CrackMacMacBook screen cracked and black, or won't turn on? Is the Mac still alive?
Usually the Mac is fine and only the display died. Four quick checks tell you which part failed: whether the Mac is running at all, whether the backlight is out, whether an external monitor works, and whether a restart helps.
Not ready to pay for a repair? If the damage sits along an edge, you can block off the broken part and keep using the rest.
1. Is the Mac running?
- Press Caps Lock. If its light turns on, the Mac is on.
- Watch for the keyboard backlight, and listen for a startup sound or fans.
- Press the volume keys: you may hear the feedback sound.
If none of these respond, charge it for 30 minutes, then hold the power button for 10 seconds and press it again to start.
2. Is it the backlight?
In a dark room, shine a phone torch at the screen at an angle. A faint image of the desktop means the panel is working but the backlight isn't. A backlight fault sometimes comes from the display cable rather than the panel, which can be a cheaper repair.
3. Does an external monitor work?
Connect a monitor or TV and press Command-Brightness Down (Command-F1) to mirror. A picture there proves the Mac works and only the built-in display is damaged. Step-by-step help is in connecting a broken MacBook to a monitor or TV.
4. Restart properly
Hold the power button until the Mac turns off, wait ten seconds, and start it again. On Intel Macs, resetting the SMC can help with display power problems. On Apple silicon, a full shutdown does the same job.
What the results mean
| What you found | Likely cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Mac runs, external monitor works, built-in fully black | Panel or cable damaged | Repair, or use a monitor |
| Faint image with a torch | Backlight or its cable | Repair quote; often cheaper |
| Part of the screen still shows a picture | Partial panel damage | Keep using the working part |
| Nothing responds, even an external monitor | Power or logic board | Apple or a repair shop |
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Costs for each route are in MacBook screen replacement cost. If only part of the screen is black, read half of the screen is black.
Quick answers
My MacBook screen is cracked and black. Is the laptop dead?
Usually not. A crack often kills the display while the Mac keeps running. If the Caps Lock light turns on, the keyboard lights up, or an external monitor shows a picture, the computer is working and only the screen needs attention.
How can I tell if the backlight or the screen is broken?
Shine a torch at the screen at an angle in a dark room. If you can faintly see the desktop, the panel works and the backlight has failed. If you see nothing, the panel itself, or its connection, is the problem.
Damage along an edge?
CrackMac keeps windows, the menu bar and the pointer on the part of the screen that still works, and paints the dead strip black. You draw the line once, on a picture of your screen, and it stays out of your way after that.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.