This stuck pixel fixer flashes rapidly changing colors over a stuck pixel, which can sometimes nudge a stuck sub-pixel back into normal working. You drag a small flashing box onto the pixel, or flash the whole screen, choose how fast it flashes and how long it runs, and it stops on its own when the time is up. It runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, Android, iPhone and iPad, works on monitors, laptops, TVs and phones, and follows the same idea as JScreenFix, but runs online with nothing to install.
The fixer flashes bright colors many times a second. Do not use it if you, or anyone who can see the screen, has photosensitive epilepsy, has had a seizure or gets migraines from flashing light. Look away while it runs. Nothing flashes until you accept the warning.
How to use the stuck pixel fixer
- Find the pixel. Press Find the pixel first: the screen turns black and Space switches it to white, red, green or blue. Click or tap the stuck pixel and the box jumps onto it. The dead pixel test does the same job with a full map of every fault.
- Read the flashing light warning and tick the box, or accept it when the full screen view asks.
- Leave Color noise selected. It sets every pixel in the box to a random color on each change, which flips each sub-pixel on and off more often than a plain color cycle.
- Pick a speed. 30 suits most people. Max changes the colors on every frame your screen draws: 60 times a second on most screens, 144 or more on gaming monitors.
- Press Start the fixer. Drag the box so the stuck pixel sits in its middle, or tap the pixel to move the box there. Pull the corner handle to make the box larger, so a small slip of the hand does not leave the pixel outside it.
- Look away while it runs. Space pauses, Esc stops, the arrow keys move the box one pixel at a time and + or - resize it.
- When the timer ends, the flashing stops on a black screen. Look at the spot. If it is gone or dimmer, it responded. If not, press Run again.
What the readouts mean
| Readout | What it shows | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Time left | Flashing time remaining in this run. Paused time does not count | 10:00 at the start |
| Flash rate | Color changes per second, measured while it runs | 30, or your refresh rate on Max |
| Box size | Width of the flashing box in screen points | 40 to 100 for one pixel |
| Flashing so far | Total minutes of flashing on this device, across runs | Up to about 60 |
What a stuck pixel fixer can fix
Many dots people call dead are really stuck, and only stuck ones can respond to a dead pixel fix like this one. A pixel is three sub-pixels, red, green and blue, each switched by its own transistor. A stuck sub-pixel is one that stays on or off when it should change. The flashing switches it on and off thousands of times in a few minutes, and for some stuck sub-pixels that is enough to get them changing again. Which faults respond:
- A single red, green or blue dot on black. The best case. One sub-pixel is stuck on, and this is what fixers sometimes clear.
- A dark dot on one color only, such as black on red but normal on white. A sub-pixel stuck off. Worth a try.
- A white dot on black. All three sub-pixels are on. On IPS, VA and OLED screens that is a stuck pixel and worth a try. On older TN panels, a failed transistor lets light through, so a white dot there is usually dead.
- A black dot on every color. A dead pixel. Its transistor or wiring has failed and no amount of flashing will bring it back.
Some stuck pixels also clear by themselves after a few days of normal use, so a fault on a brand new screen is worth watching before you give up on it.
How long to run it, and how fast
Run 10 to 20 minutes at a time and check the pixel between runs. JScreenFix gives the same advice: if the pixel has not changed after about an hour in total, flashing is unlikely to fix it. The Flashing so far readout keeps count across runs on this device.
Faster flashing gives more on and off cycles in the same time, so Max works through the most cycles. A browser cannot change colors faster than the screen refreshes, which is why Max shows your refresh rate, for example 144 on a 144 Hz monitor. The page keeps the screen awake while it runs where the browser allows it, so you do not need to change your sleep settings.
A flashing box drawn by the browser lights each pixel exactly. Stuck pixel fixer videos are compressed, and compression blurs pixel sized noise into soft blocks, so a video flashes each pixel far less than the page does.
Other fixes people try, and the risks
- Turning the screen off. Switch the monitor off at the wall for a few minutes, or leave it off overnight. It is harmless and occasionally clears a stuck pixel.
- Pressing or rubbing the spot. Pushing on the panel with a cloth or a stylus can free a stuck pixel, but it can just as easily crack the layers and create a cluster of dead ones. Dell warns that home fixes can damage a display and may void the warranty. Do not do this on a screen you could still claim on.
- Heat. Warm cloths and hair dryers can damage the panel and its backlight. Skip them.
- A warranty claim. On a new screen this is usually the quickest real fix. The dead pixel tester gives you a report with the exact position of each fault, and the guide on how to fix dead pixels covers warranty rules and repair.
Fixing a stuck pixel on a phone, tablet or TV
Phones and tablets. Open the page on the device, turn it sideways and press Start. Drag the box with a finger. If the pixel is under the browser's toolbar and the page cannot go full screen, switch on Flash the whole screen, which covers everything the browser can reach.
TVs. Open the page in the TV's own browser, or connect a laptop by HDMI and run the fixer on the TV. Set the TV's picture size to Just Scan or Fit to Screen, so the box lands where the page puts it.
OLED screens. Stuck OLED sub-pixels are rare. A faint ghost of a logo or taskbar is burn-in or image retention, which flashing does not fix. Use your screen's own pixel refresh instead, and check the result with the burn in test.
What this tool cannot do
The page cannot see your panel, so it cannot tell you whether the pixel is fixed. You check by eye on the black screen at the end, or with a full black screen. Browsers pause animation in hidden tabs, so keep this tab in front while it runs; the timer only counts time spent flashing. And it cannot repair hardware: a dead transistor, a cracked panel or a loose cable needs a repair or a replacement.
Stuck pixel fixer questions
Does a stuck pixel fixer really work?
Sometimes. It can free a sub-pixel that is stuck on one color, and it never fixes a dead pixel that is black on every color. No maker publishes a success rate, so treat it as a free first try before a warranty claim.
How long should I run a stuck pixel fixer?
Run it for 10 to 20 minutes, check the pixel, and repeat if it is still lit. If nothing has changed after about an hour in total, more flashing is unlikely to help.
Can flashing colors damage my screen?
No. The fixer only changes colors, which every screen does all day when it plays video or games. OLED burn-in needs the same static image for hundreds of hours, not flashing colors. The real risk is to people who are sensitive to flashing light, which is why the warning comes first.
Is this the same as JScreenFix?
It works on the same idea: rapidly changing colors over the stuck pixel, in the browser, with nothing to install. This one adds a resizable box, a speed choice, a timer that stops by itself, a whole screen mode and a find step that puts the box on the pixel for you.
How do I fix a stuck pixel on my phone?
Open this page on the phone, turn it sideways and press Start. Drag the flashing box over the pixel with your finger, or switch on Flash the whole screen. Keep the phone plugged in, because the screen stays awake while it runs.