How to fix dead pixels depends on what the dot really is. A stuck pixel, a dot of red, green, blue or white that never changes, can often be freed with rapidly flashing colors or a few days of normal use. A truly dead pixel, black on every color, has a failed transistor, and no software, massage or heat will bring it back: the fix is a warranty claim or a new panel. Start with the dead pixel test, which fills the screen with one color at a time and maps each faulty dot, so you know which kind you have before you try anything.
Quick checks
- Clean the screen with a dry microfiber cloth. Dust and smears are easily mistaken for a dead pixel.
- Take a screenshot. If the dot shows up in the screenshot, it is in the picture, such as an app overlay, not in the screen.
- Look at it on black and on white. A stuck pixel glows on a black screen. A dead pixel shows as a dark dot on a white screen.
- Check your dates. Note when and where you bought the screen. Inside a store's return window, returning it is the quickest fix of all.
Dead, stuck or hot: what you have
Every pixel is three sub-pixels, red, green and blue, each switched by its own tiny transistor. Which part has failed decides what you can do.
| What you see | What it is | Can it be fixed at home? |
|---|---|---|
| A black dot on every color | Dead pixel: the transistor or its wiring failed | No. Warranty or repair |
| A red, green or blue dot on black | Stuck sub-pixel, switched on | Often, with flashing colors |
| A white dot on black (IPS, VA, OLED) | Stuck or hot pixel, all three parts on | Sometimes |
| A white dot on an older TN screen | Dead: TN panels fail bright | No |
| A dark dot on one color only | Sub-pixel stuck off | Sometimes |
| A soft gray smudge, larger than a pixel | Dust trapped inside the panel | No, a repair |
Glowing edges on a black screen are a different problem: the backlight bleed test covers bleed and IPS glow. A faint ghost of a logo or taskbar on an OLED is burn-in, which the oled burn in test shows.
Method 1: flash colors over the pixel
Rating: the best odds, and nothing touches the screen. Dell still advises against pixel-fixing tools on its own displays, so on a Dell under warranty, claim first.
Rapidly changing colors switch the stuck sub-pixel on and off thousands of times, and for some stuck pixels that is enough to get them working again.
- Open the stuck pixel fixer on the affected screen and read the flashing light warning. Do not use it if you or anyone watching has photosensitive epilepsy.
- Drag the flashing box over the pixel, or flash the whole screen.
- Let it run for 10 to 20 minutes while you look away, then check the pixel on black.
- Repeat a few times. If nothing changes after about an hour of flashing in total, stop: more is unlikely to help.
A tool drawn by the browser lights each pixel exactly. Stuck pixel videos are compressed, which blurs the flashing, so they work less well than a page or app that draws the colors itself.
Method 2: use the screen and wait
Rating: harmless, and it works more often than people expect.
Some stuck pixels clear by themselves after a few days of ordinary use, especially on new screens. Switching the monitor off at the wall for a few minutes, or overnight, occasionally frees one too. Acer lists turning the monitor off and on again as its first method, and notes that it never helps a dead pixel.
Method 3: gentle pressure
Rating: low odds, real risk. Only on an LCD monitor that is out of warranty.
Acer describes this method: switch the screen off, press gently on the spot through a soft cloth, switch the screen on while still pressing, then let go. It also warns that too much pressure can break the monitor. Dell goes further: do not try to fix stuck pixels yourself, because pressure can crack the screen or damage the parts inside, and home fixes may void the warranty. Pressure does nothing useful on OLED screens, which have no liquid crystal layer, and thin laptop, tablet and phone screens crack easily. If the screen is still under warranty, claim instead.
Methods to skip
- Hair dryers and hot cloths. Too much heat can warp the panel's layers and damage the backlight. Acer's own list stops at a cloth that is warm, never hot, and flashing colors is safer still.
- Apps that promise to fix dead pixels. Software can only flash colors. It cannot repair a failed transistor, whatever the store page says.
- OLED panel refresh routines. The panel care or pixel refresh option in OLED TVs and monitors evens out image retention. It does not revive dead pixels, and running it over and over adds wear.
How to fix dead pixels on a TV
Open the stuck pixel fixer in the TV's own web browser, or connect a laptop by HDMI and run it on the TV. Set the TV's picture size to Just Scan, Screen Fit or the equivalent first, so the flashing box lands exactly where the page puts it. Most TV makers do not publish how many faulty pixels they accept, so contact the maker with clear photos and the date of purchase. A TV panel replacement out of warranty usually costs most of the price of the TV.
Dead pixels on a phone, iPhone or tablet
Open the fixer page on the phone, turn it sideways and drag the box onto the dot. Stuck pixels on phone OLED screens are rare, so a dot, line or colored patch that appears after a drop is usually physical damage and needs a new screen. Apple does not publish a pixel count: it asks you to bring the device to an Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Independent Repair Provider for an evaluation, which may carry a charge.
Warranty: how makers treat dead pixels
Bright faults count for more than dark ones almost everywhere, because they are easier to see. A few published policies:
- Dell replaces monitors in its Premium Panel Exchange, and Dell laptops with a resolution of 1600 x 900 or higher, for a single bright pixel. Up to 5 dark sub-pixels are allowed.
- Lenovo counts a ThinkPad display as defective when it has 3 or more visible faulty pixels during the warranty.
- Apple evaluates each case without a published number.
- Acer, ASUS, LG and Samsung use their own limits, listed with links on the dead pixel tester page.
Before you claim, map every faulty dot with the test and copy its report, then photograph the dot on the color where it shows best, plus a wider photo that shows where it sits on the screen. Do not try the pressure method first: a cracked layer turns a free replacement into a paid repair.
When it is a hardware fault
A dead pixel is always a hardware fault, and single pixels cannot be repaired: the only fix is a new panel. Whether that is worth it depends on the device. A laptop screen or a phone screen is a routine replacement part. A monitor panel usually costs close to the price of a new monitor, so out of warranty a single pixel is best left alone. Lines, clusters that grow or patches that spread are different: they point to a failing panel connection or pressure damage, and they are worth a claim straight away. Run the full screen test after any repair to check the new panel before you sign it off.
Dead and stuck pixel questions
How long does it take to fix a stuck pixel?
Run a color flashing tool over it for 10 to 20 minutes, then check. Repeat a few times. If nothing has changed after about an hour of flashing in total, more is unlikely to help, although some stuck pixels still clear by themselves over the following days.
Does pressing on a stuck pixel really work?
Occasionally, on LCD screens. Gentle pressure through a cloth can free a stuck sub-pixel, but it can just as easily crack the panel's layers and add more bad pixels. Dell warns that home fixes like this may void the warranty, so only consider it on a screen that is out of warranty.
Is a dead pixel covered by warranty?
It depends on the maker's pixel policy. Dell replaces many monitors and laptops for a single bright pixel, while other makers allow a few faulty dots before they count as a defect. Within the store's return window, most stores take a new screen back for any fault.
Can you fix dead pixels on a TV?
Stuck pixels on a TV can be treated like a monitor: run a color flashing page in the TV's browser or from a laptop over HDMI. A truly dead pixel cannot be fixed. Contact the TV maker with photos while it is under warranty.
How do I fix a dead pixel on my iPhone?
Run a stuck pixel fixer page on the phone for a single colored dot. For a black dot, a line or a patch, take the iPhone to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for an evaluation. Apple does not publish a pixel count, so the technician decides.