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

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Revamp: All the Rumors

Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026. Home Hub Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...

Top Rated Comments

cmaier Avatar
62 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
62 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
62 months ago
Pink squares? Blue diamonds? Green clovers?

I blame Apple's lead graphics engineer:



Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saberon2014 Avatar
62 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
62 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
62 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)