12 Best Fixes: Macbook Pro Booting Black Screen (2023)

Even if you’ve never used Windows, you’ve probably come across the term “Macbook pro booting black screen,” also known as BSOD or something similar. You might have also assumed Mac didn’t have anything similar.

The fact that the Macbook screen goes black when fully opened isn’t a death sentence, but it is unpleasant and disrupts whatever activity you were doing before.

The problem of a mac screen going dark can result in data loss. Fortunately, several options exist for resolving the Macbook pro booting black screen. It’s the issue that grinds things to a halt while unpredictably unpredictable.

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Why Did Your Macbook Pro Go Black: Possible Causes

Nothing may make a Mac user panic more than the screen going entirely black when the system is loading up. If you see a MackBook black screen upon restarting your Macbook Pro, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

Power Issues:

Although it may seem self-evident, power outages are the most prevalent cause of your Mac’s blank screen. This is usually a smart spot to start checking if you’ve fallen into the black screen trap due to a bad battery or a malfunctioning charging cord.

Waking From Sleep:

When waking your Macbook from sleep, black screen troubles are the most typical. It’s unclear whether this is a problem with Apple’s software or the user, but it’s commonly described as raising the lid of your Macbook and having your screen fail to wake up, even though it’s still on.

Broken Disk Permissions Or Login Items:

Broken disk permission issues can cause your Mac to go black screen or even prevent your laptop from booting regularly. Other times, certain apps get into the auto starter list and wreak havoc on your Macbook’s launching.

Software/App Error:

Everyone wants to blame something on a bug. It’s a simple solution to a seemingly insoluble problem, especially if you see a black screen or anything equally aggravating when you boot up. However, some known bugs could be the source of the problem, so this is a viable option.

Fix Macbook Pro Booting Black Screen

Boot Into Safe Mode
Disconnect All Peripherals
Force Reboot Your Macbook Pro
Check If The Power Is On
Adjust Your Display’s Brightness
PRAM Reset
Keypress (Keyboard) Sequence
Reset Mac’s NVRAM Settings
Reset The System Management Controller (SMC Reset)
Enter Password, Hit Return
Turn Off Automatic Graphics Switching
Re-Install The MacOS

1. Boot Into Safe Mode

The Macbook pro booting black screen can sometimes be caused by corrupt information on the startup disk. A simple approach is to boot your Mac in safe mode and force it to run diagnostics on the drive.

Hold the Shift key down until the Apple logo shows on the screen to start the computer in safe mode.
Allow the system to start-up by holding down the Shift key.

Because diagnostics are being done during the startup phase, so the boot will most likely take longer. Allow it to complete the safe-mod boot process.
After it finishes booting up, restart to exit safe mode and try again to see if the Mac black screen issue has been resolved.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

2. Disconnect All Peripherals

When attempting to resolve the Macbook pro booting black screen issue, the charging cord and adapter should be the only accessories connected to your Mac.

Remove all of the Mac’s attached accessories and gadgets. Remove all external drives, including printers, flash drives, phones, and hard drives.
These peripherals may initiate their dialogues, which may interfere with the display settings on your Mac.
Something else may be at fault if this doesn’t cure the problem.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

3. Force Reboot Your Macbook Pro

Your Mac needs a hard restart to repair Macbook pro booting black screen problems. Apps services could be slowing it down and preventing it from figuring out what to do next.

If you’ve turned on your smartphone and checked that the screen brightness is set to maximum, a hard restart might help. When your Mac is turned on, follow these steps:

For 8-10 seconds, press and hold the power button.
Wait 10 seconds after your Mac has shut down.
To restart it, press the power button.
If pushing the power button once doesn’t work, hold down the power button for a few seconds to try to force your Mac to boot up.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

4. Check If The Power Is On

Check the electricity just to be sure. It might be a huge relief to learn that the problem is as simple as this. If your laptop’s battery is going low, connect it to its charger just in case, it dies.

Look at the power indicator light to rule out a faulty power cord.
It’s also possible that you accidentally pressed the brightness keys on the keyboard at some point, resulting in a dimmed screen.
To increase the brightness on your Macbook Pro, press F2 or utilize the control bar.
If your Mac was turned off due to a power outage, consider charging it for at least 10 minutes before turning it back on.
If you’re still seeing a black screen on your Mac, there’s a chance it’s something else.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

5. Adjust Your Display’s Brightness

It’s also conceivable that your screen’s brightness has been adjusted. Try to use the screen brightness keys on the keyboard once you’re sure your Mac is turned on or charged if the screen brightness logo appears on the screen.

