How to deal with the iPhone SE 3 Screen Flickering Issue [Quick fixes]

This post highlights potential solutions to a software-related display problem transpiring on the 3rd generation special edition iPhone. Read on to learn what to do when faced with the iPhone SE 3 screen flickering issue.

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue featured

What causes an iPhone screen to flicker?

Just like other reported iPhone problems, display issues like screen flickering on an iPhone can either be due to faulty software or damaged hardware.

If the problem suddenly occurs without dropping or getting your iPhone wet, then it’s likely software-related. Otherwise, the problem is more likely attributed to a damaged screen or any other display-related components.

Before rushing to a service center, ruling out software-related triggers is recommended. This denotes the need to troubleshoot your device.

To give you some input, I’ve mapped out a few helpful workarounds that you can use to rule out common factors from the iPhone system that trigger an erratic display. Feel free to try any of the given solutions, which you think  applicable to your iPhone.

Troubleshooting iPhone SE 3 screen flickering issue

Performing the following solutions will help eliminate software-related factors that might have triggered the iPhone screen to flicker. These steps are based on the updated iPhone interface and likewise applicable when dealing with the same display issue on other iPhone models running on the latest iOS version. 

Actual screens and menu items may vary between device models and carriers so expect some slight differences on every device’s user interface.

Feel free to start whenever you’re all set to troubleshoot your iOS device.

Solution #1: Reboot iPhone.

The easiest effective solution to random software errors that might have caused your iPhone screen to act up and flicker is an iPhone reboot or soft reset. And there are two ways for you to do this. You can do the usual iPhone reboot (soft reset) or force restart.

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue REBOOT

To soft reset/reboot your iPhone SE 3, just follow these steps:

  • Press and hold the Side button on the top-right edge and then release when the Power off slider appears.
  • Drag the Power Off slider to the right. Doing so powers off the device.
  • After a few seconds, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

If your iPhone screen is somehow frozen or not responding properly, you can do a force restart instead. Performing a force restart forcibly terminates any errant background services that might have caused conflicts to the display system of your phone.

Just follow these steps to force restart the iPhone SE 3:
  • Press and quickly release the Volume Up button then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. 
  • Finally, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

Both these restart procedures don’t affect any saved data from the iPhone storage so all your files are safe.

Solution #2: Optimize apps.

If the problem occurs only when using a certain application, that app is most likely the culprit. In this case, uninstalling the errant app is recommended. But before you do, you can try some tweaks like updating the app or offloading it manually.

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue OFFLOAD

Offloading removes the app from the system but relevant data and documents for that app will remain. That said, you would still be able to retrieve and use all in-app data once you redownload the offloaded application from the App Store.

Offloading is typically recommended to resolve various iOS issues inflicted by some rogue apps including atypical display behaviors.

  • To manually update apps on the iPhone SE 3, open the App Store by tapping on its icon from Home. While in the App Store menu, tap on your Apple ID profile then navigate to the available updates section. There you will see a list of all apps with pending updates. 

You may opt to update apps individually by tapping on the Update button next to an app or tap Update All to update all apps at once.

To manually offload an app on the iPhone SE 3, you will need to access the iPhone Storage menu. 

  • Simply head over to Settings-> General-> iPhone Storage and then tap to select the app that you’d like to offload. In the App’s info screen, tap Offload app then tap Offload app again on the pop-up screen to confirm. When the app is offloaded, its icon from the Home screen appears faded/disabled.

To redownload and reinstall the app, simply tap on its icon from the Home screen and wait for it to finish downloading and installing. By then, you should be able to use the app properly again.

Solution #3: Optimize iPhone storage.

Performance-related issues on an iPhone may likewise be directly attributed to memory problems like when the storage is running low.

Among the usual symptoms include system lags, crashes, and frozen display.

In some cases, the device may also act weird as its processor slows down and becomes shaky. As a result, the screen may appear to be flickering if not unresponsive. 

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue OPTIMIZE STORAGE

To rule out memory-related issues from the underlying cause, deleting old and unused contents is recommended.

Every file and app added on the phone takes up a portion of the entire storage space so deleting them will likewise make ample space for new contents.

Also consider deleting any unused apps and old messages including emails, SMS, and MMS messages as they too utilize a certain amount of storage on your iPhone.

Solution #4: Install new software updates (if available).

