Apple suggests display issue with iPhone 12 may be solved with iOS update

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple has acknowledged display issues with iPhone 12 models.
  • It indicates that it may be a software issue that will be fixed in an upcoming iOS update.

Reported by MacRumors, Apple has acknowledged that some iPhone 12 devices are experiencing issues with their displays. The outlet has obtained an internal document that the company shared with its Apple Authorized Service Providers that talks about a number of issues currently being reported.

In an internal document obtained by MacRumors, Apple has acknowledged an issue with some iPhone 12 displays exhibiting flickering, a green or gray glow, or other unintended lighting variations under some conditions.

According to the document, Apple is asking service providers to refrain from attempting to repair the device. The company seems to indicate that the issue is software-related and should be fixed with an upcoming iOS update.

In the document, shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, Apple says that it is aware of customer reports related to this issue and is investigating. Apple has advised technicians to avoid servicing affected iPhones, at least for now, and instead inform customers that they should keep their iPhone up to date with the latest iOS version. This guidance suggests that Apple may be confident that it can fix the issue in a future software update.

The display issues being described here have affected all models of the new iPhone 12 lineup. According to users, it occurs intermittently when the phone's brightness is set below 90%.

Based on customer reports, the issue appears to occur when the display brightness is set to around 90% or lower. Many users are experiencing the issue on iOS 14.1, iOS 14.2, and seemingly even the first two iOS 14.3 betas. The flickering or glowing is not always persistent, disappearing after a short time for some customers.

iOS 14.3 is expected to be released to the public in December, so hopefully, that update will fix the display for the customers currently experiencing the issue.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.