Lines on Your Samsung Screen: Causes and Fixes

What lines on a Galaxy screen usually mean

Galaxy phones use AMOLED displays, where each tiny pixel lights itself. Those pixels are driven by fine circuits running in rows and columns across the panel. When one of those circuits, or the connection between the panel and the phone's board, is damaged, you see it as a line: a whole row or column that's stuck on one colour, flickering or dark.

Lines come in a few common forms:

• A single thin vertical line, often bright green or pink, that runs top to bottom.
• Several coloured lines or a band of them, sometimes spreading after a drop.
• Horizontal lines that may flicker or come and go when you press on the screen.
• Lines with dark patches or ink-like spots, which point to a cracked or crushed panel underneath the glass, even if the glass looks fine.

Common causes

Impact from a drop

The most common cause. A drop, especially onto a corner, can crack the display layer without cracking the top glass. Lines may appear straight away or a few days later.

Pressure

Sitting on the phone in a back pocket, squeezing it in a tight bag or a too-small case, or pressing hard on one spot can damage the panel the same way a drop does.

The panel wearing out

Some owners of older AMOLED Galaxy models have seen a single green or pink line appear with no drop at all, sometimes noticed after a software update. Whatever the trigger, once a line is in the panel itself, a setting or update usually won't remove it.

Liquid

Moisture that gets past the seals can corrode the display connector, causing lines, flicker or a dead screen. That's more likely if the phone had a crack or a previous repair that affected the seal.

Rule out software in five steps

Before booking a display replacement, take a few minutes to make sure it isn't a software glitch:

1. Take a screenshot. Press Side key and Volume down together, then open the screenshot on another device or zoom in. If the lines are not in the screenshot, the problem is in the display hardware, not the image the phone is producing.
2. Restart the phone. A full restart clears temporary glitches.
3. Install updates. Go to Settings › Software update and install anything waiting.
4. Try safe mode. Open the power menu, then touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode option appears and tap it. If the lines vanish in safe mode, a third-party app could be the cause. If they stay, it's not an app.
5. Run a screen test. The Samsung Members app has phone diagnostics, and on many Galaxy models dialling *#0*# in the Phone app opens a hardware test menu with solid colour screens. Solid colours make lines and dead areas easy to see. Some carrier versions don't open this menu, which is normal.

How lines are fixed

If the lines show up on the screen but not in a screenshot, and they stay through a restart, updates and safe mode, the fix is a display replacement. Pressing on the screen, tapping it or using apps that claim to repair pixels won't help, and pressing can make the damage spread.

On many Galaxy models, the replacement display comes as a single unit with the glass, touch layer and panel bonded together, and on some models it's attached to the frame as well. That's why the exact model matters for the quote. Tell the technician your model from Settings › About phone, describe the lines, and send a photo.

A display replacement fixes the lines along with any cracked glass at the same time, and the technician tests touch, brightness, colours and the fingerprint sensor with you afterward. For more on Galaxy repairs and models, see our Samsung Galaxy repair guide. For screen damage on any phone, our cracked screen guide covers what to do in the meantime.

Can you keep using the phone?

A single thin line that isn't spreading is mostly a nuisance, and many people live with it for a while. Watch for these signs that it's time to act sooner:

• New lines appearing or existing ones widening
• Dark spots or patches spreading from the lines
• Parts of the screen not responding to touch
• Flickering that makes the phone hard to read

Need a hand?

If the tests point to the display, a certified woman technician can replace your Galaxy screen at your home, workplace, parked car or condo lobby and test it with you on the spot. You get a free quote before any work starts, and she confirms timing when she quotes. See our Samsung repair page and the areas we cover, or call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247 with your model and a photo.

Frequently asked questions

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