In an internal memorandum this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple told service providers that they are aware of and investigating an issue that could lead to ‘pink squares or pixels’ on screens connected to an M1 Mac mini.
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The issue has been reported by users in the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors Forums and Reddit since the launch of the M1 Mac mini in November, but the exact cause is unclear. Based on comments from affected users, it seems that the problem may be more common when connecting screens via HDMI, compared to Thunderbolt.
Apple did not provide a specific timeframe for a solution. The memo was released on February 19, more than a week after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, which apparently does not address the issue. It’s possible that a fix may be fixed in time for the release of macOS Big Sur 11.3, which has been in beta testing since February 2nd.
Meanwhile, Apple has outlined the following troubleshooting steps:
- Put the Mac mini to sleep
- Wait two minutes and wake up the Mac mini
- Remove the screen from the Mac mini and reinsert the screen
- Adjust the screen resolution in System Preferences> Display
If the problem persists after restarting the Mac mini, Apple tells you to repeat the above steps.
There have been several other external display issues with M1 Macs over the past few months, ranging from USB-C connectivity issues to some resolutions not available when using an ultra- or super-ultra-large screen.