Mac · Display Repair
Mac Screen Replacement
Cracked Retina glass, a dark screen you can still read with a flashlight, or vertical bars creeping up from the bottom of the lid — a Mac display can fail in ways that look identical but need completely different fixes. We tell them apart before we quote you.
On a MacBook, the Retina display is a bonded assembly: glass, panel, backlight, and the flex cables all built into one lid. Apple's only answer is to swap the entire assembly. Because we do board-level work in-house, we have more options — a panel-only bond repair to save the original lid, a flexgate cable fix, or a backlight-circuit repair on the logic board itself when the screen is fine and the problem is a blown fuse. We diagnose which one you actually need instead of defaulting to the most expensive part.
When you need a screen replacement
- Cracked or shattered Retina glass, with the image distorted, blacked out, or bleeding where the panel is damaged
- Screen looks dark or off, but you can see a faint image when you shine a flashlight at it — that's a working panel with a dead backlight circuit, often a board-level fuse, not a broken screen
- "Stage light" effect or uneven vertical bars along the bottom of the display, sometimes worsening as you open the lid past a certain angle — classic flexgate display-cable wear
- Horizontal or vertical lines, flickering, color bands, or artifacts across an otherwise lit panel
- No image at all even under a flashlight, but the Mac boots, chimes, or shows up on an external monitor — the panel or its data cable, not the logic board's video
- Hinge stiffness, a cable pinch, or damage where the display meets the body after a drop or a hard close
Honest by default
Every device starts with a $65 diagnostic and a written report — exact cost and timeline before we touch it. The fee applies toward your repair.
Mac screen cost depends on three things: the exact model, whether it's a panel-only bond repair or a full display-assembly swap, and whether the real fix is actually a board-level backlight repair instead of a panel at all. Panel-only repairs and flexgate cable work are typically far cheaper than a complete assembly — but only some models and damage types qualify, and we'll tell you straight which applies. The $65 written diagnostic pins it down before you commit, and it applies toward your repair.
Our screen replacement process
Find the real fault
We start with the flashlight test and an external-display check to separate three very different failures: a damaged panel, a backlight circuit problem on the logic board, and a worn flexgate display cable. The $65 written diagnostic tells you exactly which one you have — and applies toward the repair.
Panel-only vs full assembly
If the glass or panel is the issue, we walk you through both routes honestly: a panel-only / LCD bond repair that reuses your original lid and costs less, or a complete display-assembly swap — the only path Apple offers. We tell you which makes sense for your model and your budget, not which one bills the most.
Board-level repair when it isn't the screen
When the flashlight test shows a working panel, the fix lives on the logic board: a blown backlight fuse, a failed backlight driver IC, or — on the affected MacBook Pro models — extending and reinforcing the flexgate cable. This is microsoldering work most shops mail out. We do it here, and we find what caused the fuse to blow so it doesn't blow again.
Reassemble, calibrate, and test
We restore brightness across the full range, confirm True Tone where the model supports it, check for backlight evenness and dead pixels, and cycle the hinge and lid-angle to make sure a flexgate-style fault won't return. You get it back working and verified, not just reassembled.
Is panel-only repair cheaper than replacing the whole display assembly?
Usually, yes. On a MacBook the Retina display is a bonded unit, and Apple only replaces the entire assembly. Because we work at the component level, we can often do a panel-only / LCD bond repair that reuses your original lid for less. Not every model or every kind of damage qualifies — if the backlight, cables, or housing are also damaged, a full assembly is the right call, and we'll tell you which one you're looking at.
My MacBook screen is dark but I can see the image with a flashlight — is it the screen or the board?
That's the single most useful test, and it almost always points to the board, not the panel. A faint, readable image under a flashlight means the display itself works but the backlight circuit isn't lighting it — frequently a blown backlight fuse or a failed driver IC on the logic board. That's a microsoldering repair, and replacing the whole screen would be the wrong, more expensive fix.
What is flexgate, and can you repair it without replacing the screen?
Flexgate is wear on the thin display flex cables on certain 2016–2017 MacBook Pro models (the A1706, A1707, and A1708), which causes a "stage light" effect or uneven bars along the bottom of the screen — often worse as you open the lid. We can repair it at the cable level rather than swapping the entire display assembly, which preserves your original screen and costs far less.
Will True Tone still work after a screen repair?
On models that support it, yes — we make sure True Tone and full auto-brightness behavior are restored and verified before the Mac goes back to you. Display swaps done with mismatched or improperly paired parts are a common reason True Tone stops working; we handle the calibration so it doesn't.
How long does a Mac screen repair take?
It depends on the fix and parts. A board-level backlight repair or a flexgate cable fix is often quick once diagnosed; a full display-assembly swap depends on part availability for your model. We give you a real timeline with your $65 diagnostic, not a guess — and mail-in customers get tracking the whole way.
What warranty comes with a Mac screen repair?
Our OEM and OLED display work carries a one-year warranty; aftermarket panels carry one month. Board-level backlight and flexgate repairs are covered too. We put the diagnosis and the warranty in writing so you know exactly what you're getting.
Why bring your Mac to WeFixed
Most shops treat every Mac display problem as a parts swap and mail the hard cases out. We've spent 11 years doing board-level and microsoldering work in-house, so when your "screen" problem is really a blown backlight fuse, a failed driver IC, or a worn flexgate cable, we fix the actual fault instead of selling you a whole assembly you don't need. When it genuinely is the panel, we'll tell you honestly whether a cheaper panel-only repair or a full assembly is the right move. One lab in Clarendon, Arlington — walk in, or mail it in tracked from anywhere in the 50 states. We never upsell, and we never sell your data.