What causes app flickering
App flickering — that rapid on-and-off flashing of your screen or parts of your screen — usually means your device is struggling to draw what it's supposed to show. This happens when your graphics processor, your app, or your operating system can't keep up with the refresh rate your screen expects. The most common culprits are outdated app code, a graphics driver that needs updating, or your device running too many things at once.
Flickering is different from lag or freezing. When an app lags, it's slow but still visible. When it flickers, you're seeing the screen redraw itself over and over, sometimes dozens of times per second. This usually means the app is crashing and restarting so fast you see the flashing instead of a proper error message.
Key Takeaways
- Flickering almost always stops when you update your app to the latest version, since developers fix these bugs regularly.
- If updating the app doesn't work, restart your device — this clears temporary memory and often fixes graphics glitches immediately.
- On Windows, updating your graphics driver through Device Manager or your manufacturer's website often resolves flickering that affects multiple apps.
- Closing other apps and browser tabs reduces the load on your device and can stop flickering caused by resource strain.
- If flickering happens only in one app and persists after updating, uninstalling and reinstalling that app usually fixes it.
Update your app first
The fastest fix is almost always to update the app that's flickering. Developers release updates specifically to fix bugs like this, and your app store probably has a newer version waiting. On Windows, go to the Microsoft Store, find the app, and look for an Update button. On Mac, open the App Store, click Updates at the top, and update from there. If you use Android, open Google Play Store, search for the app, and tap Update. On iPhone, open the App Store, go to your profile icon, scroll to see pending updates, and update the app there.
After updating, close the app completely and open it again. Don't just switch back to it — actually close it and relaunch. This forces your device to load the new version instead of running the old one from memory.
Restart your device
A restart clears temporary files and resets your graphics processor, which fixes flickering in about half of cases. Shut down your computer or phone completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. This is different from sleep mode — you need a full shutdown and restart.
If you're on Windows and want a faster option, you can restart just your graphics driver without restarting your whole computer. Right-click your desktop, look for an option like "Graphics Settings" or "Intel Graphics Settings" (the exact name depends on your graphics card), and look for a "Reset" or "Restart Driver" option. This works less reliably than a full restart but is worth trying if restarting your computer is inconvenient.
Update your graphics driver on Windows
Your graphics driver is the software that tells your graphics card how to draw things on your screen. If it's outdated, it can cause flickering across multiple apps. On Windows, right-click your Start button, select Device Manager, and expand Display adapters. Right-click your graphics card (usually something like "Intel UHD Graphics" or "NVIDIA GeForce"), select Update driver, and choose Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows will download and install the latest version if one exists.
If Device Manager doesn't find an update, visit your graphics card manufacturer's website directly. NVIDIA users go to nvidia.com/Download/driverDetails, AMD users go to amd.com/en/technologies/radeon-drivers, and Intel users go to intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/726609. Download the driver for your specific graphics card and Windows version, run the installer, and restart your computer when prompted.
Close other apps and browser tabs
Flickering sometimes happens because your device is overloaded. If you have 20 browser tabs open, three video calls running, and five other apps in the background, your graphics processor is working overtime. Close everything you're not actively using. On Windows, open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc), look at the CPU and Memory columns, and close apps using the most resources. On Mac, open Activity Monitor (search for it in Spotlight), click the CPU or Memory tab, and quit apps using high percentages.
Browser tabs are often the biggest culprit. Close tabs you're not reading, especially video sites and social media feeds. If you need to keep tabs open, consider using a tab manager extension that suspends inactive tabs and frees up memory.
Uninstall and reinstall the flickering app
If flickering happens only in one app and updating didn't fix it, the app's installation files may be corrupted. Uninstall the app completely, restart your device, and reinstall it fresh. On Windows, go to Settings, select Apps, find the app, click it, and select Uninstall. On Mac, open Applications, drag the app to Trash, and empty Trash. On Android, long-press the app icon and select Uninstall. On iPhone, long-press the app icon and select Remove App, then Delete App.
After uninstalling, restart your device before reinstalling. This ensures any leftover files are cleared. Then download the app again from your app store. This usually fixes flickering caused by corrupted installation files or conflicting settings.
Check your display settings and refresh rate
On Windows, right-click your desktop, select Display settings, scroll down to Advanced display settings, and look at your refresh rate. Most modern monitors run at 60 Hz, but some run at 50 Hz or other rates. If your refresh rate is set to something unusual, try changing it back to 60 Hz. Click the dropdown next to Refresh rate and select 60 Hz, then click Apply.
If you're using an external monitor, flickering can also mean the cable is loose or damaged. Disconnect the monitor cable from your computer, wait 10 seconds, and reconnect it firmly. If flickering continues, try a different cable or a different port on your computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can flickering damage my monitor or graphics card?
No. Flickering is a software or driver issue, not a hardware failure. It won't damage your monitor or graphics card, though it can be annoying to watch. Fix it by updating your app or driver, and the flickering will stop without any lasting harm.
Why does my app flicker only sometimes?
Intermittent flickering usually means the problem happens when your device is under load — when you're running other apps, your battery is low, or your device is warm. Try closing other apps when you use the flickering app, or let your device cool down if it's been running for hours. If flickering only happens when your battery is low, your device may be throttling performance to save power.
Does flickering mean my app has a virus?
Flickering alone is not a sign of malware. It's almost always a graphics driver issue, an outdated app, or resource strain. If you're concerned about security, run a scan with Windows Defender (built into Windows) or your antivirus software, but flickering itself is not a malware symptom.
What if flickering happens in every app?
If your entire screen flickers across all apps, the problem is almost certainly your graphics driver or your monitor cable. Update your graphics driver first using the steps above. If that doesn't work, check that your monitor cable is firmly connected. If you're using a laptop, restart it and see if the problem persists — sometimes a driver glitch clears on its own after a restart.
Should I contact the app developer if nothing works?
Yes, if you've updated the app, restarted your device, updated your graphics driver, and the flickering continues only in that one app, contact the app's support team. Describe exactly when the flickering happens — when you open the app, when you do a specific action, or all the time — and mention your device type and operating system version. They may have a known fix or a workaround for your specific setup.