Software updates that are periodically rolled out by Apple not only brings in new features but more importantly they embed essential patches to clear out any identified system bugs and malicious software that might have ruined the operating system. 

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue UPDATE

If you haven’t enabled auto-updating on your iPhone SE 3, then manually downloading and installing new updates would be necessary.

  • To check for new iOS updates, just head over to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu. On the next screen, you will see information about any new iOS version available for your device.

If there is, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the new update on your phone.

But before you do, make sure that your iPhone is sufficiently charged, has ample storage space and stable internet connection.

These are the key requisites to ensure that over-the-air updating is successful.

Do not do anything on your device that may interfere with or interrupt the updating process. This is imperative to ensure that nothing will go wrong with your iPhone system and everything will go smoothly after the update.

Solution #5: Reset all settings.

If none of the above solutions worked and your iPhone screen continues to flicker, you may resort to an iOS reset called reset all settings.

Triggering this reset command will delete all recently added settings and settings overrides including those that eventually caused conflicts to certain apps or system services.

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue RESET SETTINGS

This reset is not the same with a factory reset as resetting all settings does not affect any user data unlike a factory reset.

However, all your personalized settings like default apps, custom networks, keyboard dictionary, privacy settings, location settings, and Apple Pay cards will be deleted and restored to their default values.

All your media files and downloads won’t be deleted.

  • To reset all settings on the iPhone SE 3, just go to Settings-> General-> Transfer or Reset iPhone-> Reset menu and then tap Reset all settings from the given options. To continue, read the reset details then tap Reset settings to confirm.

If prompted, enter your device passcode to authorize all settings reset.

The entire process won’t take long, probably just a few seconds to be completed. After the reset, the phone reboots automatically and then loads up all default values and options.

In order to use necessary features that are disabled by default, you’ll need to re-enable them individually.

Is your iPhone screen still flickering?

The following are other potential solutions should none of the aforementioned methods work and you’d want to troubleshoot further.

Some iPhone owners who have encountered the same issue were able to obtain solutions by applying these subsequent tweaks so it won’t hurt to try them as well.

Disable auto-brightness or reduce screen brightness. 

There are some instances wherein the phone’s screen appears to be flickering due to a very high brightness level. This possibly happens with auto-brightness enabled on the phone as it automatically adjusts the brightness of the display based on the current lightning ambience. 

fix iphone se3 screen flickering issue AB OFF
  • To clear this out, try to turn off auto-brightness on your iPhone SE 3 by heading over to Settings-> Accessibility-> Display & Text Size menu and then toggle to turn off the Auto-Brightness switch.

With this feature enabled,  you can manually adjust the display whenever needed, according to your preferences.

Adjusting other display settings such as Increase Contrast, Reduce White Point, Smart or Classic Invert may also  help.

Enable Reduce Transparency.

Another helpful tweak that has helped other iPhone users deal with screen issues including a flickering iPhone screen is to enable the iOS feature called Reduce Transparency.

Should you wish to give it a shot, just head over to Settings-> Accessibility-> Display & Text Size menu and then turn on the Reduce Transparency switch.

With this feature enabled, the iPhone’s display contrast will be improved as it lowers transparency and blurs on some backgrounds to increase visibility.

Factory reset (iPhone restore)

If your iPhone screen started flickering after installing an iOS update, then there’s a good chance that the problem is inflicted by an unforeseen software bug that typically requires a patch. 

If none of the above solutions is able to fix iPhone screen flickering, then resorting to a full system reset can be deemed a drastic solution. Doing so will likely fix the problem if complex system errors caused by stubborn bugs and malicious software are the main triggers.

But before you do, be sure to back up all your important data to your iCloud account or a secure folder on your computer via iTunes so you can still retrieve and use your files afterwards.

You can carry out a factory reset through your iPhone settings or using iTunes app or Finder on a Windows or Mac computer.

Restoring the iPhone in recovery or DFU mode can also be regarded among other last options should the problem be attributed to fatal system errors that eventually ruined the iOS display rendering functions.

Repair Options

Taking the device to the nearest authorized Apple service center would be your last hope if all else failed to fix your flickering iPhone display. At this point, the possibility of a damaged component being present on the device is very high. That said, your iPhone likely needs physical repair.

Please keep posted for more comprehensive iOS tutorials and troubleshooting guides on this site. Or you can check out this YouTube channel to view more comprehensive tutorial and troubleshooting videos including recent iOS devices.

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