iPhone 12 has nasty display problems — what you need to know

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Got a green tint or flickering iPhone 12 display? As annoying as it is you shouldn't panic

iPhone 12 Pro Max review notch
(Image credit: Future)

Every new phone has its share of teething problems, and the iPhone 12 is no exception. We’ve already heard about some touchscreen issues on the iPhone 12 mini’s lockscreen, and now it looks like the rest of the  iPhone 12 range is suffering too.

A lot of users have been complaining about various screen issues, including a green tint to the display, though Apple is aware of the problem.

MacRumours has obtained an internal Apple document, shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers, acknowledging the problem on all four iPhone 12 models. 

It involves the iPhones having issues with flickering, a green or gray glow, and other unexpected variations in the display’s lighting. Apparently Cupertino is investigating, but has recommended that the phones don’t get serviced for the time being.

It seems strange, but there are a number of reasons why Apple would want to hold off on this. For one, the exact cause of the iPhone 12’s display issues needs to be confirmed before an appropriate fix can be drawn up. Alternatively, the problems may be a software issue that Apple can fix by rolling out an update, and save everyone the hassle of having affected phones go through a physical repair process.

iPhone 11 owners may remember they were affected by a similar issue, which Apple solved with an update to iOS 13. While a repeat of the issue has other implications, like the question of why Apple didn’t anticipate the problem, it does mean the company should know what to do.

So if your phone is affected, make sure to keep the software up to date. In the meantime the issue seems to occur when brightness is under 90%, so keeping it at maximum should mitigate the effects, even if it may affect your overall battery life in the process. But hey, it’s better than an annoying flickering screen, right?

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Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.