- A
The tablet's display panel is failing.
Why wrong: A failing display would cause flickering across all apps and the home screen, not just one app.
- B
The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is overheating.
Why wrong: GPU overheating would affect all graphics-intensive tasks, not just a single streaming app.
- C
The video streaming app has a software bug or codec issue.
App-specific flickering indicates a software problem, such as incompatible video codecs or a bug in the app's rendering engine.
- D
The tablet's battery is swollen and pressing on the display.
Why wrong: A swollen battery would cause physical distortion and likely affect the entire display, not just one app.
Question 833 of 1,020
Android Tablet Screen Flickers Only in One App
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of mobile device application support. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user reports that their Android tablet's screen flickers when using a specific video streaming app, but the screen is stable in other apps and on the home screen. What hardware component is most likely at fault?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Quick Answer
The answer is a software bug or codec issue within the video streaming app itself. Because the Android tablet screen flickers only in one app and remains stable everywhere else, the hardware—including the display panel, GPU, and display cable—is functioning correctly. A hardware failure would cause flickering across the entire operating system, not just within a single application. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to isolate symptoms and avoid the common trap of immediately blaming the screen or graphics processor. The key is to recognize that an issue isolated to one app points to software, not hardware. A helpful memory tip is “One app, one bug”—if only one application triggers the problem, suspect the app’s code or codec compatibility before replacing any physical components.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The video streaming app has a software bug or codec issue.
The screen flickers only within a specific video streaming app, while the home screen and other apps remain stable. This strongly indicates the issue is isolated to software, specifically a bug or codec incompatibility within that app, rather than a hardware failure affecting the entire display or GPU.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The tablet's display panel is failing.
Why it's wrong here
A failing display would cause flickering across all apps and the home screen, not just one app.
- ✗
The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is overheating.
Why it's wrong here
GPU overheating would affect all graphics-intensive tasks, not just a single streaming app.
- ✓
The video streaming app has a software bug or codec issue.
Why this is correct
App-specific flickering indicates a software problem, such as incompatible video codecs or a bug in the app's rendering engine.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The tablet's battery is swollen and pressing on the display.
Why it's wrong here
A swollen battery would cause physical distortion and likely affect the entire display, not just one app.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between hardware and software faults by isolating the symptom to a single application, tempting candidates to incorrectly attribute the issue to a failing display panel or GPU when the problem is actually a software bug or codec incompatibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Video streaming apps rely on software decoders (e.g., MediaCodec API on Android) to decode compressed streams like H.264 or H.265. A bug in the app's decoder implementation or an incompatible codec profile can cause frame buffer corruption or rendering glitches that manifest as flickering, while the OS compositor and other apps using different rendering paths remain unaffected. Real-world scenarios include apps failing to handle dynamic resolution switching or DRM-protected content incorrectly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Mobile Device Application Support — study guide chapter
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Mobile Device Application Support practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
Mobile Device Application Support — This question tests Mobile Device Application Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The video streaming app has a software bug or codec issue. — The screen flickers only within a specific video streaming app, while the home screen and other apps remain stable. This strongly indicates the issue is isolated to software, specifically a bug or codec incompatibility within that app, rather than a hardware failure affecting the entire display or GPU.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.
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