If you have an OLED TV or smartphone, you know how sharp and clear the image is. From the contrast to the color accuracy, the quality is unmatched.
But these devices have one drawback: OLED burning, sometimes called OLED screen burning. This is what happens when the contours of an image remain on the screen and lead to discoloration. Fortunately, there are also some quick and easy ways to fix it, or at least reduce its effects.
Here we tell you what screen burning is and tell you how you can prevent or correct it.
What is OLED burn-in and why does it happen?
Burning is the appearance of a “ghost image” on your TV or phone that does not disappear. It is caused by the technology of the screen. Each individual pixel produces its own light, which gradually decreases over time. For example, if an image remains on the screen for many hours, some pixels become overused and degrade more quickly, creating discoloration in some areas. Your screen still works, but the dark spots can be annoying or annoying.
Some common reasons for burning the TV screen are:
- Keep your TV on news or sports networks that display a static logo or ticker for a long time – parts of the logo or ticker may burn-in
- Pauses your TV
- Play a video game that has constant graphics
- Do not answer the “Are you still watching?” question on a streaming service
Common causes of burn-in in the phone screen are:
- The brightness of the screen is too high for too long
- Leave images inactive on the screen for extended periods
- Do not use the screen timeout function
What is the difference between screen capture and image retention?
While screen burning and image retention seem similar at first, they are actually very different. The built-in screen is permanent and will remain so whether you change channels, scroll to another menu, or turn off the device. With image retention, the discoloration is temporary and eventually disappears when you switch to another image or turn it off.
Are QLED TV screens more susceptible to burn-in than OLED TV screens?
QLED® TVs use a different technology than OLED TVs and are unlikely to experience burn-in. Samsung® will repair or replace their QLED models if they experience this problem during the first ten years.
What is an OLED screen burn test and how do I do it? – How to fix TV burn-in
Do you think your TV or smartphone may have burned in? You can easily check by running a burn test that plays a video that helps you detect discoloration on the screen.
Samsung has a built-in TV test video on YouTube that works with all brands of TV or phone. It shows a solid red screen, if you notice any other colors you may have burned. There are also videos that go through different colors to diagnose the problem.
How to avoid burning OLED TVs
Protecting your OLED TV from burning only requires maintenance. Follow these tips to make sure your programs and movies look sharp.
Tips to prevent OLED screen burning on TV:
- Reduce the brightness. If you keep your brightness in the range of 45-50, you lower the pixels of your TV and extend their life.
- Use the sleep timer. If you snooze in front of the TV, a channel logo or streaming menu may be on your screen for hours, which may create a risk of burn-in. This feature turns off your TV after a certain time.
- Change channels regularly. If you are an avid sports watcher or newscaster, the ticker at the bottom of the screen may cause a burn-in without you realizing it. Changing the channel gives these pixels rest.
- Do not leave your TV paused. This applies to both TV and video games. If you pause a show or game for a long time, some pixels will be overused and eventually discolored.
- Enable screensavers for gaming and streaming devices. If you can not avoid pausing, you can activate the screen saver to change the colors of your TV and prevent burn-in.
- Turn off the TV. Keeping your TV off when you are not watching it helps preserve the screen.
How to fix screen burning on OLED TV – how to fix burning
Burn-in is permanent on your TV, but there are some ways you can try to improve it.
How to fix TV burn-in – Ways to reduce OLED burn-in on your TV:
- Adjust the brightness. Lowering your brightness to below 50 can reduce burn-in. This should also lead to the disappearance of all image retention.
- Enable pixel shift. OLED TVs from brands such as LG® and Sony® include pixel-shift technology that automatically moves images on the screen to protect pixels from overuse. You can enable this manually in your settings.
- Play a color-changing video. As we recommended with your phone, pull up YouTube on your TV and find a video designed to remove burnout.
- Replace your TV. Unlike phones, you can not just switch to a new screen on your TV. But before you buy a new one, check the manufacturer’s warranty to see if it covers burnout.
How to prevent the phone screen from burning
If your smartphone has an OLED screen – such as an iPhone® 12, Samsung Galaxy® S21, or Google Pixel ™ 5 – you risk developing burnout. However, there are simple steps you can take to protect your device.
Tips to prevent burning of Android and iPhone:
- Lower the brightness. The brighter your screen, the faster the pixels will decay. Go into your settings and reduce the brightness to 50% or less.
- Reduce screen timeout. Make sure the screen turns off in less than 30 seconds to prevent static images from lingering.
- Use dark mode. This setting emits less light and uses fewer pixels, so the screen can relax.
- Enable immersive mode on Android ™ . Turning this on hides the status and navigation bars, which often cause the screen to burn. Some apps are standard for this model, but you may need to configure it for others.
- Switch to gesture navigation. Using swipes and taps helps remove static buttons from the screen and prevent burn-in.
- Turn off your phone. Turn off the device regularly to pause the screen.
How to fix built-in phone screen – how to fix burn-in
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a fast screen burn. OLED phone burning is permanent, but there are some steps you can try to reduce.
Ways to reduce screen burning on Android and iPhone – How to fix TV burning
- Turn it off. Leaving the phone on for a few hours may reduce the effect of burn-in. If your problem disappears completely, you have probably only had image retention.
- Test a catch-up video. YouTube has a number of fast, colorful videos designed to combat burnout.
- Download a fixer app. These tests are to see if your phone has burned out. They then run a pixel update or adjust your settings so that the discoloration is not as visible.
- Replace the screen. If nothing has worked to reduce the burn, you may need to buy a new monitor. But first, check the device’s warranty to see if screen replacement is covered.