TCL TV Screen Flickering: 9 Ways To Fix It ASAP (2023)

There’s beauty in flickering:

A firefly. Bonfire at the beach with friends. Fireworks at the end of a festival.

For some, flickering brings good news…

Like a lighthouse at the end of a long journey.

You know what’s not a good thing?

My flickering TCL TV.

But, don’t worry. I won’t let that happen to your TCL.

Keep reading to discover:

How to replace a flickering backlight.
9 pain-free ways to fix flickering on your TCL TV.
A quick guide on how to get rid of the Roku flickering glitch.
3 problems with your power source that could cause flickering.
And so much more…

Why is my TCL TV screen flickering?

Your TCL TV is flickering because of problems with its power source. Picture settings and a bad HDMI connection could also cause flickering. If you’re using a Roku device, the problem could be a glitch. Lastly, the issue can be your hardware, specifically the backlight and ribbon cables.

TCL TV screen flickering: 9 ways to fix it

#1: Power cycle

Say you have a broken gadget or any electronics…

Do you know what the first course of action is?

No. It’s not to throw them away…

It’s to power cycle.

“Power what?”

If you’re not familiar with power cycling, you may be more familiar with its other name:

A restart. But not the regular kind of restart.

You see, turning your TV off or unplugging it for a few seconds doesn’t entirely shut it down.

All that does is put your TV in standby mode.

So, to fully restart your TCL, you need to:

Turn your TV off.
Unplug it from the power source.
Wait for at least 30 seconds.
Plug it back in.
Turn it on.

#2: Check your power source

What if the problem isn’t your TV…

But where your TCL gets its power from?

In short…

Check where you plug your TV into.

For this, you need to keep an eye out for 3 possible issues:

Outages.
Shorted outlet.
Broken surge protector.

And here’s how you can address each of them:

Power outage

Do you live in an area where blackouts and brownouts are commonplace?

These power interruptions could be causing your TV to turn on and off intermittently.

If you suspect this to be the case, contact your local power distributor to confirm.

Dead or shorted outlet

Speaking of power interruptions…

Have you heard of a power surge?

It’s when there’s more electricity going to your sockets than usual.

These surges usually happen during:

Thunderstorms.
Constant blackouts.
Electrical overloads.

And, if it happens enough times, there’s a chance that this could short your outlet.

How can you know if your outlet’s dead?

Simple. Just plug in something that lights up.

If it doesn’t turn on, then it’s time to call your local electrician.

Now, you might ask:

“Can’t I fix this by myself?”

Truth be told, you can. But you shouldn’t.

Opening your power socket requires technical know-how.

And there’s enough electricity coming to your outlet to permanently damage if not done properly.

Faulty surge protector

How can you describe the flickering on your TCL?

Does it light up or dim down?

If it lights up, the problem might be your surge protector.

How so?

Surge protectors are designed to limit the electricity coming to your TV.

However, when it’s broken, it can do the opposite.

Instead of redirecting the extra electricity…

It can direct more electricity to your device.

Resulting in your backlight lighting up more than usual.

So, in this case, what could you do?

Invest in a better and longer-lasting surge protector. Like the:

#3: Modify your video settings

Do you know that your settings can also cause flickering on your TV?

The question is…

Which one?

For that, let me point you to your picture settings.

These settings allow you to better control your display by letting you edit its:

Contrast.
Brightness.
Sharpness.
Picture Mode.

Here’s how you can access this menu:

Press the Star icon on your remote.
Select Picture Settings.
Go to Advanced Picture Settings.

From there, test out various picture settings until you get rid of the flickering.

Pro tip: Always lower the brightness first. High brightness puts too much strain on your backlights which can then cause them to flicker.

But, if nothing’s working…

You can press Reset Picture Settings to remove all settings changes.

#4: Factory reset your TCL

How about we try something a little more…

Extreme?

Let me explain…

Sometimes, you can’t precisely pinpoint why your TV’s flickering.

And it’s okay. It’s not your fault.

After all, modern electronics truly is complex.

But, there’s still something you can do to fix your TCL.

You can factory reset it.

This reset gets rid of all your data. And you know what else?

It also removes all malware, settings changes, and stuck processes that cause flickering.

