Some iPhone 11 users report transient green tint on display

AppleInsider

A small but indeterminate number of iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro owners, and users of certain older model handsets, are reporting a bug that causes a green tint to display for a brief time after unlocking their devices.

Credit: MacRumors

The issue apparently primarily affects devices in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro lineup, though it may also be present on some iPhone X and XS models. Some reports indicate that the issue has been present since iOS 13.4.1.

According to user reports on Reddit (via MacRumors), the bug occurs when a user unlocks their device. The display will appear "washed out with a green tint" for a few seconds before returning to normal.

Considering both LCD and OLED screens are impacted, the problem is likely a software bug. There is a chance, however, that an issue could be present in Apple's hardware.

If the issue is software-based, then it's likely that Apple will patch the bug in an upcoming iOS release.

spamsandwich

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

jfc_pa

A few seconds of startup visual  noise? Hardly an issue. 

pulseimages

The color of money? 

lkrupp

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, how did this even make it to publication? This is a cosmetic glitch that doesn't affect operation, isn't a show stopper, is quite literally a first world problem. People are going crazy over at MacRumors demanding it be fixed IMMEDiATELY!!!!!!

Please Apple, don't release a supplemental update to fix this nonsense. It's not important that it be fixed any time soon, if it even is a real bug. If some are irritated they need to deal with their OCD. See a shrink, take some pills.

roake

I have an iPhone XS Max.  I installed the 13.4.1 update right after it came out.  The evening before last (i.e. well after and tons of normal unlocks after I had installed the update), the screen turned a washed-out green with tons of flickering, but mine wasn’t transient.  It has done it non-stop since then.  The phone also got very warm to the point where I got the thermal warning and it shut down (while I was working inside a very cool hospital).  It ran the battery down in less than an hour whereas it usually lasts all day.  I called Apple, who went over some diagnostic steps with me, finally having me wipe the phone and restoring.  After I did this, while booting up, I had the Apple logo on the washed-out, flickering green background.  They ended up mailing me an advanced replacement that I should get Monday.  I wonder if this is the same problem as in this report and manifests this way for people with iPhone XS Max’s.  If so, the heating up could be a potential danger (since it's the phone itself and not environmental heat causing this).  If that's the case, they may consider this issue an extremely high priority.  Then again, I'm not even sure I have the actual same problem described in the article; it could be a coincidence.

ADDENDUM: I will add that the issue of getting hot and running the battery down quickly was prior to me wiping/restoring with Apple.  Also, this morning, the phone acted almost the same way.  The screen still acted the same, and the battery was still running down fast, but not AS fast, and the phone was no longer getting hot.  Go figure.

edited June 2020

daalseth

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

JFC_PA said:

A few seconds of startup visual  noise? Hardly an issue. 

I disagree. When I spend a grand on a phone I want it to not have issues like this. That's what I pay for. In addition, if this is a hardware issue it could be something starting to fail. I'd like to be aware of it before the screen goes green and stays, or doesn't light up at all. Normally I'm all for cutting Apple slack and it annoys me when Apple is held to a higher standard than other companies. This though shouldn't happen on a top of the line phone. 

rotateleftbyte

lkrupp said:

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, how did this even make it to publication? This is a cosmetic glitch that doesn't affect operation, isn't a show stopper, is quite literally a first world problem. People are going crazy over at MacRumors demanding it be fixed IMMEDiATELY!!!!!!

Please Apple, don't release a supplemental update to fix this nonsense. It's not important that it be fixed any time soon, if it even is a real bug. If some are irritated they need to deal with their OCD. See a shrink, take some pills.

Yet... there will almost certainly be a class action filed within days. Apple devices are expected to be perfect all the time. Sad fact of life these days when there are far too many lawyers scrambling for work.

wattouk

I’ve had this issue too, it last around 10-20 seconds and returns to normal. It’s no more than annoying and I’m sure it’s a software bug but I do agree with a poster above that if I shell out over £1000 on a phone that it should work. I’m sure Apple will sort it shortly, however.

wattouk

I’ve had this issue too, it last around 10-20 seconds and returns to normal. It’s no more than annoying and I’m sure it’s a software bug but I do agree with a poster above that if I shell out over £1000 on a phone that it should work. I’m sure Apple will sort it shortly, however.

steve_jobs

Maybe it has something to do with the Liquid Retina IPS LCD 828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, imho a IPS LCD panel controller inf "Code implementation" would not hurt. 

edited June 2020

svanstrom

lkrupp said:

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, how did this even make it to publication? This is a cosmetic glitch that doesn't affect operation, isn't a show stopper, is quite literally a first world problem. People are going crazy over at MacRumors demanding it be fixed IMMEDiATELY!!!!!!

