Dead Pixels vs. Burn-In: How to Tell the Difference
Stuck and dead pixels look different from burn-in. Here is how to identify each and what to do about them.
A tiny spot on your screen could be a dead pixel, a stuck pixel, or burn-in — and they have completely different causes and fixes. Knowing which one you have saves time and money.
Dead pixels
A dead pixel is a pixel that no longer lights up at all. It shows as a single black dot that stays black on every color, including white. On an OLED, where each pixel emits its own light, a dead pixel usually means that sub-pixel has failed permanently.
Dead pixels cannot be fixed with software. If there are several, or they appear in a cluster, contact the manufacturer — most panels have a warranty threshold for dead pixels.
Stuck pixels
A stuck pixel is stuck on one color (often red, green, or blue) regardless of what is on screen. Unlike a dead pixel, it still emits light, so it is bright rather than black.
Stuck pixels are sometimes fixable. Pixel-refreshing videos and gentle pressure (on LCD panels) can occasionally unstick them, though results are not guaranteed.
Burn-in
Burn-in is a faint, static ghost — a logo, ticker, or HUD shape — that is visible across many colors but only in the area where the static image used to be. It is caused by uneven pixel aging, not by a single broken pixel, so it covers a shape, not a dot.
How to test which one you have
Run the screen through solid colors and watch the spot closely:
- On white, a black dot = dead pixel; a bright colored dot = stuck pixel.
- On red, green, and blue, a dot that never changes is dead or stuck.
- If instead you see a faint shape (a logo or bar) in the same spot on gray, white, and colors, that is burn-in.
Open the homepage test and step through the colors to find out.
Summary
- Single black dot → dead pixel (likely permanent, check warranty).
- Single colored dot → stuck pixel (sometimes fixable).
- Faint static shape → burn-in (slow it down with brightness and varied content).