How to understand your Apple Mac and the flexgate issue:

Flexgate is a term used for display backlight-related issues caused by a fractured flex cable resulting in a black screen.

Here it is in more detail:

A hard-wired cable was used by Apple to connect the logic board to the LCD screen in MacBooks manufactured before 2016.

They then replaced the hard-wired cable with flex cables to ensure a more compact and thinner screen.

The flex cable that was used is made of a flexible plastic ribbon with thin flat copper traces and it can bend without breaking it. The copper traces transfer power or data.

This is how the flex cable can affect the screen when it frays or breaks.

There are four flex cables in the MacBook screen whereby the two outside cables are for the vertical and horizontal timing control signals. The right-hand side small flex cable is for the backlight and the other one is for the webcam.

The MacBook screen manufactured in 2016/17 came with a short backlight cable that is about 2mm shorter than required. When you open the screen fully pressure is built on the joint of the flex cable and cable connector that can make it fray or break.

There are six copper traces to control the six groups of LED lights independently. When one or more are broken black spots will appear and finally a black screen.

 To find out if you are dealing with the flexgate issue?

1. Press the power button on the keyboard. Wait a little bit.

2. Press the Caps Lock key on the keyboard.

3. Place one finger on the trackpad and move your finger towards to upper-left corner.

4. Move to a dark room and shine a torch on the screen upper-left corner. If you can see the cursor, your Mac has a blacklight flexgate issue.

Your options:

Since the cable is integrated into the screen it cannot be replaced although some people have tried to do so but with no lasting effect. The entire screen has to be replaced.

Contact ZA Support Apple Experts for a screen replacement quote.