Black Spots or Dead Pixels on Your Screen: What They Mean

Two very different problems that look alike

A dark mark on your screen can be a harmless single pixel or the start of a display that's about to fail. The difference comes down to size, shape and whether it changes. A minute of careful looking tells you which one you have.

How to tell what you're looking at

First, rule out the screen protector

Dust, a trapped bubble or a crack in a glass screen protector can look surprisingly like a dead spot. Tilt the phone and look at the mark from different angles. If it seems to sit on top of the image rather than inside it, or it moves slightly when you change angle, it's probably on the protector. Peeling the protector off settles it.

Run a quick colour test

1. Turn the brightness up.
2. Open a plain white image, or a blank page in a notes app with dark mode off.
3. Look for black dots, dark patches or discoloured areas.
4. Now switch to a plain black image, or dark mode, and look for bright or coloured dots that shouldn't be lit.
5. Take a photo of what you see so you can compare over the next few days.

That last step matters. Comparing photos is the easiest way to tell whether a mark is growing.

Stuck and dead pixels

A stuck or dead pixel is a single dot that doesn't behave. It's tiny, with sharp edges, and it stays exactly the same size. It isn't usually caused by a drop and doesn't spread.

Many people stop noticing a single pixel within days. You'll find videos and apps that flash colours to "unstick" a pixel. Results vary and they're harmless to try, but don't press or rub the spot, because that can damage the screen around it. If one stuck pixel truly bothers you, replacing the display is the only reliable fix.

Spreading black spots: OLED damage

Most recent iPhones, from the iPhone X onward apart from LCD models like the iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE, use OLED screens, as do most Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. In an OLED, every pixel produces its own light, and the panel is a thin, layered sheet behind the glass.

When that panel is cracked or crushed by a drop or pressure, the damaged pixels stop lighting. You see a black blot, often with soft edges and sometimes surrounded by purple, green or rainbow-coloured bleeding. The top glass can look perfectly fine while the panel underneath is broken.

This kind of damage tends to get worse. The blot can widen, new lines can appear, and touch can stop working in that area. Eventually the whole screen may go black, even though the phone is still running.

What to do while you wait

• Don't press on the spot or test it with your finger.
• Keep the phone in a case and out of tight pockets.
• Avoid putting anything heavy on it in a bag.
• Keep it away from moisture. A cracked panel is less protected.
• Note whether touch still works over the damaged area.

How it's fixed

A spreading spot is fixed by replacing the display assembly, which replaces the glass, touch layer and panel together. Pixel-repair apps and software updates won't help with physical damage. The technician tests touch, brightness, colours and the front sensors with you once the new screen is in.

For more on screen damage of all kinds, see our cracked screen guide. Our iPhone screen repair page explains what's involved for iPhones in particular.

Need a hand?

If you're seeing a black spot that's growing, a certified woman technician can replace the screen at your home, workplace, parked car or condo lobby, and test it with you on the spot. Send a photo of the spot and your model by call or WhatsApp to (365) 351-4247 for a free quote before any work starts. Samsung, Pixel and other phones are covered too. Check the areas we cover or request a visit online.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading