sequence of flickers that can last several seconds—long enough to interrupt work and make everyday use feel frustrating.
What makes the reports more concerning is the timeline. Some users say the flickering has been happening since macOS Tahoe launched in September, pointing to a bug that may be sitting inside the update’s code and affecting certain setups more than others.
There is one workaround that appears to help at least some people: turning off Night Shift. A handful of users have found that disabling Night Shift reduces or stops the flickering, which may indicate a conflict involving display color temperature adjustments. That said, because the reports span different Mac models and displays, there’s no single guaranteed fix users can rely on yet.
Ultimately, the clearest answer—and the real solution—will need to come from Apple in the form of an official software patch. If you’re experiencing screen flickering after updating to macOS Tahoe, keep an eye out for upcoming macOS updates, since Apple will likely address the problem in a dedicated bug-fix release.
