Last year, Apple introduced the ARM-based M1 chip as a ‘System on Chip’ (SoC) to replace the Intel chips, used in its products since 2006. Earlier, Macs used separate chips for CPU, RAM, etc., but Apple has integrated these into a single M1 chip, making it faster and more efficient.

However, some users have reported that their M1-powered MacBook is showing a pink screen and restarting after that. Have a look at one such query posted on a tech forum.

In this article, we are going to talk about the reasons behind the Apple MacBook Pink Screen issue and the solutions to fix this problem.

Possible Reasons for Apple MacBook Pink Screen of Death

The issue of MacBook Pink Screen may occur due to any of the following reasons:

1. Hardware Incompatibility
2. Power Fluctuations
3. Screen Display Malfunction
4. Software Bug
5. Software Incompatibility
6. Kernel Panic

In most cases, the operating system remains capable of operation even after the occurrence of error. Nevertheless, being in an unstable state and to avoid any further risk to the system, the macOS stops to allow diagnosis of error or presents Pink Screen and restart frequently.

How to Fix the MacBook Pink Screen Issue?

First and foremost, you need to understand that despite popular belief, the problem of frequent crashing of macOS on startup is not always caused by third-party software. It may be a minor issue and can be easily fixed. Accordingly, we have provided below some effective solutions to fix the issue.

1. Do Basic Troubleshooting

Instead of jumping on to complex solutions, try the following quick fixes:

• Disconnect the recently attached external devices and then reboot your MacBook. It will help you to confirm if the issue was only due to a temporary bug.
• The Pink Screen issue might be caused due to a faulty graphics card or display screen malfunction. To check this, connect an external display to your MacBook. If the external display works fine, it means there is a hardware issue. You need to visit the Apple service center.

However, if the problem of the MacBook Pink Screen persists, move to the next methods.

2. Reset NVRAM Settings

NVRAM or Non-Volatile RAM is a part of RAM used for storing settings, like startup disk selection, kernel panic information, display resolution, etc. The pink screen of death may also occur due to an abrupt change in these settings. You can reset the NVRAM to fix the MacBook Pro Pink Screen problem. Follow the below steps:

STEP 1: Shut down your MacBook.

STEP 2: Press and hold Option + Command + P + R keys simultaneously while your MacBook reboots.

STEP 3: On hearing the second startup sound/chime, release the keys.

Note: In case your Mac is T2-equipped, wait for the Apple logo to appear and disappear second time and then release the keys.

Once your MacBook finishes starting up, open System Preferences and adjusts any settings that are reset.

Note: The option to reset NVRAM and SMC manually is not available on Apple M1-powered MacBook. In fact, SMC has been completely removed from the M1 MacBook. Although NVRAM is available, Apple claims that you need not worry about it as the new M1 chip can reset it automatically when you shut down and restart your MacBook.

3. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)

SMC controls the hardware settings on the MacBook, such as power and sleep functions. If your system is struggling with power issues, reset the SMC. Here is how you can do it:

STEP 1: Shut down the Mac and unplug the system.

STEP 2: Press and hold Shift + Option + Control + Power keys and release them after about 10 seconds.

STEP 3: Attach the power plug and turn on your MacBook.

If during start-up you still see the pink screen, try the next method.

4. Reset the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

GPU is responsible for accelerating graphics rendering and commonly comes in dedicated and integrated types. If your MacBook is equipped with both types, the issue might appear during the graphics switching. To fix this, you can disable the automatic switching option for GPU. You can do it in two ways, as discussed below:

1. Using Safe Mode

• Boot your Mac in Safe Mode. (Check how to do it here)
• Click the Apple menu icon.
• Click on System Preferences and select the Energy Saver option.
• Uncheck the Automatic Graphics Switching.

2. Using macOS Recovery Mode

• Press and hold Command + R keys to run the macOS Recovery Mode.
• Select Utilities.
• From the dropdown options, select Terminal.

Type the command ‘NVRAM fa4ce28d-b62f-4c99-9cc3-6815686e30f9:gpu-power-prefs=%01%00%00%00’ (without inverted commas) in the Terminal Window.

To Conclude

The MacBook Pink Screen may occur due to various reasons. You can follow the solutions discussed in this post to resolve the issue. The pink screen issue with frequent restarting or crashes of MacBook might result in data loss. You can restore the lost data from the last backup using Time Machine. If you don’t have a backup, then use a reliable Mac data recovery software to recover the data.