Screen Tests

Check a new monitor, laptop or TV before the return window closes. Every test runs in your browser and takes under a minute.

Dead pixel test Full-screen colors that make dead, stuck and hot pixels stand out. Stuck pixel test Tell a stuck pixel from a dead one, and what you can do about each. Measuring Refresh rate test Check your screen runs at its full Hz. Touch screen test Find dead zones and ghost touches on a phone, tablet or touch laptop. White screen test Spot dust, tint, dim corners and dead pixels. Black screen test Check for backlight bleed, IPS glow and lit pixels. Monitor color test Solid colors, gray steps and gradients for banding and tint. Monitor uniformity test Flat grays that show dim corners, tint shifts and clouding. Gradient banding test Smooth gradients where banding shows as visible steps. Monitor contrast test Black level, white level and gamma patterns. Monitor sharpness test One pixel lines, edges and small text for blur and halos. LCD test Backlight, clouding and pixel checks for LCD screens. OLED screen test Near black, burn-in and pixel checks for OLED screens.

Which test do I need?

Start with the dead pixel test on any new screen, because it shows dead, stuck and hot pixels at once. Then run the LCD or OLED test to match your screen, and the refresh rate test if motion looks less smooth than it should.

How to test for dead pixels Dead, stuck or hot pixel? How to fix a stuck pixel Refresh rate reading low? Backlight bleed or IPS glow? How to check for OLED burn-in Dead pixel on a laptop Dead pixel on a TV Monitor return rules Dead pixel policy by brand

How do I check a new screen in five minutes?

Clean the screen, set brightness to your usual level and dim the room. Then run these in order:

Dead pixel test: step through every color and look for dots that do not change.
Black screen test: look at the edges and corners for light leaking in.
White screen test: check for dust under the panel, tint and dim corners.
Refresh rate test: confirm the reading matches the rate on the box.

Take a photo of anything you find. Most return claims ask for one.

What problems can a screen test find?

Pixel faults, light leaks, uneven brightness, banding, burn-in and a wrong refresh rate. Each one shows up best on a different pattern.

ProblemWhat you seeTest

Dead pixel A dot that stays black on every color Dead pixel test

Stuck pixel A dot stuck on red, green or blue Stuck pixel test

Backlight bleed Light patches at the edges on black Black screen test

Uneven brightness Dim corners or tinted areas on gray Monitor uniformity test

Color banding Steps instead of smooth gradients Gradient banding test

Crushed shadows Dark detail lost in black Monitor contrast test

Blurry picture Soft text or outlines along edges Monitor sharpness test

Burn-in A faint ghost of a logo or taskbar OLED screen test

Touch dead zone Part of the screen ignores your finger Touch screen test

Low refresh rate Motion looks less smooth than it should Refresh rate test

Which tests matter for an LCD or an OLED screen?

It depends on how the screen makes its light. An LCD has a backlight behind the panel, so check for bleed, glow and clouding with the black screen and LCD tests. An OLED lights each pixel itself, so check near black and burn-in with the OLED test.

Any screen type can have dead or stuck pixels, so run the dead pixel test either way.

How do I test a laptop screen?

Laptop screens are nearly always LCDs, so run the dead pixel, black screen and LCD tests. Then open and close the lid slowly while the white screen shows. Flicker or lines that change with the lid angle point to the display cable.

If you see a fault, plug in an external monitor. A fault that shows only on the laptop is in its panel, while one that shows on both comes from the graphics or a driver. On a touch laptop, finish with the touch screen test.

How do I test a phone screen?

Open the tests in the phone’s browser and tap to move between colors. Most recent phones use OLED screens, so the OLED test matters more than the LCD test. The touch screen test checks every part of the glass for dead zones.

On an iPhone, the colors fill the browser window, because Safari does not allow full screen for web pages.

How do I test a TV screen?

Open this page in the TV’s built-in browser, or connect a laptop with an HDMI cable. Set the TV’s picture size to its fit or full pixel option, called Screen Fit on Samsung and Just Scan on LG. Otherwise the TV zooms in slightly and cuts off the edges, where faults often sit.

Are online screen tests accurate?

For faults you can see, yes. Dead pixels, bleed, banding, burn-in and dead zones show the same in a browser as in any app. What a browser cannot do is measure light, so exact brightness, contrast ratio and color accuracy need a hardware sensor.

What should I do if a test finds a fault?

Photograph it in a dim room with the test color still on screen. Then contact the seller before the return window closes, and keep the box until you hear back.

Pixel policies differ from maker to maker, so read the warranty terms for your exact model before you send it back.