How to FIX: Netflix Screen Flickering on Windows & Mac

Netflix has become a hub for entertainment, housing many seasons, movies, and documentaries for its users to enjoy. However, many users have reported experiencing a screen flickering/blinking issue while using the platform. This issue has been faced on the browser and Netflix application on both Windows and MacOS. In this guide, we will provide practical solutions for resolving this problem for both cases.

Before classifying our solutions for browsers and application, here are a few general steps you should take.

1. Restart the PC/Laptop you are facing this issue on and then check for error.
2. Restart your internet device, as the error may be due to a connection issue.
3. Check the server status of Netflix to ensure it is not an issue from their backend.

Solutions For Issue On Windows Browser

1. Clear Browser Cache

Clear your browser cache and cookies. In some cases, accumulated cache or corrupted cookies can cause display-related issues. To do this, go to the settings of your browser, find the ‘Clear browsing data‘ or ‘Clear cache‘ option, and select the appropriate settings. Restart your browser and check if the screen flickering issue is resolved.

2. Disable Browser Extensions

The primary reason for Netflix screen flickering can be some extensions you have added to your browsers. Such extensions interfere with the working of Netflix and do not allow smooth running. To eliminate this, you should follow these steps. The steps are according to Microsoft Edge and Chrome, but other browsers also have similar steps as well.

Microsoft Edge

1. Click on the three-dot icon on the top right of the edge homepage.
2. Click on Extensions on the menu that opens.
   

   

3. Then select Manage Extensions and toggle off all the available extensions. 

Google Chrome

1. Click on the three-dot icon on top right on Google homepage.
2. Then click on More Tools followed by Extensions.
   

   

3. Select and toggle off all the available extensions.

After doing these steps play any movie on Netflix and see if the flickering has stopped. If it has then one or more of the added extensions were causing this issue. One by one enable each disabled extension and keep rechecking for the issue. You should be able to identify the problematic extension and find an alternate for it.

3. Update Your Graphics Driver

Outdated or incompatible graphics card drivers can sometimes lead to display issues. You’d be surprised to find out how many problems are tied to this cause and how finicky the situation can get at its worst. We have a comprehensive guide on how to update your graphics driver that is both beginner and has detailed steps for every GPU manufacturer:

4. Disable Hardware Acceleration

This issue can also be caused by enabling hardware acceleration. Hardware acceleration causes workload to be shifted from CPU to components such as GPU. This can hinder the working of Netflix, as GPU is required for media processing. You can disable hardware acceleration by following these steps:

1. Go to the Settings of your browser and then to System and Performance.
2. Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available and then click on the Restart button.
   

   

3. Once the browser restarts, check for the issue’s resolution.

5. Logout of Excess Screens

Another reason for this issue can be that your account is logged in through a lot of devices. Netflix has a set limit for number of screens and once that amount exceeds such problems can arise.

You can take a look at our TV guide for logging out of Netflix on a smart TV; otherwise, follow Netflix’s official documentation for steps for every device. If this is not possible you should look into making a new Netflix account, especially given Netflix’s recent password-sharing crackdown.

6. Increasing Power Output

This issue can also be caused by low power output to computer components which can reduce the processing of the processor and lead to this issue. To overcome this, you should select “Best performance” after clicking on the battery icon of your laptop.

Follow these steps to increase the power output of your system:

1. Open Control Panel of your system and select Hardware and Sound.
2. Then click on Power Options and then on Create a power plan.
   

   

3. On the new page that opens up select the High Performance option.

After making these changes, reload the Netflix page, play any video on it and check if the issue still persists.

7. Update Your Browser

In case your browser has not been updated to the latest version, such incompatibility issues can arise and cause Netflix screen flickering. You can check that by opening your browser’s homepage and clicking on the three-dot or three-bar symbol in the upper right corner of the screen. If there is an update available, update your browser.

Once the update is complete and the browser restarts, hopefully the issue gets resolved.

8. Shift to a Different Browser

If none of the above-mentioned solutions work, you should consider shifting to a new browser. Sometimes issues do arise with some browsers for specific websites which are later fixed. For instance, Microsoft Edge is known to have flickering issues and we have a specific guide to fix it if you’re using Edge.

Mozilla Firefox and Brave Browser are some great underrated alternatives. Personally, for me Google Chrome was the one that eliminated the issue, but you can try others as well. You can also check out our list of the best web browsers for every kind of user, even those with a low-end device.

Solution for macOS

Since macOS is more accessible and much less prone to bugs than Windows, you’ll likely never face this issue on it. Still, here is what you can do if you’re facing the Netflix screen flickering issue on a Mac instead.

1. Change Pointer Settings

A lot of users reported when they applied this method their Netflix screen stopped flickering. The reason for this working is unclear but here is the method:

1. Open the Settings and proceed to Accessibility.
2. Over there click on Display and then scroll down to Pointer.
   

   

3. Now turn “Shake mouse pointer to locate” off. Now your issue would probably be resolved.
   

   

Solution For Netflix Application

1. Uninstall and Re-install Netflix App

The very first step you should take if you are facing this issue is to delete the Netflix application from your system. Once you do that, go to the Microsoft Store and then install it again. Now see whether the issue has been resolved or not.

Another thing in this regard would be to re-install Netflix from another source. In case if you primarily installed Netflix from Microsoft store, after deleting re-install it from an online website or vice versa.

2. Increasing Power Output

Follow the steps from Method 6 ↗️ in Solutions for Windows Browser.

3. Logout of Excess Screens

Follow the steps from Method 5 ↗️ in Solutions for Windows Browser.

4. Switch back to Windows 10

We will not recommend going ahead this method unless you absolutely have to watch Netflix on this device. Many users revealed that this issue arose only after they upgraded to Windows 11. It is well known that Windows 11 has some bugs and in case you are also using Windows 11 this issue can be caused due to that.

Hence, if it is possible downgrade your OS to the more stable Windows 10, this could fix this issue. Keep in mind that Windows 10 is no saint either, the start menu is known to be subject to flickering by some users.

Conclusion

By applying the above-mentioned solutions, Netflix screen flickering issue must be gone by now. In case it still remains unresolved I would like to suggest that you get your PC checked by an authorized personnel as it most probably could be an issue with a hardware component.