Apple Investigating Issue With 'Pink Squares' Appearing on Displays Connected to M1 Mac Mini

In an internal memo this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple informed service providers that it is aware of and investigating an issue that may result in "pink squares or pixels" appearing on displays connected to an M1 Mac mini.

pink squares macos


This issue has been reported by users across the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors Forums, and Reddit since the M1 Mac mini launched in November, but the exact cause is unclear. Based on comments from affected users, it appears that the issue may be more common when connecting displays via HDMI compared to Thunderbolt.

Apple did not provide a specific timeframe for a fix. The memo was issued on February 19, over a week after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, which does not appear to address the issue. It is possible that a fix could be readied in time for the release of macOS Big Sur 11.3, which has been in beta testing since February 2.

In the meantime, Apple outlined the following troubleshooting steps:

  • Put the Mac mini to sleep
  • Wait two minutes and wake the Mac mini
  • Unplug the display from the Mac mini, and then plug the display back in
  • Adjust the display's resolution in System Preferences > Displays

If the issue reoccurs after restarting the Mac mini, Apple says to repeat the steps above.

There have been various other external display issues with M1 Macs in recent months, ranging from USB-C connection issues to some resolutions being unavailable when using an ultrawide or super-ultrawide display.

Related Roundup: Mac mini
Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: Mac mini

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

cmaier Avatar
65 months ago

Maybe Apple isn't as good a GPU designer as they think they are... Intel, AMD & nVidia have been doing it a long time, and have the compatibility with external devices figured out.
It’s certainly a software, not a hardware, issue, so GPU design has nothing to do with it.

And you think nobody ever has problems with Intel, AMD or nVidia? Seriously?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
65 months ago
I think Pink looks pretty good. There has been about 3 times when I had to force shutdown my M1 and the screen went Pink right before it turned off to reboot. I am not sure it is a flaw.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
65 months ago
Pink squares? Blue diamonds? Green clovers?

I blame Apple's lead graphics engineer:



Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saberon2014 Avatar
65 months ago
This is a miracle, I posted nearly 3 months ago about this and it's been silence from Apple since. I've long since returned my Mini and bought something else instead which is too bad.


https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/display-issues-with-m1-mini.2270088/
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joker73 Avatar
65 months ago
Finally!
This seems to happen randomly on startup and it seems to be solved when rebooting. But it's annoying.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
65 months ago

Maybe Apple isn't as good a GPU designer as they think they are... Intel, AMD & nVidia have been doing it a long time, and have the compatibility with external devices figured out.
I had similar issues in recent years with those companies mentioned so your comment is incorrect.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)