Run a quick fullscreen dead pixel test to check your monitor, laptop, TV, tablet, or phone screen for dead pixels, stuck pixels, hot pixels, color-channel defects, screen uniformity problems, and small display faults that are hard to notice during normal use.
A dead pixel test is a simple screen checker that fills the display with one clean background color at a time. The goal is to make tiny pixel faults easier to see. During everyday browsing, gaming, or video playback, a defective pixel may blend into busy images. On a pure white, black, red, green, blue, gray, cyan, magenta, or yellow background, the same defect becomes more visible because every healthy pixel should match the selected color.
This online monitor pixel checker works directly in your browser and does not require a download. It is useful when buying a new monitor, checking a used laptop, testing a TV after delivery, inspecting a phone screen, or documenting a possible warranty issue. The tool does not repair hardware; it provides clear visual patterns so you can inspect the panel with your own eyes.
For best results, set your display to its native resolution, turn off heavy image enhancement modes, remove dust with a soft microfiber cloth, and use fullscreen mode. A small dust speck can look like a black pixel, so cleaning the panel before testing prevents false alarms. Move your eyes slowly across the whole panel instead of staring only at the center.
Most modern screens create images by combining red, green, and blue subpixels. If every subpixel behaves correctly, the screen can show solid colors evenly. If one subpixel fails, the affected pixel may appear black, white, red, green, blue, or slightly discolored depending on the defect. That is why a proper dead pixel detector uses multiple color screens instead of only a single black or white test.
White is helpful for spotting fully dead pixels because a dead pixel often appears as a tiny black dot. Black is useful for finding hot pixels or subpixels that remain lit when they should be off. Red, green, and blue screens isolate individual color channels. Cyan, magenta, and yellow combine two channels at a time, which helps reveal partial subpixel problems that may not be obvious on primary colors alone.
The checkerboard and gradient patterns are extra diagnostic views. Checkerboard makes local brightness or subpixel alignment issues stand out, while gradients can reveal banding, uniformity changes, or display processing problems. These extra patterns are not a replacement for solid-color testing, but they help you understand whether the issue is a single pixel defect or a broader screen quality problem.
| Defect Type | What You See | Best Test Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead pixel | Always black or completely dark | White, red, green, blue | The pixel or its driving transistor is not lighting correctly. |
| Stuck pixel | Always red, green, blue, or another fixed color | Black, gray, opposite colors | One or more subpixels are stuck on or off. |
| Hot pixel | Always white or very bright | Black and dark gray | All color channels may be stuck on or overactive. |
| Partial subpixel fault | Dim, tinted, or slightly off-color point | Cyan, magenta, yellow, gray | Only one channel may be weak or intermittently responding. |
| Uniformity issue | Clouding, glow, darker corners, or color tint | White, gray, black | Usually panel/backlight behavior rather than one individual pixel. |
Red, green, blue, white, black, gray, cyan, magenta, and yellow test screens make both dead and stuck pixels easier to identify.
Use it on desktop monitors, gaming laptops, OLED phones, LCD tablets, TVs, external displays, and portable USB-C monitors.
The test runs in your browser, so it is convenient for quick inspections before returning a product or buying a used device.
Cycle through colors with one click, or click the fullscreen test to move manually from one test pattern to the next.
Checkerboard and gradient patterns help reveal banding, brightness shifts, uneven backlight, and larger screen uniformity concerns.
Touch controls and responsive layout make it easy to test phones and tablets without installing a separate dead pixel app.
Run a pixel test immediately after receiving a new monitor, TV, laptop, or phone. Early testing is important because return windows are often short. If you wait several weeks, you may still have a warranty option, but a simple return or exchange may become harder. The test is also useful after shipping, screen repair, panel replacement, accidental impact, or long-term storage.
Gamers should test high-refresh monitors before finalizing setup because tiny bright pixels can be distracting in dark games. Designers and editors should test new panels because small defects can interrupt color work and photo retouching. Office users should test too, especially if the dot appears near text areas where it may be visible every day.
For used devices, a dead pixel checker can reveal problems the seller did not notice. Ask to run white, black, red, green, and blue screens before purchasing. Look from normal viewing distance first, then inspect closely. A defect that is invisible in normal use may not matter to everyone, but a bright central stuck pixel can be very annoying.
| Test Color | Best For Detecting | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| White | Dead pixels, dark dust, pressure marks | Black or unusually dark dots that do not move when you clean the screen. |
| Black | Hot pixels, stuck subpixels, OLED burn-in glow | White, red, green, blue, or bright colored dots on a dark background. |
| Red | Red subpixel faults | Black points or areas that fail to show clean red. |
| Green | Green subpixel faults | Dark, tinted, or missing points against green. |
| Blue | Blue subpixel faults | Dark dots, purple tinting, or inconsistent blue areas. |
| Gray | Uniformity, dirty-screen effect, subtle tint | Uneven patches, color shifts, cloudy regions, or faint burn-in shapes. |
Dead pixels are usually hardware failures. If a pixel is always black across every color test, it may not be receiving power or may have a failed transistor. There is no guaranteed software fix for a true dead pixel. In this case, the most reliable next step is to check the retailer return window and the manufacturer pixel policy.
Stuck pixels sometimes recover. A stuck pixel that stays red, green, blue, or white may respond to color-cycling tools, power cycling, or gentle pressure methods. These methods are never guaranteed, and pressure can damage the panel if done carelessly. If you try a gentle method, turn the screen off first, use a soft cloth, and avoid pressing hard or using sharp objects.
Burn-in and image retention are different. OLED and some display types can show persistent shadows from static images. That is not the same as a single dead pixel. Use black, gray, and color screens to see whether the problem is one point or a larger shape. For OLED, use built-in panel refresh tools only as recommended by the manufacturer.
Pixel warranties are not identical across brands. Some premium panels promise very strict limits, while many standard displays allow a small number of defective pixels depending on type, location, and display class. A bright pixel near the center may be treated differently from one dark pixel near an edge. Always read the specific policy for your product model and region.
When reporting a defect, make the evidence easy to understand. Use the relevant test color, keep the screen clean, take a sharp photo, and include your order date, serial number, defect location, and whether the dot appears on white, black, or RGB screens. If the issue is visible only at a strange angle or only under extreme brightness, mention that clearly.
If the purchase is new and the store return period is open, an exchange may be simpler than a warranty claim. For used monitors, decide before buying whether the defect bothers you at normal viewing distance. Some people ignore one edge pixel; others find any central bright dot unacceptable.
LCD monitors and laptop panels commonly show dead pixels, stuck subpixels, backlight bleed, IPS glow, or uniformity issues. The solid-color tests are useful for all of these, but remember that backlight bleed is a larger cloudy patch rather than a single pixel. View black and gray screens in a dim room to separate small bright pixels from corner glow.
OLED displays can show perfect black because individual pixels turn off, but they can also develop image retention or burn-in from static interface elements. On OLED phones and TVs, run black, gray, red, green, and blue screens and look for faint icons, navigation bars, keyboard shapes, or logos. Those shapes are not dead pixels; they are panel wear or temporary retention.
Mini‑LED and local-dimming displays may change brightness depending on the pattern. Disable dynamic contrast or local dimming temporarily if you want a cleaner uniformity check. For normal real-world testing, also check with your usual settings because that is what you will see while gaming, watching movies, or working.
Start with the white test, then move through black, red, green, blue, gray, and secondary colors. Scan slowly, clean the panel if you see a suspicious dot, and document any confirmed defects before your return window closes.