Please Apple, don't release a supplemental update to fix this nonsense. It's not important that it be fixed any time soon, if it even is a real bug. If some are irritated they need to deal with their OCD. See a shrink, take some pills.

Hey, at least those people are actually bothered by something that affects an expensive item they bought, not like some random crybaby being upset about a website they frequent having the audacity to not be written specifically only for what's happening in their life.

avon b7

lkrupp said:

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, how did this even make it to publication? This is a cosmetic glitch that doesn't affect operation, isn't a show stopper, is quite literally a first world problem. People are going crazy over at MacRumors demanding it be fixed IMMEDiATELY!!!!!!

Please Apple, don't release a supplemental update to fix this nonsense. It's not important that it be fixed any time soon, if it even is a real bug. If some are irritated they need to deal with their OCD. See a shrink, take some pills.

It might not be a showstopper but it definitely needs fixing. It isn't normal behaviour. Something went wrong. If it is software related, great. A quick fix will be issued. If it's hardware related then obviously that's more of an issue but it should be fixed all the same. Such a glitch would become irritating over time. 

It is newsworthy because if your phone starts exhibiting this behaviour, you worry. It could be the start of something worse still to come. You don't know. However, if you see this is a widespread problem or that a few other users are also suffering from it (through following the news), it changes your reaction to the problem.

If no one reported on it you would basically be in the dark. 

edited June 2020

geekmee

Oh, the horrors of first world problem!!

I think it’s important to remember, it’s more important how Apple responds, than the event itself.

Now back to my regular scheduled fantasy.

jdb8167

roake said:

I have an iPhone XS Max.  I installed the 13.4.1 update right after it came out.  The evening before last (i.e. well after and tons of normal unlocks after I had installed the update), the screen turned a washed-out green with tons of flickering, but mine wasn’t transient.  It has done it non-stop since then.  The phone also got very warm to the point where I got the thermal warning and it shut down (while I was working inside a very cool hospital).  It ran the battery down in less than an hour whereas it usually lasts all day.  I called Apple, who went over some diagnostic steps with me, finally having me wipe the phone and restoring.  After I did this, while booting up, I had the Apple logo on the washed-out, flickering green background.  They ended up mailing me an advanced replacement that I should get Monday.  I wonder if this is the same problem as in this report and manifests this way for people with iPhone XS Max’s.  If so, the heating up could be a potential danger (since it's the phone itself and not environmental heat causing this).  If that's the case, they may consider this issue an extremely high priority.  Then again, I'm not even sure I have the actual same problem described in the article; it could be a coincidence.

ADDENDUM: I will add that the issue of getting hot and running the battery down quickly was prior to me wiping/restoring with Apple.  Also, this morning, the phone acted almost the same way.  The screen still acted the same, and the battery was still running down fast, but not AS fast, and the phone was no longer getting hot.  Go figure.

Looks like a hardware problem. Probably just a coincidence that it happened after a software update.

edited June 2020

m68000

DAalseth said:

SpamSandwich said:

A discoloration lasting a few seconds? Oh, the humanity!

JFC_PA said:

A few seconds of startup visual  noise? Hardly an issue. 

I disagree. When I spend a grand on a phone I want it to not have issues like this. That's what I pay for. In addition, if this is a hardware issue it could be something starting to fail. I'd like to be aware of it before the screen goes green and stays, or doesn't light up at all. Normally I'm all for cutting Apple slack and it annoys me when Apple is held to a higher standard than other companies. This though shouldn't happen on a top of the line phone. 

Absolutely agree with Daalseth.   We all know Apple markets itself as the best product available.  This kind of thing should be fixed.

crosslad

But aren’t these screens made by Samsung? /s