How to fix a Chromebook screen that's flickering

Seeing your Chromebook screen flickering is undeniably a scary sight. Don’t panic! Keep calm and let us guide you with some troubleshooting tips and find a solution together

Editor’s note: We formulated these steps using an ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip running Chrome OS version 122.0.6261.137. Some steps may slightly differ on other hardware and software versions.

Restart the Chromebook

This is the first troubleshooting tip we usually give for most issues. It might seem odd, but a good ol’ restart often fixes software problems.

How to restart a Chromebook:

1. Click on your notification area in the lower-right part of the screen.
2. Select the Power icon.
3. Select Restart.

Check for Chromebook updates

Software updates will often come with bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s always good to check for updates when facing Chromebook issues.

How to update your Chromebook:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into the About ChromeOS tab.
3. Select Check for updates.
4. Your Chromebook will download and update. You may be asked to Restart when done.

Reset all Chrome Flags

Have you been playing with Chrome Flags lately? These can improve your experience, but they are also experimental features that may come with some bugs. Here’s how to reset them all to stock settings.

How to reset Chrome Flags:

1. Launch the Chrome browser.
2. Type in “chrome://flags” in the Omnibox, without the quotation marks.
3. Press Enter.
4. Click on the Reset all button.
5. You’ll be asked to restart the computer. Click on the Restart button when it appears.

Try other display sizes

This one is a bit odd, but it makes sense, as screen flickering is likely related to graphics problems. Plenty of users say changing the display size fixes Chromebook screen flickering issues.

How to change Chromebook display size:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into the Device tab.
3. Select Displays.
4. Change the Display size to something smaller using the slider, like 95% or lower.

Perform a Chromebook Powerwash

A Powerwash is the equivalent to a factory data reset. This action will wipe your Chromebook clean and bring it back to factory settings.

How to Powerwash your Chromebook:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Expand the Advanced section.
3. Hit Reset settings.
4. Next to Powerwash, select Reset.
5. Tap on Restart.

Try an external monitor

This is a simple way to determine if your Chromebook screen flickering issues relate to software or hardware. Try using your Chromebook with an external monitor. If your Chromebook has an HDMI port, connect to it using an HDMI cable. Otherwise, you can use a USB-C adapter with an HDMI port.

If you experience no screen flickering, you will know the problem is hardware-related. You can continue using a monitor until the computer is fixed.

If the monitor is still flickering, it’s a software issue, and you can keep trying to troubleshoot or wait for an update to fix things.

Is it an issue with a specific website?

Maybe you’ve noticed that your Chromebook screen flickering problems appear after you launch a specific website. This may be due to any graphic elements within the content. Sadly, there isn’t much you can do, other than avoid using the website. At least until the bug is fixed with a software update, or the website changes somehow.

It’s time to get professional help

Have you exhausted all possibilities? Chromebook screen flickering is usually no joke, and by now, we can assume there is a more serious problem going on with your Chromebook.

You can try sending the Google team feedback, and it might help, but this will be a long process. And ultimately, Google can only help with software tips. If you want to try it, though, just press Alt + Shift + I. Explain your problem and hit Continue. Fill in the rest of the info and hit Send.

If your Chromebook is still covered under warranty, you can contact the manufacturer and have it fix or replace the computer. If it’s not, you can go with the insurance provider, if you purchased insurance for it and it is still active. Otherwise, you might have to find a repair shop to help you.