LCD screen burn
Screen burn-in is a permanent ghost of something that sat still on the screen for a long time — the navigation bar, the keyboard, a game HUD, a clock.
Test it now
Open the burn-in test: full-screen grey (50%) shows ghosts more clearly than any other colour. If you can read the keyboard or the navigation bar in the grey, that is burn-in or retention. Leave the screen off for an hour and test again — retention fades, burn-in stays.
What it is
Screen burn-in is a permanent ghost of something that sat still on the screen for a long time — the navigation bar, the keyboard, a game HUD, a clock. On LCD screens it is rare and it is usually image retention: the liquid crystal holds the last image for a while and then lets go. On OLED and AMOLED screens (most phones since 2018) the pixels that showed a bright static element have aged faster than their neighbours, so they are dimmer for good. Image retention looks the same but fades in minutes to hours; burn-in does not fade at all.
Can it be fixed?
Burn-in: no. Nothing recovers aged OLED pixels; "burn-in fixer" apps only age the rest of the screen to match. Image retention: yes, by itself — turn the screen off for a few hours, or run the colour cycle on the test page. Prevention is the only fix: auto-hide the navigation bar, lower brightness, shorter screen timeout, dark mode.
What to do
- Burn-in test, full-screen grey; photograph.
- Screen off for an hour, test again: gone = retention.
- Still there: burn-in. Check warranty — a few makers replace within the first year for severe burn-in.
- Prevent more: gesture navigation, dark mode, brightness under 70%, 30-second timeout.
What a repair costs
| United States | Phone display $80–380; laptop panel $100–300; monitor panel from $150 (often more than a new monitor) |
|---|---|
| India | Phone display ₹2,000–20,000; laptop panel ₹3,000–15,000; monitor panel ₹4,000–10,000 (a new monitor is often the better buy) |
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).