Vizio TV Flickering (Common Causes & A Quick Fix)

Most Vizio Smart TVs eventually have the same problem: the screen flickers on and off.

We’ve seen countless claims of Vizio TV owners having this exact issue, with some stating it’s been a problem for years!

Fortunately, there is a quick fix that should fix about 90% of Vizio TVs that are flickering.

How To Fix An Vizio TV Flickering

If your Vizio TV is flickering on and off, you need to soft reset the television. To do this, unplug the TV and wait an entire minute. While its unplugged, press and hold the power button (on the TV) for 30 seconds straight. After the 60 seconds are up, you can proceed to plug the television back in and the flickering should be fixed!

Unplug Vizio TV From The Wall Outlet

A common fix for flickering issues on your Vizio TV is to unplug it from the wall outlet.

Don’t rush the process and wait a full minute before plugging it back in.

While the TV is unplugged, find and press the power button on your TV for 30 seconds, which is usually located near the bottom or back of the television.

NOTE: You must hold the power button on your TV, and not the remote control for this to work correctly.

This works better than turning your TV on and off because it will cause your TV to do a soft reset and use up any remaining battery life.

After at least 60 seconds, reconnect the TV’s power cord, and the blinking issue should stop immediately!

This fix should work for most of you, but we have a few other troubleshooting solutions if it doesn’t.

Change The Input Source

If your Vizio TV is still having flickering problems, it may be an issue with the input source.

Sometimes, the connection becomes corrupted and can’t transfer all of the information needed!

Here’s how to change the input source.

With a remote

• Turn on your Vizio Smart TV.
• Click the “Input” button on your remote control.
• Choose the correct input source.

Without a remote

• Turn on your Vizio Smart TV.
• Press the “Menu” button, which is located on the side or bottom of your TV.
• Press the volume buttons to navigate the input source menu.
• To select the desired source, click the menu button.

Adjust The Picture Settings

Another common cause of flickering on a Vizio TV is the picture settings.

The easiest way to fix this potential problem is to reset your picture settings:

• Click the Menu button on your remote control.
• Go to Picture settings and click More.
• Then select “Reset Picture Mode.”

If your model Vizio TV doesn’t have these options, you can try the following instead:

• Turn the brightness to 0% then 90%.
• Turn the backlight to 10%.
• Turn off the ambient light sensor.
• Try different picture modes.

Cycling these options should be able to fix any flickering problems you’re having.

Software Updates

Not having your Vizio Smart TV updated can cause an array of issues, flickering being one of them.

While your Vizio TV should be automatically updating, you may have to update it manually:

1. Press the Menu icon on your remote.
2. Select System then Check for Updates.
3. Choose Check for Updates.

Your TV will automatically search for any available updates and install the newest version available.

You can also manually update your Vizio TV by entering your model number on Vizio’s support page, downloading the update onto a USB flash drive, then inserting the USB into your TV.

Factory reset your Vizio TV

If you could get your TV on by unplugging and replugging it into the wall, you should factory reset the TV to avoid any future problems.

With a remote

1. Open the Menu by clicking the “Menu” button.
2. Click the “System” settings in the menu.
3. Find “Reset & Admin” then click “Reset TV to Factory Defaults.”

You may be asked for a code when doing this; if so, the default code is four zeros, or 0000.

Without a remote

1. Find the power button on your TV – this may be on the left, right, or bottom of your device, depending on the model.
2. Press and hold the volume down and source buttons simultaneously while the TV is on.
3. After a few seconds, your TV will ask you to click and hold the input button.
4. Make sure you hold the input button for at least 10 seconds.

This will revert your Vizio TV to its settings when you first bought it, fixing any potential firmware issues.

Check For Internal Hardware Problems

Screen flickering issues could be caused by internal hardware failure.

Unfortunately, this means you’ll have to open the back of the television, so I recommend trying the other options first.

If you’re tech-savvy, look at what’s inside but for the 90% who aren’t: contact a professional or check on your Vizio warranty if the television is relatively new.

Contact Vizio support (or another professional)

Still no luck? Try contacting Vizio customer support.

They may offer more help for your particular model or even have a recommendation not listed in this post, such as replacing internal components like your power supply.

If the issue can be resolved over the phone or by sending your TV in for service, the Vizio customer service staff may be able to assist you.

Check your Vizio warranty

If all else fails, you should check your Vizio warranty and see what comes from it.

You’ll have to provide information on what’s happening with your TV, and they’ll determine what the next steps are.

Here’s what could come from your warranty:

• Nothing (warranty doesn’t cover the issue)
• Repair (send the TV in to get fixed or they may come right to your house to fix it)
• Replacement (you may receive a new TV depending on what happened)

It’s worth a shot if you’ve tried everything else on this list with no solution. Hope this helped!