To factory reset your TV, follow these quick instructions:

TCL Roku

Press the Home button on your remote.
Head to System.
Go to Advanced System Settings.
Tap Factory Reset.
Select Factory Reset Everything.
If applicable, enter your passcode to confirm.

TCL Android

Press the Settings button on your remote.
Go to More Settings.
Head to Device Preferences.
Under Reset, press Factory Data Reset.
Select Erase Everything.
If applicable, enter your passcode.
Tap OK to confirm.

#5: Secure your HDMI connection

Are you using your TCL TV for:

Mirroring your laptop?
Watching with a streaming device?
Playing games with a gaming console?

If so, you’re most likely using its HDMI to connect the 2 devices.

Here’s the thing:

Loose HDMI connections can cause your display to flicker.

Not only that, but it can also cause:

When that happens, what should you do?

Clean your HDMI port

First, you must ensure that your problem isn’t a dirty port.

You see, dust particles tend to stick to electronics because of their charge.

That’s why your ports are usually full of dust and gunk always.

But, don’t worry. Here’s how you can properly clean an HDMI port:

Put 1 drop of pure alcohol inside the port.
Wrap a dry microfiber cloth around something thin.
Run the cloth through the crevices of your port.
Let it dry.
Repeat steps until it’s thoroughly cleaned.

Replace the HDMI cable

If you live in a house with animals…

Then you might know the struggle of waking up to gnawed wires and cables.

And while I can’t tell you how to stop your pet from doing that…

I can tell you which HDMI cable you should replace your old one with:

Category and Name	Maximum Resolution	Refresh Rate	Color Depth
Category 1 (Standard)	1080P	60 Hz	24 BPP
Category 2 (High Speed)	4K	60 Hz (for 1080p)	30 to 64 BPP
Category 2 (4K)	4K	60 Hz	30 to 64 BPP
Category 3 (8K)	8K	120 Hz	30 to 64 BPP

#6: Fix Roku glitch

If there’s a Roku streaming device connected to your TCL…

Chances are, the problem’s with the device and not your TV.

Why?

Roku streaming devices are considered to be pioneers in their segment.

In fact, some of their products are among the most recommended by critics, like the:

On the other hand, TCL TVs are best-selling because they’re affordable.

They cut a lot of corners to be considered a budget brand.

Now, what does this have to do with flickering?

You see, Roku products have a setting that can adjust your refresh rate settings.

While that’s great in theory…

In practice, TCL TVs just aren’t equipped yet for this type of technology.

So, flickering happens instead of having a smoother refresh rate.

A bummer, right?

In this case, the best thing you could do is turn off this setting.

And this is how you can do that in 6 quick steps:

Switch to your Roku input.
Press the Settings button on your Roku remote.
Go to System.
Head to Advanced System Settings.
And then, tap Advanced Display Settings.
Toggle off Auto-Adjust Display Refresh Rate.

You may also be interested in: Does Roku Work On Any TV?

#7: Reattach ribbon cables

When your screen flickers…

Does it only flicker on one side?

If so, that’s a sign that your problem’s with the TCL’s hardware.

Specifically its ribbon cables.

To fix this, you’ll need to bust out your toolkit.

Because we’re going to open your TV.

But don’t panic. This is a safe procedure…

Provided that you follow closely, of course.

So, to start:

Remove the screws at the back of your TV.
Loosen the cover using a prying blade.
Lift the cover off the TV.
Detach the ribbon cables.
Lightly blow on it to dislodge any dust.
Reattach the cables.

#8: Change your backlight

Lastly, when the problem isn’t at the back of your TV…

Maybe it’s in the front.

More specifically, maybe it’s the backlight.

“What’s that?”

The backlight is responsible for your TV’s brightness.

With age, your backlights can sometimes give up.

This usually means that it won’t produce any brightness anymore, or you’ll have a discolored screen.

However, in some cases, it can also cause your display to flicker.

When that happens, you have no choice but to replace the backlight array.

And, since you’re dealing with delicate hardware…

Instead of telling you how to change your backlight, let me show you:

#9: Contact TCL

Clichéd as it may be, there’s some truth to the statement:

“No man is an island.”

It doesn’t matter how heavy or light the baggage…

Or even if it’s just a simple TV that’s flickering.

You can always call upon someone to help.

And, for your TV, you can always contact TCL for further assistance.