Big Sur update is causing extensive screen flickering

Same issue here on my MBP 2020 13''

Macbook pro late 2016 I7 Quadcore, same issue since Catalina 10.15. The issue of screen flicker because of graphics switching is an issue. Turning off graphics switching causes battery to drain so far it is unbelievable.

Apple needs to fix this issue. I understand the big deal about M1 chips etc but we have been with apple for a long long time. Better get us what we need for the price being paid.

5 days ago, I posted my comment in this thread discussion because I had the same issue. Then, I have noticed that my extended monitor was trying to scan HDMI signal regularly and cause to flicker - I guess and believe that it can have an issue with adapter . So, I bought "USB C to HDMI Cable, CLDAY Type C to HDMI [Thunderbolt 3 Compatible], Supporting 4K with 6.6ft and Braided, Compatible with MacBook/Pro"

So, right now, I am using USB C to HDMI Cable to connect directly my Macbook Pro with Dell monitor (24 inches), and it is working properly without flickering anymore - the issue went out.

In short, you can try to use cable to connect directly your Macbook with your extended monitor - NOT to use adapter.

Hope it can help and solve this issue.

P/S: I am aware that this issue is really stubborn and annoying. Also, it is impacted to our work.

Just want to let you guys know that I've fixed this!

This was my reply on page 2:

Same here. Macbook Pro 2017 13'' no-touch-bar model. Before updating to Big Sur, I connected to 2 external HDMI monitors with no problem at all. Just after updated to Big Sur, now one of the external monitor will intermittently flicker (flashing or black for 2-3 seconds then come back), especially after sleeping for a while. 
This is really annoying and deminishing the usability of Macbook! Please fix this ASAP, Apple! And please give it a thorough test before releasing a new OS!

• Then I re-installed Catalina.

  • The problem was still there! BUT it was much better than on Big Sur! Less frequency and less black screen time!

• Then I replaced my ThunderBolt adapter HyperDrive NET 6-in-2 Hub to the apple.com suggested CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock -Portable.

  • The problem is gone!

• Then I upgraded to Big Sure again.

  • The problem is gone!

So my conclusion is it might not be Big Sur's problem, but Big Sur might maginfied the problem.

New MacBook Pro 16" with clean install of Big Sur 11.1. When an external monitor is attached, the laptop occasionally begins having display sync and graphics rendering issues on the external monitor when using the Chrome browser - almost always starts while playing embedded video. Once the graphics rendering issues start, I begin seeing it from other apps that are playing video. Apparently this is a known issue? In the past I was able to correct the problem by repeatedly killing the Chrome GPU helper, but that did not work today. Some reported they eliminated the glitching by disabling hardware-acceleration in the Chrome settings - that no longer seems to work for me. Surprisingly, it sometimes continues after a reboot. Frustrating.
Edit: I'm using Apple's HDMI adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter

So it seems that a lot of people are having this problem, my grandmother, who just got a new Mac because they are typically reliable is also having this issue. I typically can fix any issue that I have encountered on a Mac but not this one. Some have said that turning off TrueTone and adjusting the cursor size in the accessibility settings seems to be helpful. I am going to do some testing to see if that is the case, the more data points we can have to see if that is an issue the better.

The very weird part of this error is that it seems to be very hit or miss, one day she could barely use the laptop and then the next it was fine.

It is a MacBook Air 2020 with the new M1 chip. My best guess is that Apple just hasn't figured out how to switch between processing and graphics because this is the first system on a chip that they have had. I have been running Big Sur for months now, even when it was in beta and I have never had this problem. I have a 2017 MacBook Pro with 3.1 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 and a separate graphics card, so if your machine is having this problem and it doesn't have a separate graphics card that would make a lot of sense. If it is doing it even with a separate graphics card than idk what the heck is going on.

Tried a few things an this seems to work. Had the same issue with Catalina 10.15 and now it has become worse with Big Sur

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016 2.7 Ghz Core I7 with 16 GB RAM)

Here is how I fixed it based on reference https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8160651

• Disable Automatic GPU Switching (System Preferences -> Battery - > Power Adapter - > Uncheck Automatic Graphics Switching)

• Run the following command to find out the gpuSwitch setting on AC Power and on battery

Code Block 
sudo pmset -g custom

You will need to change the above settings .

