Horizontal Lines on Screen of iMac, 24", 2021

Hi,

This is a common issue on new iMac. I hope Apple would recall program about it.

+ 1 I keep watching for it in the extended Apple Service Programs.

Apple Service Programs - Apple Support

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing persistent screen flickering on my M1 iMac (purchased in September 2022), and I'm not sure how to proceed. The flickering intensity seems directly tied to screen brightness—higher brightness levels render the flickering lines for a longer duration, while at lower brightness, they appear less frequently.

Several reputable news sources have covered this issue, highlighting that it affects multiple M1 iMac users globally. Given that I am in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, where extreme summer heatwaves are common, I’m concerned about the long-term reliability of my device.

My Current Situation

• I use this iMac as my primary work computer for freelance work.
• I recently moved back home from city life and cannot afford immediate repairs or a replacement.
• I’ve already spent a lot on my convocation travel (Feb 24 – Mar 1, 2025) and late college fees, impacting my savings.
• I also pay a monthly EMI for my education loan, so additional expenses are difficult.
• External monitor? I can’t afford one right now.
• Apple Authorized Service Centers? I don't trust third-party centers in my area based on past experiences.
• Taking the iMac to Delhi? Not an option due to travel and accommodation costs.
• My iPad no longer works, so I’ve stopped digital drawing altogether.

Timeline of the Issue

• The first minor flicker appeared a week before my convocation trip (mid-February 2025), but it disappeared on its own.
• After I returned home on March 1, 2025, the flickering became persistent and hasn't gone away since.
• The iMac has never been moved since I unboxed it in September 2022.

Concerns & Next Steps

I bought this iMac considering Apple’s reputation for longevity, but right now, it feels like a gamble. I’m stuck deciding whether to repair it (which might be costly) or invest further into a product with known issues.

Has anyone here faced a similar issue?

What are my possible solutions without breaking the bank?

Would appreciate any guidance.

Thanks!

Same problem. Same screen lines. Same response from Apple Store. Not a manufacturing issue. You just need a screen replacement. That’ll be £630 please.

This definitely needs to be an extended Apple services program. Asap.

You are not speaking to Apple on these forums, they are the hosts however they DO NOT read or participate in user to user forums.

If you want your voice to be heard please post at www.apple.com/feedback. They will not answer you directly however your post will be read.

For additional context, I have the following iMac:

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021)

• Ports: Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, Two USB 3 ports
• Chip: 8-core CPU (4 p-cores, 4 e-cores), 8-core GPU
• Storage: 1TB SSD storage
• Memory: 16GB unified memory

Ordered on: May 12, 2021

In terms of my exact symptoms, I don't think it's dead pixels. When I run a dead pixel test, I see two distinct issues:

• Along the bottom rows of pixels, there are three or four alternating black horizontal lines extending across the entire screen, just below the dock
• In the lower right section of the screen, from the base of the dock up to about 20% to 25% of the display, thicker light grey lines are visible, primarily on the right side. These lines add a textured appearance to the folders in the dock and are especially noticeable on an all-white background

Hi,

Same here, got mine in October 2021 and the problem started a few months ago.

It's very annoying and gives you seizures/headaches because of the "strobe"effect.

Tried everything (reinstalling macOS, updating, leaving of off for days) and nothing worked.

Hope Apple recognize the problem and extend to its repair program.

Just wanted to add another example. My 2021 M1 iMac screen is failing with gray horizontal lines. Genius Bar rep said he'd never heard of the issue. $640 repair. Zero trade-in value.

gosh, me too. purchased summer of 2021, started glitching this past week. everything else is working fine and i've updated everything i possibly can. this feels like a very common problem and i'm frustrated that they're forcing users to spend more money to fix an issue most likely from the hardware itself. :(

Same here. I bought it in mid-2021 and just called Apple for help, but they gave me the same answer as in other posts. So frustrating… 650 USD?! bloody ****...

Another one, M1 iMac 24 - 8GB - 256GB, purchased in June of 2022.

The same thing happened with my iMac M1 today and also after the device ran out of warranty. The support specialist told me on phone, that i need to pay the repair. When i told him, that there are many other users who have the same problem, he said, this is the first time he's dealing with this issue.

What i've noticed is, that the upper right corner of the display gets incredibly hot. But then after manually cooling it down. The temperature is and stays "low". This is fishy for me.

If the iMac has a production bug which is revealing after some time, in my opinion Apple IS accountable for this bug, even if it appeared after the warranty ended, since how can a customer complain about a hidden bug during warranty when he doesn't even know that the bug exists.

I have an appointment at the genius bar and i hope Apple has the face to offer a fair solution !!!

This has been reported for over 6 months in this thread alone. If Apple has not yet doing extra-warranty repairs, I doubt that they ever will.

Currently there is no Service Program for that issue but keep checking this website in case Apple instigates one: Apple Service Programs - Apple Support.  

You'll have to keep tabs on this Apple site, Apple Service Programs - Apple Support. to see if a when a recall service/repair program is announced by Apple.

In the meantime you might consider getting an inexpensive 3rd party monitor to use with your iMac.