Press start and your whole screen fills with a single color. Tap, click or hit → to move to the next one. On each color, scan every part of the screen for a dot that doesn’t match its surroundings.
What am I looking for?
A dot that glows on a black screen is a hot pixel that is always on. A dark dot on white is a dead pixel that is always off. A dot that only looks wrong on red, green or blue is a stuck subpixel. If you are not sure whether it is dust, wipe the screen gently and look again.
Check for backlight bleed
Dim the lights and bring up the black screen. Light leaking from the edges (bleed) or cloudy bright patches can show up. Some bleed is normal on LCD panels, but severe cases may qualify for a replacement.
Test new gear right away
Many manufacturers and retailers only swap a screen for pixel defects within a short window after purchase, so check a new monitor or phone as soon as it arrives. Allowed defect counts vary by brand, so read the warranty policy.
FAQ
- Does full screen work on phones?
- Android switches to full screen. Safari on iPhone doesn’t support it, so the page fills everything below the address bar. Turning the phone sideways gives you more room.
- Can dead pixels be fixed?
- Stuck pixels occasionally recover with rapidly flashing colors, but most are hardware faults that need repair or replacement.
