Screen Burn-In Test

Burn-in shows up as a faint ghost of something that sat on the screen for too long: a status bar, a channel logo, a game HUD or a taskbar. Solid colours and flat greys make it easy to spot. Click the screen or press the arrow keys to change colour.

Tip: go full screen and set brightness to maximum. The grey levels around 20% to 50% show burn-in best. Esc exits.

Photosensitivity warning: the burn-in fixer flashes colours quickly. Don't use it, or watch it, if flashing lights affect you.

How to check for burn-in

  1. Let the screen warm up for a few minutes and turn brightness up.
  2. Press Fullscreen so no browser bars are in the way.
  3. Step through the colours. Look for faint shapes that shouldn't be there: navigation buttons, a keyboard outline, a logo in a corner.
  4. Switch to Grey levels. Mid greys show uneven wear that bright colours hide.
  5. Look from straight on and from an angle, in a dark room if you can.

Burn-in or image retention?

Image retentionBurn-in
How long it lastsSeconds to minutes, then fadesPermanent
Common onLCD, IPS and some OLEDOLED and AMOLED, plasma
FixShow other content, or run the fixer for 10 to 20 minutesCan only be reduced; the panel itself has worn

Read the full guide: screen burn-in: how to check, fix and prevent it. For single bad dots rather than shapes, use the dead pixel test and the stuck pixel fixer.

Burn-in test FAQ

Which colour shows burn-in best?

Mid grey (around 20% to 50%) is usually best, followed by solid red, green and blue. Burn-in is often hard to see on pure white.

Can burn-in be fixed?

Temporary image retention usually fades by itself or with the fixer. True burn-in is permanent wear of the pixels. It can sometimes be made less visible, but not removed.

Do LCD screens get burn-in?

Rarely. LCDs can show temporary image retention, but permanent burn-in is mainly an OLED and plasma problem.

How long should I run the burn-in fixer?

Start with 10 to 20 minutes and check again. If nothing improves after an hour, it is permanent burn-in and more flashing won't help.

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