DEAD PIXEL TEST

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Fullscreen screen pixel checker

Inspect every pixel against clean, solid colors

Open the test on the display you want to inspect, enter full screen, and move through all eight colors. A pixel that stays dark, bright, or the wrong color will stand out from the uniform background.

White screen for the dead pixel test

A focused visual screen check

What a dead pixel test can tell you

A dead pixel test replaces normal pictures with uniform full-screen colors. With no image detail to hide behind, a pixel or subpixel that remains off, stays on, or produces the wrong color becomes easier to see. White and the red, green, and blue fields help expose dark or incomplete pixels; black helps reveal bright or colored points; cyan, magenta, and yellow provide useful confirmation with two color channels active.

This is a visual screening tool, not an automatic hardware diagnosis. It cannot count defects for you, identify the electrical cause, measure color accuracy, or determine whether a display qualifies for replacement. Pixel terminology and warranty thresholds vary by manufacturer, product line, region, and type of defect, so record what you observe and check the current policy for the exact device.

How to use the tool

Complete the dead pixel test in five steps

  1. 01

    Clean and prepare the display

    Turn the screen off and clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions with a suitable soft cloth. Remove glare, close floating apps, and set the display to its recommended resolution.

  2. 02

    Open the test on the correct screen

    If you use more than one display, move this browser window to the panel you want to check before selecting Start dead pixel test.

  3. 03

    Inspect each full-screen color

    Move through white, black, red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Check the edges and corners as carefully as the center.

  4. 04

    Confirm every suspicious point

    Pause on the color that reveals it best, then compare the same physical location on at least two other colors. Change your viewing angle slightly to rule out dust and reflections.

  5. 05

    Record the result before changing anything

    Note the position, appearance, test colors, device model, input, and display settings. If the screen is new or covered by warranty, review the seller and manufacturer policies promptly.

Read the result correctly

Dead, stuck, bright, and false pixel defects

These names are useful descriptions, but manufacturers may classify full pixels and individual subpixels differently. Use the color sequence to describe what the point does instead of relying only on a label.

What you seeTypical appearanceHow to confirm it
Dead or dark pixelA point remains black or noticeably darker on white and one or more bright color fields.Compare white, red, green, and blue. A completely failed pixel may stay dark on all of them; a failed subpixel may only alter some colors.
Stuck or colored subpixelA tiny red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, or yellow point remains visible when the surrounding color changes.Step through every color and record when the point appears, disappears, or changes contrast. The behavior indicates which channel may be affected.
Bright or always-on pointA white or strongly glowing point is easiest to see on black or another dark field.Check black and the primary colors. Warranty documents often define bright-dot and dark-dot defects separately.
Dust, scratch, or surface markThe mark may be soft-edged, irregular, larger than one pixel, reflective, or different when viewed from another angle.Turn the screen off and inspect it under normal light. Clean only with methods approved for the display; internal dust may still require service.
Row, column, or clusterSeveral adjacent points or a continuous horizontal or vertical line behave incorrectly.Open the display’s own menu or built-in diagnostic. A persistent line or cluster is broader than a single-pixel problem and should be documented as such.

Improve detection accuracy

Use repeatable conditions and a systematic scan

A simple color field works well only when reflections, dirt, browser overlays, and rushed inspection are kept out of the result.

Prepare without over-optimizing

Use comfortable everyday brightness first. Normal subdued room light is suitable for dark dots, while reducing glare helps on black. An entirely dark room and maximum brightness can exaggerate behavior that is not visible in normal use. Disable temporary color filters, night modes, screen dimmers, and floating overlays while testing.

  • Use the panel’s recommended resolution and a stable supported refresh rate.
  • Inspect from your normal position, then move closer only to confirm a tiny point.
  • Do not leave a bright static field open longer than needed, especially on OLED.

Scan the whole panel

Divide the screen mentally into rows or a three-by-three grid. Sweep left to right, move down one band, and repeat. This prevents your eyes from returning to the same central area. Blink normally and briefly look away between colors; visual afterimages can resemble colored defects.

Use manual and automatic modes for different jobs

Manual switching is best for confirmation because you control the observation time and can compare the same location. Slow auto-cycle is useful for a first pass or a second display viewed from a distance. It is intentionally not a rapid flashing pixel-repair pattern.

Separate panel and signal issues

Confirm that the defect belongs to the screen

A point on the page is not automatically a damaged pixel. Use physical location and independent content to identify where the problem enters the image chain.

Check whether the point moves

A panel defect normally stays at the same physical coordinate while colors and windows change. Browser extensions, overlays, cursor artifacts, video compression, and application graphics move with content or disappear outside one app. Scroll or move a small window across the suspicious location to compare.

