Screen Defect

Heat damage on MacBook Pro screen

White screenBlack screenGrey screenRed screenGreen screenBlue screen
White screen⛶ Full screen
On whitedark spots, pressure marks, lines
On blackbright dots, backlight bleed, glow
On red, green, bluedead or stuck pixels, colour lines
Not fixable — new panel

Heat marks appear as yellowish or brownish tints, faint blotches or a warped-looking area, usually along the bottom edge above the hinge where the machine runs hottest, or wherever the lid was left closed on a hot surface or in a car.

Test it now

Full-screen white shows tinting best; grey shows blotching. The marks do not change with brightness or tilt.

What it is

Heat marks appear as yellowish or brownish tints, faint blotches or a warped-looking area, usually along the bottom edge above the hinge where the machine runs hottest, or wherever the lid was left closed on a hot surface or in a car. Prolonged heat degrades the polarizer and adhesive layers. It is different from pressure damage: heat marks are soft-edged and tinted, pressure marks are dark and defined.

Can it be fixed?

No. Discoloured layers do not recover. Apple may cover it under warranty if there is no sign of external heat exposure and the machine is within coverage, since it can be a display defect; otherwise it is a display replacement.

What to do

  1. Photograph on white.
  2. Book an Apple diagnosis — a heat-related display fault with no external cause is sometimes replaced at no charge within coverage.
  3. Out of coverage: independent display replacement.
  4. Avoid leaving the closed MacBook on soft surfaces or in a hot car.

What a repair costs

United States$450–800 at Apple out of warranty (Air at the low end, 14"/16" Pro at the high end); $300–500 at an independent repairer
India₹35,000–70,000 at Apple-authorised service; ₹15,000–30,000 at an independent repairer

Typical ranges from repair-shop and manufacturer price lists, 2026-09-06. Get two quotes; prices vary by model and city.

Warranty

Most makers replace a panel under warranty for physical panel faults that are not accidental damage; pressure marks, cracks and liquid damage are treated as accidental and are not covered. For dead pixels, each brand has a threshold (typically 3–5 bright or 5–8 dark pixels on a laptop; Dell's premium-panel guarantee replaces at one bright pixel).

Related

Pressure damage on MacBook Pro screenMacBook Pro displays are thin enough that pressure on the closed lid — a bag with a charger inside, a hand leaning on it, something left between the keyboard and screen — pushes the layers of the LCD together.Not fixable — new panelMacBook screen pressure damageApplies to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro alike: the display is a thin LCD or mini-LED panel bonded to the glass, and any point pressure on the closed lid leaves marks — dark blotches, lines, colour shifts — with the glass intact.Not fixable — new panelPatches on laptop screenLight or dark patches — cloudy areas, often called mura or clouding — come from uneven pressure on the panel or the backlight diffuser: the lid was pressed or twisted, the laptop was carried under weight, or the panel warped from heat.Not fixable — new panel