Screen burn-in isn’t as common on modern display technologies as it was in the past, but few screens are immune to its ability to ruin a perfectly good display. If you run into this irritating problem, here are some tips and tricks that might help fix it.
What Causes Screen Burn-In?
Screen burn-in is a noticeable discoloration or ghosting of a previous image on a digital display. It’s caused by the regular use of certain pixels more than others, leaving them to display colors slightly differently. The result is a noticeable and often permanent impression on the display.
Time, screen brightness, and other factors can cause burn-in, but the circ*mstances are different for each display technology, as different screens and their pixels operate differently at the hardware level.
For LCD panels, like those used in many TVs and computer monitors, burn-in can develop because pixels eventually become unable to return to their unlit state and retain a colored profile.
As for OLED and AMOLED technology, which is now used in some modern smartphones and TVs, the light-emitting pixels in the displays can dim faster than others if used more regularly, leaving a darkened ghost of an image in their place.
How to Fix Screen Burn-In
Screen burn-in on a technical level is hard to fix. However, the much more common image retention is not. Here’s how to sort out your image retention problems on whatever device you have.
Fix Screen Burn-In on Your TV
Adjust brightness settings. Try turning down the brightness and contrast on your TV and watching some varied content; it might go away on its own.
Enable Pixel Shift. Many modern TVs have a built-in Pixel Shift, or screen shift, which constantly moves the image slightly to vary pixel usage. If not enabled automatically, you should be able to turn it on in the settings menu. Other settings offer “Refresh” functions that can be manually run to try and clean out any image retention problems.
Play a colorful video. Running a fast-moving video with lots of color changes for a few minutes to half an hour may help if the above options don't work.
Get a replacement TV. Check your warranty to see if you’re covered for a replacement. If you're not, you'll have to fork over the dough for a new set on your own.
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Fix Burn-In on Your Computer Monitor
Although most PC monitors are made to be less susceptible to burn-in, it can still happen. If you run into it there are a few things you can try.
Turn off the display for at least a few hours, or as many as 48, ideally.
Set your screensaver to a pure white image and leave it running for a few hours. If that doesn't help, switch between white and black every hour or so. This may not remove image retention entirely, but it should dampen how noticeable it is.
Try JScreenFix. Although it's designed to fix stuck pixels rather than burn-in, it may help clear up any issues you’re experiencing.
Fix Burn-In on Android or iOS
Turn the device off. Image retention on a smartphone or tablet can sometimes be cured just by turning the device off for a little bit.
Try a burn-in fixer. There are several burn-in fixer apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Some will try to fix image retention and check for more permanent burn-in.
Play a colorful video. Pick a fast-paced video with lots of color changes, such as this one on YouTube.
Replace the screen. If none of the above works, your best bet is to either replace the screen yourself or talk to your carrier about a replacement device. Manufacturers like Apple have extended the warranties on certain devices that are prone to image retention and burn-in, so if your device is fairly new, you should still be covered by the warranty.
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Screen Burn-In vs. Image Retention
Colloquially “burn-in” is used as a catch-all term for any kind of ghosted image on a screen. The most common form of such “burn-in,” though, is technically known as image retention. While that might seem like a case of pedantic semantics, it’s an important distinction to make. Screen burn-in refers to permanent degradation of a display which is almost impossible to fix; image retention is typically fixable.
FAQ
How can I prevent screen burn in on a TV?
To prevent screen burn-in on a TV, reduce the brightness to the 45-50 range, use the sleep timer and screen savers, and turn the TV off when not in use. If you have an OLED TV, turn on pixel shift and play a color-changing video that's designed to help lower the risk of burn-in.
How do I prevent screen burn on a phone?
On Androids and iPhones, reduce the brightness to 50 percent or lower, use a screen-timeout length of about 30 seconds, and turn off your phone when not in use. You can also operate in dark mode, use swipes and taps instead of button navigation, and download a screen-burn fixer app.
What does screen burn look like?
On a smartphone, screen burn presents as a discolored display with pink or gray tones. On monitors and TVs, it looks like a "ghosting" of previous images remaining on the screen. Screen burn happens so gradually that you may not notice it until using a white background.
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