The debut of macOS Tahoe 26 introduced a bug that causes a Studio Display connected to a Mac to flicker every so often. Unfortunately, the bug has persisted through all of the updates to the operating system, and the updates have actually made it worse.
As reported by MacRumors, Mac users with a Studio Display have complained of intermittent flickering since Tahoe was released in September. It should be noted that there have also been complaints from users with other kinds of displays, so the bug is affecting more than one type of external monitor.
Users report that the problem persists through both the macOS Tahow 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 updates. SOme report the flickering is actually worse after installing those updates.
Flickering happens most often when switching between apps that feature stark white backgrounds, or scrolling through webpages on light backgrounds. Any app can cause the flickering, and sometimes it just seems to be random. When flickering occurs, it’s typically a brief flicker, but the display can also flicker several times in a row for a few seconds at a time. Switching from dark content to light content can almost always trigger a flicker on affected machines.
It’s not clear what exactly is causing the issue, but since multiple Studio Display owners report they are experiencing it, it’s likely some kind of software issue that could be addressed with a Studio Display firmware update. We’ll keep you posted.
