MacBook Screen Replacement
Cracked screen, lines across the picture, marks that won’t wipe off? Or does everything go dark as soon as you open the lid a little further? We replace screens on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, from the older ones up to the Apple Silicon generation. Before we start, we tell you whether it needs just the panel or the whole top assembly, and whether the repair is worth it.
What we see most often on MacBook screens
- A cracked or broken screen. After a drop, a knock on the corner, or when the lid is closed on earphones left on the keyboard. If the glass looks intact but black blotches are spreading underneath, that is a cracked panel as well.
- Flexgate. It affects the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro from 2016 and 2017. The display flex cables are too short. They wrap around the hinge, and every time you open the lid they wear a little more. The backlight cable is the first to give: bright “cones” of light appear along the bottom of the screen, like spotlights on a stage (the “stage light” effect), and later the screen goes completely dark as soon as you open the lid past a certain angle. On the 2018 models Apple made the cable longer, so it happens less often.
- Staingate. The anti-reflective coating starts to peel, leaving blotches and “clouds” on the screen. It’s most common on Retina MacBook Pro models from 2012–2015 and on the 12-inch MacBook, but later models get it too. The coating can’t be put back, so the lasting fix is a new screen.
- Lines, flickering, half the picture, wrong colours. Most often the panel or the display cable is to blame. If the same lines also show up on an external monitor, the problem is almost certainly in the graphics circuitry on the logic board.
- Black screen, but an external monitor works. In that case the computer itself is usually fine, and the fault is in the display or the backlight.
Here’s a test you can do yourself: turn the MacBook on and shine your phone’s torch at the screen from close up. If you can just make out the icons, there is a picture, but the backlight isn’t working. The cause can be the cable, the backlight in the display itself or the backlight circuit on the board. If the fault is on the board, what you need is logic board repair, not a new screen, and we tell you so before we order anything. If there’s no picture on an external monitor either, have a look at our MacBook won’t turn on page.
Just the panel or the whole top assembly
On older, non-Retina models the panel can usually be replaced on its own. From the Retina generation onwards, the panel is glued into the aluminium lid, and the display and camera cables run through the hinge, on many models along with the antennas. That’s why on these MacBooks we most often replace the whole top assembly, also called the display assembly: the lid together with the screen, cables, camera and hinges.
The assembly costs more, but when the lid is bent or a hinge is damaged, it’s the only proper fix. On some Retina models, if the lid is undamaged, the panel alone can be replaced. That is cheaper, but it takes more work and isn’t always worth it. We identify the exact model from the A-number on the bottom of the case, tell you which options there are, and you choose.
After the replacement: True Tone, camera, sensors
Once the new screen is in, we check the colours, how evenly it’s lit, the camera and auto-brightness, and make sure the screen switches off and back on as you close and open the lid.
One thing we tell you up front: on newer models, especially those with Apple Silicon, True Tone may not work after a screen replacement. Apple ties the calibration of a new display to its own service tools, so the option sometimes disappears from the settings. Everything else works normally. If True Tone matters to you, tell us before we start.
Prices — in the official price list
The labour for a screen replacement is listed in the price list. The price of the part depends on the model and on whether it’s just the panel or the whole assembly, so we give you the exact amount after diagnostics, before any work starts, and we do nothing without your approval. Diagnostics without disassembly are free.
How long it takes and the warranty
When the screen or assembly for your model is in stock, the replacement is usually done the same or the next day. We order rarer parts and let you know the timeframe after the inspection. The warranty on the work and the fitted part is written on your service sheet, and you can follow the repair status online.
Independent service
We are not an authorised Apple service; we use “Apple”, “Mac” and “MacBook” only to describe the devices we repair. We fit quality parts that match your model, and we tell you honestly when a replacement isn’t worth it, for instance when the assembly for an older MacBook costs almost as much as the whole computer is worth. For other faults, see our general MacBook service page, and for other laptops, our laptop screen replacement page.
Frequently asked questions
I can see bright “spotlights” at the bottom of the screen, and it goes dark when I open the lid further. What is it?
On a 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro, that is almost certainly flexgate: a worn backlight flex cable. It won’t go away on its own. Until you bring it in, open the lid only as far as the picture still works, and if you need to keep working, plug in an external monitor. The cable is part of the display, so the fix is usually a new top assembly.
There are marks on my screen that won’t wipe off. Is it cracked?
If the picture looks normal and the marks are easiest to see with the screen switched off, it’s probably the anti-reflective coating peeling, not a cracked panel. Wiping won’t help, and alcohol or stronger cleaners only strip off more of the coating. If the marks don’t bother you while you work, the replacement can wait.
Will I have True Tone after the replacement?
Older models don’t have it at all; on the MacBook Pro it first appeared in 2018. On newer models, especially Apple Silicon ones, it may be missing, so we tell you before we start, as soon as we see the model.
Will I lose my data?
No, a screen replacement doesn’t touch the drive. If the MacBook still works with an external monitor, make a Time Machine backup before the repair anyway.
How do I send a MacBook with a cracked screen?
You bring it to one of our three shops in Belgrade or send it to us by courier. If you’re sending it, shut it down completely (Shut Down, not Sleep), put a soft cloth between the keyboard and the screen, and close the lid. Wrap it in bubble wrap and put it in a sturdy box so it can’t move around. Add a note with your name, phone number and a description of the fault. Once repaired, it comes back to you by courier.
Bring it to a shop or send it by courier
Three locations in Belgrade: Arena and Piramida in New Belgrade, and Centar near the Botanical Garden. If you can’t come in, send us the MacBook by courier, well packed. We replace the screen and return it by courier.
We cover every Belgrade municipality
Bring your device to one of our three shops or send it by courier — it comes back by courier. Click your municipality for the neighbourhoods we cover and the problems we fix most often: