Smartphone: Find and repair pixel errors

You can usually find a pixel error on your smartphone with the naked eye. In some cases you can even repair it with apps that change the color of your screen in quick succession and thus want to reanimate the pixel. This practical tip describes how this works and what else you can do.

Find defective pixel on the smartphone

A pixel error is usually noticed on the smartphone when you switch from a dark to a bright picture. The defective pixel then does not switch over and simply "gets stuck". There can be different symptoms:

• A pixel can stick to one of the three primary colors red, green or blue. Then the pixel still works, but the switchover is disturbed. The good news is that sometimes this problem can be fixed.
• If a pixel remains completely black, the chances of a resuscitation are not so good. The pixel is probably defective, and attempts to repair it are only successful in very few cases.
• If you are not sure how your pixel got "stuck", you can simply use a magnifying glass. Under the enlargement you can see whether it is on one of the three basic colors. There are also programs that are designed to make it easier for you to recognize a pixel error by changing colored screens. However, these are usually only playful in character. If you still want to use the method: the appleservedup.com website offers a free online test.

Revive the pixel: app or massage

As absurd as it sounds: Apps that are supposed to stimulate the pixel with rapidly changing colors actually succeed in some cases.

• For example, you can use the "Fix pixel errors" app to fix stuck pixels on Android smartphones. However, you have to expect a minimum runtime of around 60 minutes. By tapping on the pixel error, the app places a rectangle at this point, which changes color depending on the type of error.
• For iOS, for example, you can use the paid iPhone Pixel Fix app, but a trip to the AppleStore is also worthwhile during the warranty period. If there are several pixel errors, you have a good chance of exchanging the hardware.
• In very rare cases, a light massage of the defective pixel with a cotton swab helps. To do this, however, you have to get under the touchscreen glass and disassemble your smartphone. With many smartphones, this is only possible with great effort. If you do succeed: be careful with the massage, otherwise you can cause new pixel errors. The technology only helps with liquid crystal displays, not with OLED.

Another practical tip contains instructions on how to fix pixel errors on your monitor.