Because settings might be difficult to maintain, One Switch is an excellent companion for your Mac.
The program lives on your menu bar and gives you one-touch access to Night Shift, Do Not Disturb, Display Sleep, True Tone, and Dark Mode, among other Mac settings.
It also cleans up your desktop by hiding icons with a single click.
One Switch allows you to pair Bluetooth devices like AirPods with a single click.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

6. PRAM Reset

PRAM reset (parameter RAM) is a small memory partition that records your Mac’s settings, such as volume control and display resolution. It enables rapid access to those options. Both (or either) of these RAM partitions can sometimes become stuck, but a reset can assist! Here’s how you do it:

Restart your Mac.
Hold down the Command+Option+P+R keys together as soon as you hear the boot chime.

The PRAM has been reset when you hear the boot sound again.
Allow the Mac to restart normally.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

7. Keypress (Keyboard) Sequence

Users report pressing a specific key sequence might sometimes bring a non-responsive blank Macbook Pro screen back to life. If you restart your Mac, the black screen may disappear, and your Macbook Pro or Macbook Air may resume regular operation.

If that doesn’t work, attempt a keypress sequence to get rid of the black screen. Try the following keystroke sequence if your Mac turns on, but the screen remains dark.

Once you press the power button (OFF), an invisible dialog box appears on the Macbook Pro’s black screen.
Press the ‘S’ key on a Mac to sleep.
Hold the power button down for four seconds to force a hard shutdown.
Now, hold your breath for around 16 seconds.
To restart the Macbook Pro, press the power button (OFF).
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

8. Reset Mac’s NVRAM Settings

Non-volatile RAM is referred to as NVRAM. This feature saves in-memory settings for hard drives, loudspeakers, screen display, main startup disk, and other devices.

Everything related to the boot process, including those remotely connected, can be effectively reset to factory (default) settings with an NVRAM reset.

To clear the NVRAM settings on your Mac, follow these steps:

Turn your Macbook Pro off.
Press and hold the Power key.
Allow time for your Mac to load.
Press and hold Cmd + Option + P + R when you hear the startup sound.

Continue hitting the keys until a second startup sound appears.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

9. Reset The System Management Controller (SMC Reset)

The SMC reset (Systems Management Controller) feature on Macs allows you to regulate the temperature, keyboard, keyboard and display lights, fans, and other activities.

Triggering the SMC, like resetting PRAM and NVRAM, is a common (and simple) cure for the Macbook black screen problem.

On a Macbook Pro or Macbook Air (with a non-removable battery), reset the SMC as follows:

Turn off the Mac.
Connect the Mac to the power source (if it is not connected). Use your MagSafe adaptor if you have one.
While the Mac is turned off, press and hold the Shift+Control+Option+Power buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.

press and hold the Shift+Control+Option+Power

At the same time, release all of the keys.
Start the Mac normally and see what happens.
The system management controller should be reset.
Hopefully, the Mac black screen will have vanished by the time the Mac boots up, and you’ll be back to normal.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

10. Enter Password And Then Hit Return

When the Mac launching black screen problem persists, this is an unexpected solution that works. Simply input your standard login password and press the Enter/Return key, the Mac will boot up normally, and you’re ready to go.

When the Mac boots to a black screen, type your Mac login password as usual.
Enter or return with the Enter/Return key.
If this succeeds, you’ll see that the dark screen rapidly gives way to the standard Mac OS desktop.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

11. Turn Off Automatic Graphics Switching

This solution is only for dual-GPU Macbook Pros with black screens. Dual graphics cards switch automatically on some Macbook Pro models. Those models can sometimes boot straight to a blank screen.

On a Macbook Pro, you can usually repair this problem by disabling automatic graphics card (GPU) switching:

Select “System Preferences” from the Apple menu.

Select “Energy Saver” from the drop-down menu.

Turn off ‘Automatic Graphics Switching’ by toggling the switch next to it.
Automatic Graphics Switching should be turned off.

Restart the Mac as usual.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.

12. Re-Install The MacOS

You may need to reinstall macOS as a final option, but remember that this would practically turn your Mac into a new one. Before visiting this resort, you might want to contact Apple support.

While you may reinstall macOS without removing anything in a non-destructive manner, I always recommend backing up your files and folders to an external drive or the cloud to be safe.

Enter the passcode you use to log in to the Mac if the installer asks you to unlock your drive.
You may need to delete your drive if the installer doesn’t see it or says it can’t install on your machine or volume.
Choose Macintosh HD if the installer asks if you want to install on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD – Data.
Allow the installation to finish without putting the Mac to sleep or shutting the lid.
Your Mac may restart numerous times and display a progress bar, and the screen may be blank for minutes at a time.
Your Mac may restart to a setup assistant after the installation is complete.
Press Command-Q to exit the assistance without completing setup if you’re selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac.
Then press the Shut Down button. When the new proprietor turns on the Mac, they can complete the setup using their information.
Check if the “Macbook pro booting black screen” issue is fixed or not.