Laptop or monitor screen flickering? Find out if it's software or hardware, then fix it
The screen blinks, flashes black, shimmers at low brightness or shows flickering lines. Two quick tests tell you whether Windows is redrawing it badly or the panel, cable or backlight is at fault, and most of the software causes have a one-switch fix.
Two tests that split the problem in half
| Test | Result | Points to |
|---|---|---|
| Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) | Task Manager flickers too | Graphics driver or a display setting |
| Everything flickers except Task Manager | An app (often one that draws over the screen: overlays, older antivirus, screen recorders) | |
| Screenshot during the flicker (Win+Shift+S) | Flicker is in the screenshot | Software: it's in the picture Windows makes |
| Screenshot looks clean | Hardware: the panel, backlight or cable | |
| Plug in an external monitor | Monitor fine, laptop screen flickers | Laptop screen or its hinge cable |
Driver and display settings (Task Manager flickers)
- Press Win+Ctrl+Shift+B to restart the graphics driver. If the flicker stops for a while, it's the driver.
- Install the graphics driver from the laptop maker's support page, or the latest from Intel, AMD or NVIDIA. If it started after an update, Device Manager > Display adapters > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver.
- Intel Panel Self Refresh (PSR): the screen keeps showing its last frame by itself to save power, and on some panels it flickers or freezes briefly when it wakes. Intel Graphics Command Center (or Arc Control) > System / Power > turn off Panel Self-Refresh and Display Power Savings.
- AMD Vari-Bright (AMD Software > Gaming > Display or Graphics) and NVIDIA's Advanced Optimus switching can cause brief flashes on laptops that switch between two graphics chips.
- Windows: Settings > System > Display > Brightness: untick "Change brightness based on content" (content adaptive brightness) and auto-brightness. They change the backlight constantly with what's on screen, which looks like flicker on dark pages.
- Settings > System > Display > Advanced display: set a fixed refresh rate instead of Dynamic (Windows 11 dynamic refresh rate jumps between 60 and 120 Hz). See refresh rate settings.
- HDR on a laptop or monitor that isn't bright enough for it can flash when switching modes; turn HDR off to test.
Flicker at low brightness: PWM
Many screens, especially OLED laptops and phones, dim by switching the light on and off very fast (pulse-width modulation, PWM) rather than lowering it. At low brightness the off gaps get long, and some people see flicker, get headaches or eye strain, or notice it when moving their eyes or on camera. It's not a fault. Fixes: keep brightness above about half and lower the room light or use dark mode instead; look for a "DC dimming" or "flicker-free" option in the laptop's display app; when buying, reviews often list a screen's PWM frequency (higher is gentler; "flicker-free" screens don't use it).
Hardware: the screen, backlight or hinge cable
- Flicker or lines that change when you open, close or tilt the lid almost always mean the thin display cable running through the hinge is worn or loose. It's a common repair.
- Horizontal or vertical lines that stay in place, or colours that flicker on their own, point to the panel itself.
- A screen that flickers then goes dark (but a torch shows a faint picture) is a failing backlight.
- Pressing gently near the edge of the screen and seeing it change means a connection or panel fault; stop pressing and get it checked.
External monitors
- Reseat or replace the cable, try another port, and use DisplayPort or HDMI rather than adapters. A cheap or long HDMI cable at high refresh rate or 4K flickers and drops out; see HDMI no signal.
- Flicker in games with FreeSync / G-Sync on, mostly in dark scenes or menus, comes from the frame rate dropping below the monitor's VRR range: brightness shifts slightly as the refresh rate swings. Cap the frame rate a few fps below the maximum, keep it within the range, or turn VRR off for that game. See VRR explained.
- Turn off the monitor's own eco / dynamic contrast / "black stabiliser" modes, and update the monitor's firmware if the maker offers it.
Flicker only on camera or video calls
Stripes rolling across the picture on a webcam or phone video are the room's LED or fluorescent lights pulsing with the mains (50 Hz in the UK and Europe, 60 Hz in North America) against the camera's shutter. Set the camera's anti-flicker / powerline frequency to 50 Hz (in the camera app or the maker's webcam software), or use daylight. The same lights can make a screen look like it's flickering in phone videos when it isn't.
Mac
- Turn off Automatically adjust brightness and True Tone in System Settings > Displays to test.
- For an external display, try a different refresh rate in Displays, another cable or adapter, and update macOS.
- Flicker on the built-in screen that also shows in screenshots after an update usually needs the next macOS update; flicker that changes with the lid angle is the display cable.
Plain-words background: what refresh rate means.
Related
Monitor stuck at 60 Hz · Screen tearing · Second monitor not detected · Laptop on but black screen
Questions
Why is my laptop screen flickering?
Most often the graphics driver or a power-saving display setting (Intel Panel Self Refresh, adaptive brightness, dynamic refresh rate). If the flicker doesn't appear in a screenshot, or changes when you move the lid, it's the screen or the cable through the hinge.
How do I know if screen flickering is hardware or software?
Take a screenshot while it flickers and open Task Manager. If the flicker shows in the screenshot or Task Manager flickers too, it's software or the driver. If screenshots are clean and an external monitor looks fine, it's the laptop's screen, backlight or cable.
Why does my screen flicker at low brightness?
Many screens, especially OLED, dim by pulsing the light on and off (PWM). At low brightness the pulses are slower and some people notice them. Keep brightness higher and lower the room light, or use a DC-dimming option if the laptop has one.
Why does my monitor flicker with FreeSync or G-Sync?
The game's frame rate is dropping below the monitor's variable refresh range, and the brightness shifts as the refresh rate swings, mostly in dark scenes and loading screens. Cap the frame rate within the range or turn VRR off for that game.
Why does my screen flicker only on camera?
The camera is picking up LED or fluorescent lights pulsing at the mains frequency. Set the camera's anti-flicker setting to 50 Hz in the UK and Europe (60 Hz in North America).
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