Click to enter fullscreen test
Detect OLED burn-in and image retention
Burn-in test
Run a browser-based burn-in test when you need to judge OLED image retention, panel wear, or factory mura. Four motion patterns help you separate temporary ghosts from permanent burn-in on phones, TVs, and desktop panels.
Patterns
← → switch mode · run at moderate OLED brightness
Timing
Each color or flip holds this long · ↑ ↓ to adjust
Shortcuts
Works in preview and fullscreen
- ← → Switch pattern
- ↑ ↓ Adjust hold time
- Space Pause or resume
- F Enter fullscreen
Run at moderate OLED brightness. Look for fixed ghosts that stay in the same spot across every color.
Reading the panel
What ghosts mean after a screen burn-in test
Persistent
Likely burn-in
The same ghost outline stays fixed across red, green, blue, and grey — especially at status bars or HUD edges.
Usually fades
Probably retention
A faint shadow fades within minutes or after varied content. Run a black screen check before you worry.
Panel type
LCD note
True burn-in is rare on LCD. Short persistence can happen on some IPS panels but usually clears quickly.
Browser burn-in test for OLED and AMOLED panels
TestMyGears runs retention patterns locally in the tab — solid fields, sliding bars, checker inversion, and gradient pans — so you can inspect status-bar ghosts, news tickers, and HUD outlines before a return window closes.
Pattern lab beside the stage
Switch between solid fields, bar sweep, checker flip, and gradient pan without leaving the page. Each pattern stresses pixels differently so faint retention is easier to catch than on a single static wallpaper.
Works on the gear you already have
Use the same burn-in test on a phone AMOLED, OLED TV, gaming monitor, or handheld console screen. Fullscreen, keyboard shortcuts, and adjustable cycle timing keep the pass short.
Visual check only
This is a screen burn-in test, not a CPU or GPU stress tool. Keep brightness moderate — long static patterns at max nits can create retention on OLED even during testing.
Burn-in, retention, and mura — what the test is looking for
Searchers often ask what a burn-in test is. In short: you flood the panel with even color or motion so uneven pixel aging becomes visible.
Permanent burn-in
OLED subpixels age unevenly when bright UI elements sit in the same place for hours. The ghost can remain on red, green, blue, and grey fields — that persistence across colors is the tell.
Image retention
A temporary shadow after static content usually fades with normal use, screensavers, or a manufacturer pixel refresh. If it disappears within minutes, treat it as retention first.
Mura and panel lottery
Blotchy grey fields are often factory variation, not wear from apps or games. Gradient pan mode helps you tell dirty-screen mura apart from UI-shaped ghosts.
How to run a screen burn-in test
A focused pass takes a few minutes. Dim the room, keep brightness sensible, and watch the same screen zones across patterns.
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Pick a pattern and start
Begin with solid fields in fullscreen. Red, green, blue, white, black, and grey make uneven wear obvious — look for faint icons, tickers, or keyboard outlines that do not move with the color. See also: pattern breakdown .
Tip Pause on grey if you suspect mura rather than UI burn-in
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Scan the usual suspects
On phones, check the status and navigation strips. On TVs, watch logo corners and subtitle bands. On monitors, scan the taskbar, browser chrome, and spreadsheet grid lines. See also: device risk zones .
Tip Mark the exact zone if a ghost appears on more than one color
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Decide what you found
Matching ghosts in the same place on multiple solid fields point to burn-in. Shadows that fade quickly are more likely retention. Follow with a black screen pass before opening a warranty ticket. See also: black screen follow-up .
Tip Photograph the artifact with exposure locked for support chats
What each pattern is for
Solid fields
The baseline OLED burn-in test. Full-screen primaries and neutrals reveal fixed UI ghosts faster than everyday wallpapers.
Bar sweep
Horizontal color bands slide across the panel. Mild retention can be easier to notice when a burned zone shifts against moving color.
Checker flip
Rapid black-and-white inversion stresses pixel response. Heavily aged areas may lag or leave trails during the flip.
Gradient pan
A slow luminance ramp exaggerates local brightness steps — useful when you are hunting mura or subtle panel lottery issues.
Where burn-in tends to show up first
Phones and tablets
- Always-on status icons and punch-hole camera rings.
- Gesture bars and three-button navigation on older AMOLED phones.
- Social and shopping apps with fixed bottom tabs.
Living-room OLED
- News and shopping channels with corner logos.
- Sports tickers, score bugs, and live captions.
- Letterboxed content that ages black bars differently.
Desk monitors
- Light-themed taskbars and persistent browser sidebars.
- Spreadsheet grids and IDE gutters during long work sessions.
- Streaming overlays left on screen during breaks.
Handheld consoles
- System UI chrome on Switch OLED and similar handhelds.
- Health bars, minimaps, and ammo counters in long RPG sessions.
- Pause screens forgotten overnight on a dock.
Slowing OLED wear day to day
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Cap peak brightness
High nits accelerate organic aging. For daily use and testing, stay closer to mid brightness unless you truly need outdoor max.
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Prefer dark UI where it fits
Dark themes reduce the area driven hard on AMOLED phones and can stretch battery life on the same device.
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Shorten idle timeouts
Aggressive auto-lock on phones and auto-off on TVs stops static frames from sitting unattended.
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Run factory pixel care
Many OLED TVs ship with scheduled pixel refresh or compensation routines — follow the maker's guidance after heavy static viewing.
Burn-in test FAQs
What is a burn-in test?
It is a visual screen test that fills the panel with uniform colors or motion so uneven pixel wear shows up. TestMyGears runs in the browser for displays — not for CPU, GPU, or PCB burn-in.
How do I test OLED burn-in on a monitor?
Fullscreen this tool, run solid fields, and inspect taskbar and browser chrome zones on grey and white. Switch to bar sweep if the ghost is subtle. Arrow keys change patterns; F toggles fullscreen.
Can OLED burn-in be fixed?
Retention often eases with varied content or a pixel refresh cycle. True burn-in is permanent panel wear — software cannot restore the organic layer. Avoid 'repair' videos that simply age other areas.
Does LCD get burn-in?
LCD burn-in is uncommon. Some IPS panels show short image persistence after static content, but it typically clears within minutes. This page targets OLED, AMOLED, and similar emissive screens.
Should I burn-in test a new phone?
Worth a quick pass during the return window to catch mura, dead pixels, or tint — not because new phones usually ship with wear. An iPhone or Android OLED burn-in test is really a panel QA check.
Will warranty cover TV burn-in?
Policies differ by brand and region. Some makers inspect confirmed burn-in under specific terms; others exclude it. Read coverage before you buy if the set will show static news or sports daily.
Why dim the room?
Room light hides low-contrast ghosts. A monitor burn-in test is easier to read in a dark space, especially on near-black and low-grey fields.
How long should the test run?
Two to five minutes of pattern cycling is enough for a first pass. You are looking for fixed ghosts that survive multiple colors in the same location — not running a torture test.