Use screenshots correctly

A true panel defect is not recorded in an operating-system screenshot because the screenshot captures the rendered image before the panel displays it. If the dot is visible when that screenshot is opened on another known-good screen, investigate software, the graphics pipeline, or the source image instead.

Cross-check with the display itself

Open the monitor or TV’s built-in menu, no-signal screen, or manufacturer diagnostic. If the same physical point remains visible, the panel is the likely source. If it only appears through one cable, input, device, HDR mode, or application, test that signal path before concluding the pixel has failed.

Phones, tablets, TVs, and OLED screens

The same solid-color method works on any modern screen with a browser, including high-resolution and touch displays. Some mobile browsers do not expose true browser fullscreen, so this page uses a viewport-filling fallback; operating-system bars or notches may still cover a small area. On OLED, the test can reveal non-emitting or always-on points, but faint shapes, tint, near-black bands, and burn-in require broader uniformity tests.

Act on a confirmed result

Document the defect and choose a safe next step

What happens next depends on when the problem appeared, how it behaves, and the exact return or pixel-defect policy attached to the product.

For a new or recently purchased display

Check it within the seller’s return period and keep packaging until the inspection is complete. Record the model and serial number, the defect’s approximate coordinates, which colors reveal it, and whether it also appears in the display’s own menu. A focused photograph can help support a service request, but avoid digital zoom or exposure settings that misrepresent the defect.

Understand warranty thresholds

Policies may distinguish bright pixels, dark pixels, defective subpixels, clusters, and locations near the center. Limits can differ across models and regions and can change over time. Do not assume that one general industry threshold applies to every screen; consult the current manufacturer document and seller terms for the exact product.

Avoid risky repair attempts

A pixel that has electrically failed cannot be restored by a website. Rapid color cycling is sometimes promoted for a temporarily stuck subpixel, but results are uncertain and it is not a repair for a dead pixel. Do not press, tap, rub, heat, or disassemble the panel: physical force can damage neighboring pixels, surface coatings, or internal layers and may affect warranty service.

Know the limits of this test

This dead pixel test does not measure brightness, contrast, response time, PWM, color gamut, accuracy, uniformity percentage, backlight bleed, or OLED burn-in. Continue with the broader monitor test when the symptom is a band, cloud, tint, glow, trail, gradient step, or faint retained shape rather than a single fixed point.

Dead pixel test FAQ

Common questions before and after testing

What is the difference between a dead pixel and a stuck pixel?+

A dead or dark pixel does not produce the expected light and usually looks black or dim on bright fields. A stuck subpixel remains on or at an incorrect value, so it can look red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, or bright. Terminology varies, so the most useful evidence is how the point behaves on every test color.

Can this dead pixel test fix a pixel?+

No. The tool displays diagnostic colors and does not modify the display hardware. A truly dead pixel is a hardware failure. Some stuck subpixels may change over time, but color-cycling claims are inconsistent and should not replace the manufacturer’s support process.

Does the dead pixel test work on OLED, 4K, and Retina screens?+

Yes. Browser colors fill the available display area regardless of pixel density, and the method can reveal fixed point defects on LCD and OLED devices. Use the screen’s recommended resolution and remember that OLED burn-in, near-black banding, and larger uniformity problems are different tests.

Why should I test more than black and white?+

A failed or stuck subpixel may blend into one background and contrast strongly with another. Red, green, and blue isolate the main color channels, while cyan, magenta, and yellow activate them in pairs and help confirm ambiguous points.

How can I tell whether a dot is dust or a defective pixel?+

Dust and surface marks often have soft or irregular edges, reflect room light, or change when your focus and viewing angle change. A pixel defect is fixed to one tiny physical coordinate and changes predictably with test colors. Inspect and clean the powered-off display only according to its care instructions.

Will a dead pixel appear in a screenshot?+

A hardware pixel defect will not be embedded in a normal screenshot. If the mark appears in the screenshot when viewed on another screen, it comes from the source image, software, or graphics pipeline rather than the physical pixel at that location.

Is one dead pixel enough for a replacement?+

There is no universal answer. Coverage can depend on whether the defect is bright or dark, how many subpixels are involved, where they are located, the model, the region, and whether a seller return period or special panel guarantee applies. Check the current terms for the exact product.

Is the test safe to leave running?+

Use each solid color only as long as needed to inspect the panel. The slow auto-cycle is intended for observation, not repair. Exit when finished, particularly on OLED screens, where unnecessary high-brightness static fields should be avoided.