Plug and Check

Display

Stuck Pixel Fixer: Flash Colors Over a Stuck Pixel

Flash rapidly changing colors over a stuck pixel to try to get it working again, in a small square you drag over it or across the whole screen. Read the flashing-light warning before you start.

Runs in your browser. Your results never leave this device. No upload, no sign-up.

Photosensitive seizure warning. This tool flashes bright colors many times a second. Flashing light can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, sometimes in people with no history of seizures.

Don't use it if you, or anyone who can see your screen, has epilepsy or has had a seizure. While it runs, look away from the screen and keep others from watching. Stop at once with Esc, a click or a tap if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell.

Area

Square size

Pattern

Run for

The square starts in the middle of the screen. Drag it over the stuck pixel, or move it with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps). Click outside it or press Esc to stop.

Your report

Run the test above. Your results will appear here as plain text you can paste into a support chat, a return request or a forum post.

How to use the stuck pixel fixer

  1. Find the stuck pixel first with the dead pixel test. Note where it is and which colors it shows on.
  2. Read the warning above. Choose the square if you can: it flashes a much smaller area than the whole screen.
  3. Press I understand, start, drag the flashing square over the stuck pixel, then look away while it runs.
  4. When the time is up, the flashing stops on its own. Check the pixel on a plain color and record whether it's fixed.
  5. Still stuck? Run it again for 20 minutes, or try the other pattern, a few times over a day or two.

How it works, and how often it helps

A stuck pixel is a pixel with a subpixel that has stopped following the picture, so it stays lit, or stays dark, whatever the screen shows. This tool changes every pixel under the square on every screen refresh, dozens of times a second. That rapid switching sometimes gets a stuck subpixel to respond again.

Random noise sends each pixel a different mix of red, green and blue on every frame. The red, green and blue flash switches the whole area through red, green, blue, white and black in turn. Neither is known to work better than the other, so if one doesn't help after a couple of runs, try the other.

There is no reliable success rate, and we won't make one up. It is worth a few runs on a pixel that is stuck on one color, especially on a new screen. It won't help a dead pixel that stays black on every color, a pressure mark, or a whole line of faulty pixels: those are hardware faults.

Other ways to fix a stuck pixel, and their risks

Leave the screen running

Some stuck pixels recover after hours of normal use. Playing varied video on the screen for a while costs nothing and carries no risk.

Pressing on the pixel

Some guides suggest pressing gently on the stuck spot through a soft cloth while the screen is on. This can damage the panel, add more faulty pixels or leave a permanent pressure mark, and it can crack a laptop or phone screen. It may also void your warranty. We don't recommend it, least of all on a screen you can still return.

Tapping, rubbing or heat

Tapping the screen, rubbing it hard or warming it carries the same risks with no better odds. Never use a hair dryer or anything hot on a screen.

A replacement

On a new screen, the safest fix is a replacement. Check your retailer's return policy and the maker's pixel policy, and copy the report from the dead pixel test to show what you found.

Problems with the fixer? Try these fixes

The flashing stops when I click

A click or tap outside the square stops the run, so you can always get out quickly. To move the square, press on the square itself and drag it.

The square won't stay over the pixel

  1. Choose a bigger square, so the stuck pixel is easy to cover.
  2. Click the square, then move it one pixel at a time with the arrow keys. Hold Shift to move it in bigger steps.

The screen dims or sleeps during the run

The page asks your browser to keep the screen awake while it runs. Where the browser can't, your system's timers apply.

Windows 11

  1. Open Settings → System → Power & battery.
  2. Under Screen and sleep (on newer versions, Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts), set the screen to turn off after a longer time than the run.

macOS

  1. Open System Settings → Lock Screen.
  2. Set Turn display off on power adapter when inactive (and the battery setting on a laptop) to a longer time than the run.

The flashing looks slow or jerky

The tool changes the pixels once per screen refresh, so a busy computer or a power-saving mode slows it down.

  1. Close other busy tabs and apps, and plug a laptop into power.
  2. Turn on graphics acceleration: in Chrome and Edge, it's under Settings → System (in Edge, System and performance), Use graphics acceleration when available.
  3. Check your screen's refresh rate with the refresh rate test.

The pixel came back

A stuck pixel that recovers can stick again. Run the fixer again; if it keeps coming back, it is likely a hardware fault worth a warranty claim.

Common questions

Does a stuck pixel fixer really work?

Sometimes. Rapid flashing can free a subpixel that is stuck, but there is no reliable success rate, and it can't revive a pixel that has failed in the hardware. A few runs of 10 to 20 minutes cost nothing but time, so it is worth trying before you send a screen back.

Can a stuck pixel fixer trigger a seizure?

Rapidly flashing light can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, which is why the tool shows a warning first and starts only when you press the button. If you or anyone who can see the screen has epilepsy or has had a seizure, don't use it. Everyone else should look away from the screen while it runs.

Is the stuck pixel fixer safe for my screen?

Flashing colors are ordinary screen content, so they won't harm an LCD or OLED panel. On an OLED screen, long runs at full brightness add a little wear like any bright content, so use the small square instead of the full screen when you can. Pressing on the screen is different: it can damage the panel.

How long should I run the stuck pixel fixer?

Start with 10 minutes over the stuck pixel, then check it on a plain color. If it is still stuck, try 20 minutes, and repeat a few times over a day or two. If nothing changes after several runs, the pixel is unlikely to recover this way.

Will the stuck pixel fixer work on a phone or OLED screen?

It runs in any current browser, so you can use it on a phone, tablet, laptop or monitor. Stuck subpixels happen on LCD and OLED screens, and the flashing works the same way on both. On an iPhone the flashing fills the browser window rather than the whole screen.

What should I do if the pixel is still stuck?

If the screen is new, ask the retailer for a replacement within the return window; the dead pixel test makes the fault easy to show. Otherwise check the maker's warranty terms for faulty pixels. Pressing on the screen to fix it can cause more damage and may void the warranty.

Something not right?

Tell us if your device wasn't found or a result looks wrong. Your browser, system and device model help us check.

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