Is the black screen a hardware or software problem and what can be done about it?
Post
Hello everyone! Macbook Pro M1 16'', 2021. A few months ago, I bent my MacBook's screen when I placed an object behind it. This bent the screen and left a dent. For a while, there were no signs of damage. About a month later, the picture would occasionally start jumping when I opened the lid, just like in the video. The picture jumped for maybe a couple of days, because I put the MacBook down and tried not to touch it. After that, the screen stopped shaking, leaving only small stripes on the left side of the screen. They weren't bothersome and didn't cover the entire length of the screen. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo. I actively used the MacBook for a few more months, using the lid as usual, and everything was fine. Then today, I walked away from the MacBook for two hours and didn't use it while it was sitting on the stand with the lid open. After that, I came back, pressed the spacebar, and the screen just went black. I restarted the computer several times, turned on Safe Mode, but it still stayed black. There are a few peculiarities: If you open and close the lid, the screen lights up perfectly fine for half a second, then stripes appear on the left, and then it goes black. It stays black because if you change the screen brightness, the black changes. Plus, if you move a window around the screen, for example, you'll see a barely noticeable black silhouette against a black background. If you take a screenshot, the image of the monitor when it's off is normal. I'm trying to figure out if this is a hardware issue or something wrong with the software. I understand perfectly well that there are hardware issues, but I'm confused by the fact that the screen works fine for two seconds, sometimes even 10, but then keeps going black. It's also confusing that it went black even when I wasn't touching it. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to replace the screen, and I want to understand how bad my situation is. Here are two videos showing the screen's behavior. https://youtube.com/shorts/tmI78fbHk2E https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1azjbr-iza0
Intent Score
2
Intent
99
Confidence
Summary
The post is about a MacBook screen issue, not a home window replacement need.
Reasoning
This is clearly a software/hardware troubleshooting question for a laptop display, with no indication the author is a homeowner dealing with house windows, comparing window options, or considering window replacement.
Extracted Signals
- unrelated_tech_issue
“Macbook Pro M1 16'', 2021.”
- hardware_vs_software_troubleshooting
“I'm trying to figure out if this is a hardware issue or something wrong with the software.”
- screen_replacement_concern
“I don't have the money to replace the screen”
Model: gpt-5.4-mini · Prompt: v3 · 8/11/2026, 5:02:03 PM