Screen Defect

Black shadow on iPhone screen

About 9 seconds, full screen, then one question.
White screenBlack screenGrey screenRed screenGreen screenBlue screen
White screen⛶ Full screen
On whitedark spots, pressure marks, lines
On blackbright dots, backlight bleed, glow
On red, green, bluedead or stuck pixels, colour lines
Depends — see test

A dark shadow or shaded area on an iPhone screen — larger than a spot, with soft edges — is one of three things: a pressure bruise where the panel was squeezed (a bag, a thumb, a case), a backlight fault (LCD: a failing LED string or a slipped diffuser sheet leaves a dim band), or burn-in of a dark app area (OLED).

Test it now

Full-screen white shows a bruise or a dim band clearly. Full-screen grey (50%) shows burn-in ghosts best. If the shadow has the shape of an app element, it is burn-in.

What it is

A dark shadow or shaded area on an iPhone screen — larger than a spot, with soft edges — is one of three things: a pressure bruise where the panel was squeezed (a bag, a thumb, a case), a backlight fault (LCD: a failing LED string or a slipped diffuser sheet leaves a dim band), or burn-in of a dark app area (OLED). A shadow of an image that looks like the keyboard or a status bar is burn-in, not a bruise.

Can it be fixed?

Bruise: no. Dim band from a backlight LED: the backlight strip can be replaced on monitors and TVs, rarely worth it on a laptop, not possible on a phone. Burn-in: no. Image retention (fades in hours): yes, by itself.

What to do

  1. White, then grey, then black.
  2. Shape of an app element → burn-in test page.
  3. Uniform dim band at one edge → backlight; get a quote if it is a monitor or TV.
  4. Soft blotch, any position → pressure; photograph and decide whether to live with it.

What a repair costs

United States$80–200 for a display on most Android phones; $200–380 at Apple for an iPhone screen out of warranty ($29–99 with AppleCare+)
India₹2,000–6,000 for a display on budget and mid-range Android phones at an independent shop, ₹6,000–20,000 for flagship OLED screens at the brand service centre; iPhone screens ₹12,000–35,000 at Apple-authorised service

Typical ranges from repair-shop and manufacturer price lists, 2026-09-06. Get two quotes; prices vary by model and city.

Warranty

Most makers replace a panel under warranty for physical panel faults that are not accidental damage; pressure marks, cracks and liquid damage are treated as accidental and are not covered. For dead pixels, each brand has a threshold (typically 3–5 bright or 5–8 dark pixels on a laptop; Dell's premium-panel guarantee replaces at one bright pixel).

Related

Why is there a purple line on my iPhonePurple vertical lines on an iPhone screen are almost always the display itself: the flex connector between the panel and the board has lifted (often after a drop or a swollen battery pushing from behind), or a row or column driver on the panel has failed.Depends — see testWhite spot on phone screenA white spot on a phone screen that shows on dark backgrounds is a pressure point on the display: the phone was pressed hard in a pocket, sat on, or dropped, and the layers of the LCD or the OLED's backing have been pushed together at that point.Not fixable — new panelBright spot on iPhone screenA white spot on an iPhone screen that glows on black is one of two things.Depends — see testDark shadow on computer screenA dark shadow or shaded area on a computer screen — larger than a spot, with soft edges — is one of three things: a pressure bruise where the panel was squeezed (a bag, a thumb, a case), a backlight fault (LCD: a failing LED string or a slipped diffuser sheet leaves a dim band), or burn-in of a dark app area (OLED).Depends — see test