Free Online Tool

Stuck Pixel Identifier

Find stuck, dead, and hot pixels on any screen. Use full-screen solid colours to spot problem pixels, cycle colours to attempt a fix, and log every pixel you find.

100% Free · No Download · Works on All Devices · Fullscreen Ready
Click any colour below to go fullscreen with that solid colour. Move slowly across the entire screen — a stuck or dead pixel will stand out as a dot that doesn't match the background colour. Use all colours, especially colours opposite to the pixel's appearance.
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Magenta
Cyan
Yellow
The Pixel Fixer rapidly cycles colours on your full screen to unstick stuck pixels. A stuck pixel occurs when a transistor gets locked in one state — repeatedly forcing it to change often frees it. Run for 10–30 minutes for best results.
Cycle Speed
5
/ 10
Colours
Duration
The fixer works best on stuck pixels (transistor locked ON). It has no effect on dead pixels (transistor physically broken) or hot pixels (burned subpixel). Most stuck pixels respond within 1–30 minutes of cycling. If nothing changes after 2–3 sessions, the pixel is likely permanently damaged.
Use the colour picker below to create a test field, then click anywhere in the canvas to mark and log suspected stuck pixels. Switch colours to cross-reference. Tap a marker to remove it.
Background colour:
Click the canvas to mark a pixel
10× Zoom of last click:
Click on the canvas above to inspect a pixel
No pixels marked yet. Click the canvas above to log a suspect pixel.
Click screen to mark suspect pixels · Press Esc to exit
Understanding Pixel Defects

Stuck, Dead, Hot — What's the Difference?

Not all pixel defects are the same, and knowing which type you have determines whether it's fixable. The three main categories behave very differently under different coloured backgrounds, which is why the multi-colour test matters.

Most Common
Stuck Pixel
A transistor locked permanently ON. The pixel shows one bright colour regardless of what should be displayed there. Appears as a bright red, green, blue, white, cyan, magenta, or yellow dot on a black background. Often fixable with the colour cycling fixer.
Permanent
Dead Pixel
A transistor permanently OFF. The pixel never receives power and stays black no matter what colour is displayed. Shows as a small black dot on any light-coloured screen. Cannot be fixed with software — hardware replacement only.
Rare
Hot Pixel
A pixel that appears correct in normal use but glows brightly when the screen has been on for a long time and gets warm. Often confused with stuck pixels. More common in older OLEDs and plasma displays. Cool the screen down and retest to differentiate.
Subpixel
Stuck Subpixel
Each pixel has three subpixels (red, green, blue). A single stuck subpixel produces a colour tint rather than a fully bright dot — like a tiny reddish or greenish fleck. More subtle and harder to spot. Use the opposite colour background to make it visible.
How to Use This Tool

Step-by-Step Pixel Inspection

  • 01
    Start with Black
    Go fullscreen with a pure black background first. This reveals all stuck and hot pixels immediately — they show as bright coloured dots against the dark background. Scan slowly from corner to corner in a grid pattern.
  • 02
    Then Check White
    Switch to white to find dead pixels — they appear as tiny black dots. Dead pixels are hardest to spot at small sizes, so lean closer to the screen. Move your head slightly side to side to catch pixels at different viewing angles.
  • 03
    Use Primary Colours for Subpixels
    Red, green, and blue backgrounds reveal stuck subpixels of the opposite colours. A stuck blue subpixel is invisible on a blue background but obvious on a red or green one. Run through all three primary colours after black and white.
  • 04
    Check the Edges and Corners
    Manufacturing defects are most common near display edges where the panel meets the bezel. Dedicate extra attention to all four corners and the outer 10% of the screen area when scanning.
  • 05
    Dim Your Room
    A darker environment makes pixel defects dramatically easier to spot, especially on the black and dark-colour screens. Turn off lights, close blinds, and let your eyes adjust for 30 seconds before scanning.
  • 06
    Use the Grid Overlay
    Enable the grid overlay in fullscreen mode to divide the screen into a reference grid. This makes it easier to note exactly where a defect is located — useful when filling out a warranty claim or a manufacturer return form.
Warranty & Standards

When Are Pixel Defects Covered?

Most monitor manufacturers follow the ISO 13406-2 or its successor ISO 9241-302 standard, which classifies displays into tiers. Whether a dead pixel warrants a free replacement depends entirely on which tier your display falls into and how many defects you have.

ISO ClassTypical ProductsBright Pixels AllowedDark Pixels Allowed
Class IMedical, industrial, premium pro00
Class IIHigh-end consumer monitors22
Class IIIMost mainstream monitors515
Class IVBudget monitors, TVs50150
Most consumer monitors sold today are Class II or III. A single dead pixel on a Class III panel is not covered under the ISO standard — you typically need 5+ bright defects or 15+ dark ones before a manufacturer is obligated to replace it. Always check your specific manufacturer's dead pixel policy, as many offer better terms than the ISO minimum.
FAQ

Questions, Answered

Yes, for stuck pixels — but not dead ones. A stuck pixel has a transistor that's locked ON due to physical stress or manufacturing variation. Rapidly cycling colours forces the liquid crystal to change state repeatedly, which can "unstick" the transistor. Success rates vary widely — some pixels fix within minutes, others take hours, and some never respond. If 3–4 sessions of 30 minutes don't help, the pixel is very likely permanently stuck.
Dust sits on the surface of the glass and can be gently wiped away with a microfibre cloth. A pixel defect is under the glass and cannot be touched or removed externally. Try gently wiping the spot — if it moves or disappears, it's dust. If it stays fixed in the same precise screen position regardless of viewing angle, it's a pixel defect.
The "pressure method" — gently pressing on a stuck pixel with a finger wrapped in a soft cloth while cycling colours — can work, but carries real risk of creating more damage, spreading the defect, or cracking the panel if too much force is used. We don't recommend it unless the display is already out of warranty and you have nothing to lose. The software colour cycling approach is always the safer first step.
Yes — that typically means you have a stuck subpixel rather than a fully stuck pixel. Each pixel has red, green, and blue subpixels. If only the red subpixel is stuck, the dot will be most visible on cyan backgrounds (which have no red component) and nearly invisible on red or white backgrounds. Cycling through all test colours is the best way to catch subpixel defects.
Usually not — most stuck pixels either stay the same or occasionally fix themselves spontaneously. Dead pixels are essentially static unless you physically damage the panel further. The main exception is OLED burn-in, where heavily-used pixels gradually degrade permanently over thousands of hours. This is a different issue from stuck pixels and shows as a ghost image rather than a single dot defect.
It depends on your manufacturer's specific policy and the ISO class of your display. Under ISO 9241-302 Class III (most consumer monitors), you typically need 5 or more bright stuck pixels or 15+ dark dead pixels before a mandatory replacement. However, brands like BenQ, ASUS ProArt, and LG UltraFine offer zero-dead-pixel guarantees on their premium lines. Always check the specific policy — it's usually on the product page or in the support documentation.
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