Run the backlight bleed test It shows black and near-black screens full size, with a short wait so your eyes adjust.
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Backlight bleed looks ten times worse in a phone photo. Your camera is being dramatic. So before you decide anything, look with your own eyes, at your normal seat, with the brightness where you actually use it.
What’s the difference between backlight bleed and IPS glow?
Dell’s support article on IPS glow vs light leakage draws the line clearly:
| IPS glow | Backlight bleed (light leakage) | |
|---|---|---|
| When you move your head | Changes with viewing angle and distance | Stays the same |
| Where | Mostly the corners | Anywhere along the edges or corners |
| Which panels | IPS and similar panels, all to some degree | Any LCD: IPS, VA or TN |
| Defect? | No, a trait of the panel type | A manufacturing issue; Dell says it can be considered a defect if it significantly affects viewing |
Glow comes from how IPS panels pass light at an angle. Bleed is backlight escaping where it shouldn’t, usually at the edges of the panel stack. OLED screens have no backlight, so they don’t bleed at all. They have their own issues, covered in our OLED burn-in guide.
How to test your monitor properly
- Let the monitor warm up. Dell suggests about 30 minutes before you judge or adjust anything.
- Sit where you normally sit, roughly arm’s length away, with the screen at eye level.
- Dim the room, but don’t make it pitch dark. Dell recommends slightly lit rather than dark.
- Set brightness to your everyday level. Cranking it to 100% exaggerates both effects.
- Open the backlight bleed test in full screen and wait for your eyes to adjust.
- Move your head left, right, up and down. Glow moves or fades. Bleed doesn’t.
Then the real test: play a dark game or film the way you normally would. DisplayNinja’s guide puts it plainly: if you only notice it on the test screen and not in regular use, you don’t need to do anything.
Can you fix backlight bleed or IPS glow?
You can make both less noticeable. You can’t remove them with software, because neither is a signal problem.
- Lower brightness. Dell suggests around 30% to 50% of maximum for reducing visible glow.
- Add some room light behind or beside the screen. Glow and bleed are most visible in a dark room.
- Sit a bit further back and centered. Glow grows at steeper angles, which is why it’s worse on large or close screens.
- Try a warmer color temperature setting. Dell lists this as one way to make glow less harsh.
What about the online advice to massage the edges or loosen the screws on the back? Leave the panel alone. Pressure can damage it, and opening the monitor can affect your warranty. We don’t recommend either.
How much is normal?
Some IPS glow is normal. Heavy bleed on a new panel is a return. That’s our position, and it lines up with how makers write about it: Dell calls glow “an inherent trait of IPS technology” and treats leakage as a manufacturing issue when it significantly affects viewing.
The awkward part is that there’s no published count for bleed the way there is for pixels. A pixel policy says “up to 5 bright pixels.” Nothing equivalent exists for light leakage, so a warranty claim comes down to how it looks to the person reviewing your photos. That’s why timing matters so much.
Warranty and returns: what to do next
- New monitor, still inside the retailer’s return window? Use it. A standard return doesn’t require you to prove a defect. Check your retailer’s policy for the exact number of days (for example, Best Buy lists its windows on its return and exchange policy page).
- Outside the window? Contact the maker. Describe where the bleed is, say it stays fixed when you change your viewing angle, and attach a photo.
- Take a fair photo: camera at your seated eye level, room dim, brightness at your normal level, and lower the camera’s exposure so the photo matches what you see. Overexposed photos make every panel look broken, and support staff know it.
- Expect glow-only claims to go nowhere under warranty. If glow bothers you, a VA or OLED monitor is the better next buy, not a replacement IPS unit.
Exchanging for the same model? Run the backlight bleed test again on the replacement the day it arrives, while the window is still open.
If it can’t be fixed
Bleed that’s distracting in normal use won’t improve with settings. Inside the return window, return or exchange the monitor. After it, file a warranty claim with the maker, with a photo taken at normal exposure. Glow alone isn’t treated as a defect, so if it bothers you, consider a different panel type.
Frequently asked questions
Is IPS glow normal?
Yes. Dell describes IPS glow as an inherent trait of IPS technology, present to some degree on all IPS panels. It changes with viewing angle and mostly shows in the corners.
Is backlight bleed covered by warranty?
Often, when it’s significant. Dell says light leakage can be considered a defect if it significantly affects the viewing experience, but there’s no published threshold, so inside the return window a return is simpler.
Does backlight bleed get worse over time?
Makers don’t publish data on this. Judge it on the day you test, and decide while the return window is open.
Do OLED monitors have backlight bleed?
No. OLED pixels make their own light, so there’s no backlight to leak. OLED screens can get burn-in or image retention instead.
Can I fix backlight bleed myself?
Not safely. Lower brightness and some room light make it less visible. Pressing on the panel or loosening screws can damage it and may affect your warranty, so we don’t recommend it.
Related fixes
- Backlight bleed test (free tool)
- How to fix a stuck pixel
- OLED burn-in vs image retention
- All screen fix guides
Sources
- Dell: How to distinguish IPS glow and light leakage, checked 2026-10-17.
- Acer Community: Troubleshooting backlight bleeding and light leakage, checked 2026-10-17.
- DisplayNinja: Backlight bleed test, checked 2026-10-17.
- Best Buy: Return and exchange policy, checked 2026-10-17.
