Mac mini 'pink squares' graphical glitch fix on the way
Apple is aware of a display glitch where pink squares appear on a display attached to an M1 Mac mini, a problem that it is working on to fix.
A number of users of the Apple Silicon Mac mini are encountering problems with their compact computing setup, in that sometimes rows of pink squares appear on the display. Many users have complained on Reddit and Apple's support forums about the problem, and it seems Apple has taken notice.
The problem seems to affect only HDMI-connected displays, not USB-C nor Thunderbolt, and is temporary in nature. In one AppleInsider writer's case, the pink squares disappear once they switch audio sources for the affected monitor away from the Mac and then back, or simply to turn the monitor on and off.
An internal memo from Apple to service providers seen by MacRumors confirms Apple knows about the problem and it is investigating the issue. A timeframe for the fix was not provided in the update.
Most likely fixable in software, it is likely Apple will either release a minor update to macOS fixing it, or will wait to incorporate it as part of a larger release, such as in macOS Big Sur 11.3.
Apple also offered troubleshooting steps that included putting the Mac mini to sleep and waking it after two minutes. Apple then suggests unplugging the display temporarily then changing the display resolution in System Preferences.
This is not the first instance of a graphical problem with its M1 Mac lineup. Users have encountered a lack of resolution options when using an M1 Mac with an ultrawide or super-ultrawide display.
There are also limitations for external monitor support, with the Mac mini able to handle two external displays, while the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro only allow one external display alongside the built-in screen.
A number of users of the Apple Silicon Mac mini are encountering problems with their compact computing setup, in that sometimes rows of pink squares appear on the display. Many users have complained on Reddit and Apple's support forums about the problem, and it seems Apple has taken notice.
The problem seems to affect only HDMI-connected displays, not USB-C nor Thunderbolt, and is temporary in nature. In one AppleInsider writer's case, the pink squares disappear once they switch audio sources for the affected monitor away from the Mac and then back, or simply to turn the monitor on and off.
An internal memo from Apple to service providers seen by MacRumors confirms Apple knows about the problem and it is investigating the issue. A timeframe for the fix was not provided in the update.
Most likely fixable in software, it is likely Apple will either release a minor update to macOS fixing it, or will wait to incorporate it as part of a larger release, such as in macOS Big Sur 11.3.
Apple also offered troubleshooting steps that included putting the Mac mini to sleep and waking it after two minutes. Apple then suggests unplugging the display temporarily then changing the display resolution in System Preferences.
This is not the first instance of a graphical problem with its M1 Mac lineup. Users have encountered a lack of resolution options when using an M1 Mac with an ultrawide or super-ultrawide display.
There are also limitations for external monitor support, with the Mac mini able to handle two external displays, while the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro only allow one external display alongside the built-in screen.
Comments
I was assuming that this was another graphics driver problem but it appears to be just a problem with Big Sur and waking from sleep. I know this because I can always wake the monitor by connecting to the M1 MBA with screen sharing. It works every time unlike anything else I've tried. I'm at a loss for why Apple hasn't tracked this down and fixed it. If it is a driver issue with new hardware, they have some excuse but if it is just normal waking from sleep, why are the M1 Macs doing anything different than in the past?
By the same measure, where the M1 Macs are superior in performance in any measure, Apple also gets full credit, for the same reason.
Unless there is proven some flaw in hardware manufacture compared to what Apple specified, Apple is entirely to blame for the whole thing.
I've definitely seen some weird quirks with my 4K Samsung TV used as a monitor via HDMI with my M1 Mac Mini I've not seen on any other machine. There are definitely issues Apple needs to resolve.
I was curious if it would work, tested it, it did it without anything resembling a complaint.
Yes, it did require an HDMI-Thunderbolt/USB-C adapter, but what’s important to remember is the adapter can’t possibly help the OS and the rest of the built-in hardware do something it wasn’t designed to do. I don’t have any other iDevices with USB-C to test with, I don’t know if they’ll also work.
Microsoft To Do is a crappy Electron (google it) app. Depending on how recently it was updated, I'm surprised it was updated at all. Electron based apps (like To Do & Discord, as examples) will not run on the M1, until Electron is updated & the apps re-built.
The boot cycle on the Apple Silicon mini is kind of slow, maybe that is due to the peripherals, IDK.
I also see the spinning beachball of death during extended web sessions with many windows having been opened that only gets right by force quitting Safari and reloading the collection of windows after reopening. My guess is that Safari is not clearing the cache out properly and running out of memory.
Finally, the most recent build is seeing strangeness with the Apple Magic Trackpad when connected by Bluetooth. Plug it in with a USB-Lightning connector and all returns to normal. Reboot and all returns to normal. Somehow I think that is not the trackpad but is a SW issue with the ARM build of Mac OS/Safari.
I have not seen any issues with the MBA running the same SOC and 16 GB.
The fault tolerance of the displays themselves can also be an issue. If the source is less than perfect (as I have seen from some Intel Mac minis), the displays can sometimes give up altogether and go to a completely blank screen.
The fact that Macs always have HDCP on by default -- even if non-DRM content is being displayed -- doesn't help. (Commercial AV systems are often hindered by this). Oddly (but fortunately) it is possible to connect a non-HDCP display to a Mac. You won't be able to play DRM content, but at least you'll get your desktop, spreadsheets and the like. In the past, putting an EDID emulator that makes the Mac think it's connected to a non-HDCP monitor has helped, but I haven't had to do this for a while.
again there will be NO FIX this is a hardware issue not a software issue!!