MacBook Pro, Pro Display XDR will automatically dim when hot

AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

Apple has revealed that the screens on its new 14-inch MacBook Pro, revised 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Pro Display XDR, will limit their brightness under certain circumstances.

It’s an automatic feature that applies specifically to the screen technology introduced with the Pro Display XDR, and the Liquid Retina XDR of the MacBook Pro.

According to a new support document, Apple says that as well as automatically dimming the screen, the feature will display a warning triangle in the menu bar. Similarly, Control Center will show an icon of a screen with a small warning triangle to one side.

“[It means that] your display is in low power mode and using limited brightness,” says Apple. “This can occur if the ambient temperature of the room is high and you’ve been playing very bright content for an extended period of time.”

So it’s a heat-related issue and one of Apple’s proposed solutions is that users put their Macs to sleep. “Let your display cool down for 5-10 minutes,” the support document says, “then press any key on the keyboard to wake your Mac.”

Apple also suggests that for a MacBook Pro, users quit any apps that “could be consuming significant system resources.” With the Pro Display XDR, Apple says users should work in the display’s “reference mode unless your current workflow requires a specific reference mode.”

For both MacBook Pro and Pro Display XDR, Apple further recommends:

• Lower the temperature in the room
• Close or hide any windows with HDR content

It also says that if this does not resolve the issue, and the ambient temperature of the room is less than 77 degrees Fahrenheit, users should contact Apple.