Dealing With iPad Screen Flickering Issues

Screens are of enormous importance for any iPad or other tablet user, and any issues with the screen are the type that users typically want remedied as soon as possible. One possible such issue that some iPad users report from time to time: A flickering taking place on their screen.

At FixIT Mobile, we're happy to offer the very best in computer, phone and tablet repairs throughout Mesa and nearby areas, ensuring all device users are working with tip-top equipment. We've assisted many clients with a flickering iPad screen, and we'll happily help you solve this issue as well. Whether on your own or with the assistance of one of the pros in our shop, here are some basic solutions for remedying a screen flickering issue.

Turning Off Auto Brightness

In many cases, the cause of your flickering will actually be a feature meant to protect the device. Namely, if you're experiencing a flickering screen on your iPad or other tablet, one of the first things to try is turning off the auto-brightness feature, since this may be causing the issue.

This feature is meant to automatically adjust brightness based on the surrounding light, but this feature doesn't always work perfectly. For instance, if you're in a setting where both shade and sunlight are present, the screen can become very bright or even dim to an uncomfortable level, causing the flickering that you're seeing.

This is easy to remedy, however. Disabling this feature simply requires heading to Settings, then Display & Brightness, then Auto-Brightness. Simply toggle the feature to OFF, and you'll likely find that your screen no longer has flickering issues if this was the culprit.

Changing Other Visual Features

In other situations, there are certain other iPad visual features that may be playing a role in screen flickering. One of these is background transparency, which might be achieved by making changes to the parallax feature. Another is text size, which can change depending on what you're doing.

In both situations, simply heading back to Settings should solve your issues. In some cases, a quick reboot of the iPad might also help resolve this problem as well, so consider giving that a shot first if you're not having much luck.

Force Quit Applications

For certain iPad users, you may have found that your flickering issues tend to only take place when you're using a specific application or set of applications. If this sounds familiar, the next course of action you should take is to simply force-quit these programs.

This is a very easy fix—simply double-click the home button and find the app that's creating issues for your screen. Swipe up on that application to remove it from memory, then try using a different program. This should hopefully make the flickering disappear.

Running a Full System Check

In some cases, there can be deeper issues going on with your iPad that may not have been causing problems just yet—but if you've been using it for a long time, they may suddenly flare up after a lot of usage. In these situations, making sure you run a full system check can help resolve various problems.

The easiest way to do this is by plugging the iPad directly into your computer and running iTunes. If you don't already have iTunes installed on your PC, make sure to download it for free from Apple's website first. Once you've got that program open, make sure "File" is selected on the left-hand side of the screen, then choose "Check for Updates."

Once you've run through this process, iTunes should automatically begin searching for any issues with your device. Allowing it to do this without interruption is key, so don't unplug anything or click away from this program until it's done running. If the check finds an update available, that will be installed on your screen for you automatically.

Consider a Reboot

If nothing we've discussed to this point is working to remedy your screen flickering issues, the next step is to attempt a reboot, also called a hard reset. This may allow the device to override any underlying software issues that are causing the problems on your screen.

Performing a hard reset for an iPad is simple—simply hold down the power button and sleep/wake button at the same time for 10 seconds. You'll know that your iPad is restarting when you see the Apple logo on your screen. Once this point comes up, release both buttons, then wait for your device to return properly to the home screen—this should hopefully take care of any screen flickering problems you're having.

It's important to realize that a hard reset is different from a factory reset. A hard reset simply reboots the device's software, but it doesn't clear any of your data, applications or other settings. This leaves you with all of your information still available on your device after this is completed.

However, a factory reset will wipe out everything that you have stored on your iPad—apps, songs, photos and so on. Generally speaking, the hard reset will be enough to remedy flickering issues.

Repair or Replace Screen

Finally, if none of the above attempts have solved the issue on your own, it's time to bring the iPad in to our store for some more advanced troubleshooting. We'll try replacing the screen to see if that allows us to resolve your flickering issues, or if it's a problem with another component on the device causing this behavior.

If you're experiencing any problems with an older model iPad, bringing it in for a check-up can also reveal whether or not it's worth it to repair your device or simply upgrade to a newer model instead. We can help you determine if the cost of a screen replacement is better than investing in an entirely new tablet.

For more on dealing with a flickering iPad screen, or to learn about any of our phone, tablet or other device repair services in Mesa or nearby areas, speak to the team at FixIT Mobile today.