Note the setting

0 - Integrated Graphics
1 - Discrete Graphics
2 - Automatic Switching

• Change gpuSwitching with AC charger plugged in to use integrated graphics only.

Code Block 
sudo pmset -c gpuswitch 0

• Change gpuSwitching with battery use integrated graphics only.

Code Block 
sudo pmset -b gpuswitch 0

• Change all setting to use integrated graphics only

Code Block 
sudo pmset -a gpuswitch 0

Note: This would mean you will not be able to run high end graphic applications, but in my opinion stability wins over the pain of flicker

Important Note: Once you are done with the above instructions, reset SMC ONLY and NOT PRAM.

I have been trouble by a flickering external monitor ever since 11.1, but not before.

After corresponding with CalDigit, I followed their list of remediation steps and troubleshooting. They ended up replacing my TS3+ thunderbolt dock, with little improvement.
I've tried 3 monitors, connected via DVI-D from Displayport, with an active $33 StarTec cable.
I took the TS3+ entirely out of the picture by using an Apple Thunderbolt-to-HDMI adapter.
I added ferrite cores to both ends of my 2m Displayport-to-DVI-D cable.
I just tried arunprakash94's technique of cutting off gpuswitch for [-b, -c, -a]. I think it helped?
There is still a flickering problem that did not occur under prior releases of MacOS.

Is it possible that my monitors are all now damaged?
My HPZR24w monitor is connected to two different MacBook Pros:
1) my employer's 16-inch late 2019 with 10.15.7 using a $15 WARRKY USB-C to Displayport cable,
2) my 15-inch 2016 with 11.1 via DVI-D.
That HP monitor never flickers when driven from the older OS.

FYI.

I tried everything I could under the sun. Then, I restarted my MBPRO, and all things are as normal. I have no explanation. No updates, no changes, just a restart.

#ghostofstevejobs

I am having this same issue. I have a 2018 Mac book pro. I had no issues. Two weeks ago i updated to Big Sur and almost instantly i started having problems. At first my keyboard stopped working a few times. Then I started having a blue or yellow tint over the screen. Now the screen has intense flickering of the yellow tint. It also has horrible image persistence. It is really bizzare. I have Run disk utility first aide, i have run diagnostics which said everything is fine, I have booted in safe mode, reset NVRAM, Reset SMC. Still the issues persist.

Similar issue with mine: MacBook Pro 2020 13 inch MXK32 Touch Bar 1.4GHz/i5/8GB/256GB running Big Sur 11.1.
After updated to 11.1: everything is normal.
On Saturday (9 Jan): everything is normal.
On Sunday (10 Jan): I turned on the mac by opening the lid as normally do, and all of sudden, the screen flickering to the extent that it is almost unusable.
I have tried every tips and tricks found on the net, including those from this forum, but the problem remains unsolved.

Same with me, MacBook Pro 2019 16 inch running Big Sur 11.1. Trying to connect to a projector via the hdmi connector of a usb-c Portside dock and watch a movie with the lid closed using Kodi. Random flickering issue, happening from once every few minutes to several times a minute, unaffected by all the possible settings discussed here. Very disappointing, I guess I'll have to use my vintage MacBook Pro 2010 which does the job fine.. Unfortunately I don't know if I would have had the same issue prior to updating to Big Sur, as the computer is new and I updated during the first days of operation.

I have a somewhat similar issue. My 2019 iMac screen started to flicker when using Photos (which i use extensively) right after installing Big Sur. Photoshop seems to work fine and other CC applications.

Similar flicker issue here. Since update to BigSur any video in full screen mode is starting flickering after the control bar is hide. If I watch in window mode all is fine.

Mac 13" 2020 | 11.1

I'm also getting flickering after upgrading to Big Sur. I've had similar flicking in the past with Chrome / Electron apps but was able to address that by adjusting GPU settings for those but with Big Sur it's come back even with those settings.

Happens on my external monitor over usb-c, it seems to happen most when there's more 2d rendering happening on screen - typically a combination of Slack, VS Code and Chrome will start to trigger it. Changing what's on screen seems to address it so maybe some kind of buffer thing.