Stuck pixel on your iPhone or iPad? What works and what doesn’t

By GigaScreens Team · Updated 2026-10-22

Run the dead pixel test It works in Safari. Then use the stuck pixel fixer on the dot.

You’re watching something dark at night and there it is: a tiny green dot that doesn’t move. Before you worry, figure out what it is. On iPhones and iPads that takes a couple of minutes, and the answer depends partly on which screen your device has.

First: does your iPhone or iPad have an OLED or LCD screen?

It matters, because OLED and LCD fail in different ways and Apple’s advice is written for each.

Apple lists its OLED iPhones on its Super Retina display page. MacRumors reported in February 2025 that the iPhone 16e brought OLED to the whole current lineup, and 9to5Mac’s iPad display list covers the iPads.

Why it matters: Apple’s pixel anomaly page explains that on LCDs, each subpixel has a transistor, and one that doesn’t work perfectly leaves that subpixel stuck on (bright) or off (dark). On OLED, a faint shape left where a static image sat is usually image persistence or burn-in, not a stuck pixel. Apple covers that on its OLED page, and our burn-in vs image retention guide explains how to tell. The burn-in test helps you spot it.

Is it a stuck pixel, a dead pixel or just dust?

1. Wipe the screen with a lint-free cloth. Apple says foreign material on the front of the glass often looks like a pixel anomaly and comes off this way.
2. Using a screen protector? A speck of dust under it does a good impression of a stuck pixel. Look at the dot at an angle. If it sits above the image, it’s on the protector.
3. Open the dead pixel test in Safari, turn brightness up, and step through black, white, red, green and blue.
4. Take a screenshot. If the dot is in the screenshot, it’s in the image, and the screen is fine.

Then read the result:

• A colored or white dot that stays lit on black: a stuck (bright) pixel or subpixel. Sometimes fixable.
• A black dot on white and on every color: a dead (dark) pixel. No app brings it back.
• An irregular speck, most visible on white: Apple says that’s often dust. If it’s trapped inside the screen, only Apple or an authorized provider can remove it.

Safari on iPhone may not allow true full screen, so the test fills the visible area instead. Rotate the phone and scroll a little to check the edges.

How to try fixing a stuck pixel on iPhone or iPad

Photosensitivity warning: pixel fixers flash rapidly changing colors. Skip this step if you or anyone nearby is sensitive to flashing light. Start it, then look away.

1. Make sure the screen stays on. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and pick a longer time for now. Set it back afterwards, because Apple recommends a shorter Auto-Lock on OLED iPhones.
2. Open the stuck pixel fixer in Safari. It’s click-to-start, so nothing flashes until you tap the button.
3. Choose the small square, drag it over the dot and make it a little bigger than the pixel.
4. Leave it for 10 to 20 minutes. Expected result: the dot is gone when you check again on the black screen of the dead pixel test.
5. Still lit? Run one or two more sessions. JScreenFix says on its own page that if a pixel isn’t fixed after an hour, it probably can’t be fixed that way. That’s a sensible stop point.

Here’s the honest part. Flashing fixers sometimes clear a stuck pixel and never fix a dead one, and nobody can tell you in advance which yours is. Apple doesn’t mention pixel-fixing tools at all. Its advice for pixel anomalies is to have the device examined. So treat the fixer as a free 20-minute try. The repair, if you need one, comes from Apple.

Don’t press, tap or heat the screen

Older guides tell you to press the dot with a pencil eraser through a cloth. We don’t recommend it on any phone or tablet. Glass cracks, OLED panels can be damaged, and Apple’s warranty terms don’t cover accidental damage. Apple’s warranty document also says not to open the device. A stuck pixel is a much smaller problem than a cracked screen.

Still there? Warranty, AppleCare and the return window

On a new iPhone or iPad, the return window and the warranty beat any fix. If the dot showed up in the first days, check your retailer’s return policy before you spend an evening on it.

• Apple’s Limited Warranty covers manufacturing issues for one year, per Apple’s service page. Accidental damage isn’t covered, and the warranty document tells you not to open the device.
• For pixel anomalies, Apple says to take the device to an Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Independent Repair Provider for a closer look. It also notes there may be a charge for the evaluation.
• We couldn’t find a published number of stuck pixels that qualifies an iPhone or iPad for replacement. The inspection decides.

A documented case: in a January 2024 r/ipad thread, an owner with AppleCare+ asked about green pixels in the middle of the screen, noticed while watching movies at night. Replies said a hardware fault like that is normally covered. One thread doesn’t make a policy, but it’s a good reason to ask.

Before you go, photograph the dot on a black screen and note when you first saw it.

Frequently asked questions

Related fixes

• Stuck pixel fixer (free tool)
• Dead pixel test
• Stuck pixel on a monitor? How to tell and fix it
• OLED burn-in vs image retention
• Burn-in test
• Phone and tablet fix guides

Sources

• Apple: About LCD display pixel anomalies, checked 2026-10-22.
• Apple: About the Super Retina and Super Retina XDR display on your iPhone, checked 2026-10-22.
• Apple: Service and repair for iPhone, checked 2026-10-22.
• Apple: iOS warranty document (US), checked 2026-10-22.
• JScreenFix: Stuck pixel repair, checked 2026-10-22.
• MacRumors: All iPhones now feature OLED displays (Feb 2025), checked 2026-10-22.
• 9to5Mac: iPad display list, checked 2026-10-22.
• r/ipad: Locked pixels, will Apple change it for free? (Jan 2024), checked 2026-10-22.