Apple expanded its 13-inch MacBook Pro Display Backlight service program worldwide this week, allowing coverage for eligible notebooks for up to five years from the original purchase date or up to three years from the program start date, whichever is longer. The previous close was four years from the original purchase date.
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Apple launched the program on May 21, 2019 after noting that a “very small percentage” of 13-inch MacBook Pro units sold between October 2016 and February 2018 had vertical bright areas along the bottom of the screen, or a backlight that completely no longer works. . Eligible models are MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, two Thunderbolt 3 ports) and MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, four Thunderbolt 3 ports).
To determine which Mac model you have, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and select “About This Mac” from the menu. Apple has not extended the program to other MacBook models at this time.
Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will replace the display of affected 13-inch MacBook Pro units free of charge. Visit the Get Support page on Apple’s website to start the repair process. If you think your MacBook Pro has been affected by this issue and you paid to have your display repaired, you can contact Apple about a possible refund.
In 2019, repair website iFixit reported that the backlight problems are caused by a fragile flex cable that can wear and break after repeatedly opening and closing the screen on the affected 13-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple extended the length of the flex cable by 2mm in 2018 models, seemingly solving the problem.