Screen Defect

Screen problems, any device

Symptoms that look the same on a phone, laptop, monitor or TV. Run the test, match the picture, then pick your device for repair costs.

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
White spot on screenA white spot on a screen screen that glows on black is the backlight coming through where it should not: the reflector or diffuser sheet behind the LCD has a pressure dent, or a backlight LED sits too close to the panel.Depends — see testDisplay flickeringA flickering screen screen is the signal, the refresh rate or the backlight.FixableBlack spot on screenA black spot on a screen screen that shows on white and vanishes on black is inside the panel: a cluster of dead pixels (a sharp-edged tiny square), a pressure mark (soft-edged, where something pressed the panel), or dirt under the glass (moves if you press gently, on tablets and monitors only).Depends — see testDark spot on screenA dark spot on a screen screen that shows on white and vanishes on black is inside the panel: a cluster of dead pixels (a sharp-edged tiny square), a pressure mark (soft-edged, where something pressed the panel), or dirt under the glass (moves if you press gently, on tablets and monitors only).Depends — see testWhy do computer screens look weird on cameraA screen looks weird on camera — wavy rainbow bands, rolling dark stripes, flicker — for two reasons, and neither is a fault.FixableScreen burnScreen 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.Not fixable — new panelScreen discolorationDiscolouration on a screen screen means the colour is wrong in one area, not everywhere: a yellow or brown patch, a blue or purple edge, a dim corner, a pink blotch.Depends — see testBlurry screenA blurry screen screen is a settings problem far more often than a hardware one.FixablePurple spot on screenA purple spot on a screen screen is OLED damage: pressure or a knock has upset the red and blue sub-pixels in that area.Depends — see testLines on screenA line on a screen screen is either the signal or the panel.Depends — see testDisplay complaintScreen and display problems fall into a short list, and each one has its own page: a black or white spot (pixels, pressure, backlight), a line (panel connector, cable, or graphics), a colour cast (settings or panel ageing), flicker (settings, cable, or connector), burn-in ghosts (OLED ageing), a blurry image (settings), half the screen blank (panel driver), or touch that stops responding in one area (digitiser).Depends — see testAnt inside screenAnts inside a screen screen are real, and common in warm countries: tiny ants walk in through the speaker or charging port grille and end up between the panel layers, where they show as moving black specks on white.Depends — see testBlack line on screenA black line on a screen screen is either the signal or the panel.Depends — see testDisplay issueScreen and display problems fall into a short list, and each one has its own page: a black or white spot (pixels, pressure, backlight), a line (panel connector, cable, or graphics), a colour cast (settings or panel ageing), flicker (settings, cable, or connector), burn-in ghosts (OLED ageing), a blurry image (settings), half the screen blank (panel driver), or touch that stops responding in one area (digitiser).Depends — see testBlue tint screenA screen screen that has gone blue all over is the signal or the panel's colour balance, and it is usually the signal.FixableDisplay discolorationDiscolouration on a screen screen means the colour is wrong in one area, not everywhere: a yellow or brown patch, a blue or purple edge, a dim corner, a pink blotch.Depends — see testHalf of screen is blackHalf of a screen screen black — split top/bottom or left/right with a clean edge — is the panel's driver or its ribbon connector: half the rows or half the columns are not being driven.Depends — see testBubbles on LCD screenBubbles inside an LCD screen — not under a protector, but under the glass — are the optical adhesive between the cover glass and the panel letting go, or air trapped after a repair that replaced the glass without re-laminating properly.Depends — see testGreen dots on screenGreen dotss on a screen screen are single green sub-pixels stuck on, or a small area where pressure has damaged the OLED layer.Depends — see testPink screenA screen screen that has gone pink all over is the signal or the panel's colour balance, and it is usually the signal.FixableDisplay spotsA any spot on a screen screen that shows on white and vanishes on black is inside the panel: a cluster of dead pixels (a sharp-edged tiny square), a pressure mark (soft-edged, where something pressed the panel), or dirt under the glass (moves if you press gently, on tablets and monitors only).Depends — see testPurple screenA screen screen that has gone purple all over is the signal or the panel's colour balance, and it is usually the signal.FixableDisplay problemScreen and display problems fall into a short list, and each one has its own page: a black or white spot (pixels, pressure, backlight), a line (panel connector, cable, or graphics), a colour cast (settings or panel ageing), flicker (settings, cable, or connector), burn-in ghosts (OLED ageing), a blurry image (settings), half the screen blank (panel driver), or touch that stops responding in one area (digitiser).Depends — see test

Also free on Toolsitz: Screen Test Tool — no login.