Why is my screen occasionally dimming/flashing, similar to how a screen capture does?

D2021

My macpro (M1, Sonoma 14.5) screen occasionally dims/flashes similar to how a screen capture tool does. I've checked the Accessibility settings and the "Flash the screen when an alert sound occurs" is OFF. It could be something innocuous, but it also could be a screen shot capture function of MS Teams, or a virus or something else. Any thoughts on what it might be?

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/100045/why-is-my-screen-occasionally-dimming-flashing-similar-to-how-a-screen-capture-does

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Regards

Alexandru_BD

Hello @D2021,

I think there could be a number of reasons behind this, and it will be necessary to check a couple of things.

Since you mentioned MS Teams, check its settings to see if there are any recording or screenshot features enabled, and ensure it's not configured to take periodic screenshots or something like that. Also look through your Applications folder and Activity Monitor for any suspicious activity, to check if any other tools or apps may be set to take screenshots or record your screen.

Since you've already checked the "Flash the screen when an alert sound occurs" setting, it's also worth checking other system preferences. Check if there are any notifications settings that might cause the screen to flash, go to System Settings → Notifications and review any active notifications that might be causing this issue.

Another place to look would be the startup items, so any applications that are set to launch at startup that could be causing this. Go to System Settings → Users & Groups → Login Items. Look for any screen recording or screenshot utilities.

Then, if you have any external devices connected, such as monitors, keyboards, or other peripherals, try disconnecting them to see if the issue persists. Sometimes, external devices can cause display issues. Last but not least, ensure that your OS and all your applications are up to date. Sometimes, such issues can be caused by bugs that have been fixed in newer builds. Should you have any security concerns, you may run a scan and see if anything comes up that could be causing this. I think this is a long shot and less likely, but there could also be a hardware issue causing the screen to dim or flash..

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex