Dead Pixel vs Stuck Pixel
A dead pixel is permanently black — its transistor has failed and the pixel produces no light at all, on any background. A stuck pixel is frozen on a fixed color (red, green, blue, or white) because its transistor is locked in the on state. Dead pixels cannot be repaired; stuck pixels sometimes recover with rapid color cycling.
What Is a Dead Pixel?
A dead pixel is a display defect where the thin-film transistor (TFT) controlling a pixel has permanently failed in the off state. With no electrical signal reaching the pixel, it produces no light whatsoever. On LCD panels this creates a dark grey dot (backlight bleeds slightly around the failed cell); on OLED panels it is a perfect, absolute black point visible on every background color including white, red, and green. Dead pixels never change — cycling the display through colors has no effect on them.
What Is a Stuck Pixel?
A stuck pixel is a defect where the transistor has failed in the open (on) state, causing one or more sub-pixel channels to remain permanently active. Unlike a dead pixel, a stuck pixel still has electrical activity — it is just locked at a fixed output level. This is why stuck pixels appear as colored dots: a single channel stuck gives red, green, or blue; two channels stuck together produce cyan, magenta, or yellow; all three channels stuck at full brightness produce a white hot pixel. Stuck pixels are the more common type and are more likely to respond to treatment.
What Is a Hot Pixel?
A hot pixel is a specific sub-category of stuck pixel where all three sub-pixel channels (red, green, and blue) are simultaneously locked at maximum brightness, producing a bright white dot visible on every background. Hot pixels are the most visually disruptive type — a white point stands out sharply against any content. They are caused by the same transistor-open failure as other stuck pixels, and they occasionally respond to rapid color cycling.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dead pixel | Stuck pixel | Hot pixel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance on white | Black dot | Colored dot (red, green, blue, etc.) | Bright white dot |
| Appearance on black | Invisible (LCD) / black (OLED) | Glows brightly | Glows white |
| Appearance on red | Black dot | May blend in (if stuck red) or contrast | Bright white dot |
| Root cause | Transistor failed off — no power to pixel | Transistor frozen open — pixel locked on | All three sub-pixels stuck at max brightness |
| Fixable? | No | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Responds to cycling? | No | Often yes | Sometimes |
| Warranty coverage? | Yes (above threshold) | Yes (above threshold) | Yes (above threshold) |
How to Tell Them Apart Using the Color Test
The fastest way to identify your pixel defect is to run a full-screen color test and observe the defect on both a black and a white background:
Visible on white, invisible on black
→ Dead pixel
The pixel produces no light. On white it appears as a dark dot; on black it is indistinguishable from the surrounding darkness.
Visible on black, same dot on all colors
→ Stuck or hot pixel
The pixel is outputting a fixed color. It is most obvious against dark backgrounds. The color of the dot tells you which sub-pixel channel is stuck.
Visible on every color, dot changes contrast
→ Stuck pixel
A stuck pixel blends with matching background colors but contrasts against others. A red stuck pixel is invisible on a red background but obvious on white or blue.
Use the dead pixel test tool to cycle through all seven colors in full screen. Sit close to the screen and observe the defect on black, white, then each primary color.
Dead Pixel Colors Explained — What Each Color Means
Every pixel consists of three sub-pixels — red, green, and blue. The color of your pixel defect tells you exactly which sub-pixel channels have failed and in which state:
| Color | Sub-pixel failure | Type | Fixable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | All three sub-pixels off — transistor closed (true dead pixel) | Dead | No |
| Red | Red sub-pixel stuck on; green and blue channels off | Stuck | Sometimes |
| Green | Green sub-pixel stuck on; most common stuck color on IPS | Stuck | Sometimes |
| Blue | Blue sub-pixel stuck on | Stuck | Sometimes |
| White | All three sub-pixels stuck at full brightness (hot pixel) | Stuck | Sometimes |
| Yellow | Red + green sub-pixels stuck on; blue off | Stuck | Sometimes |
| Cyan | Green + blue stuck on; red off | Stuck | Sometimes |
| Magenta | Red + blue stuck on; green off | Stuck | Sometimes |
Dead Pixel vs Dust, Dirt, and Scratches
Surface contamination — dust, fingerprint oils, small scratches — can look like a dead pixel at a glance. Here is how to distinguish them:
| Condition | On white background | On black background | Responds to cleaning? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead pixel | Black dot — fixed position | Invisible (LCD) or black dot (OLED) | No |
| Stuck pixel | Colored dot — same position | Bright colored dot | No |
| Dust on screen | Grey speck — may move | Grey or invisible | Yes — wipe with cloth |
| Fingerprint / smudge | Blurry grey area | Less visible or invisible | Yes — wipe with cloth |
| Scratch on glass | Fine line, may reflect light | Barely visible | No — but stays on surface |
The definitive test: wipe the area gently with a dry microfibre cloth. If the spot moves, shrinks, or disappears, it was surface contamination. If it remains in exactly the same position and the same color after cleaning, it is a pixel defect.
Dead Pixel vs Screen Burn / OLED Burn-In
OLED burn-in and stuck pixels are easy to confuse because both cause areas of the screen to display incorrect colors. The differences are significant:
Stuck / dead pixel
- ·Single dot at one specific location
- ·Appears immediately — sudden onset
- ·Same color regardless of content
- ·Fixed position — never moves or fades
- ·Visible on all backgrounds
- ·Hardware defect — covered by warranty
OLED burn-in / screen burn
- ·Ghost image spread across large area
- ·Develops gradually over months or years
- ·Faint — most visible at low brightness on grey
- ·Shifts depending on what is displayed
- ·Looks like a watermark or shadow
- ·Wear issue — typically not covered by warranty
Quick test: display a completely white screen. A stuck pixel will be a bright dot at a fixed position. Burn-in will show as a faint image of whatever content was previously displayed for long periods — it changes with the background and is most visible at mid-brightness on a grey screen.
Which Type Can Be Fixed?
Dead pixels cannot be fixed without replacing the display panel. The transistor failure is permanent and no software, pressure, or cycling technique will restore a truly dead pixel.
Stuck pixels sometimes recover. Because the transistor is still active (just locked), rapidly alternating the voltage across the pixel — what our stuck pixel fix tool does at ~60Hz — can jolt the transistor out of its stuck state. Success rates vary: green stuck pixels on IPS panels respond most reliably; white hot pixels on OLED panels rarely recover. Run the fix tool for 10–20 minutes. If the pixel has not recovered after two sessions, it is unlikely to respond further.
If neither type responds to cycling, the next step is a warranty claim. See our dead pixel warranty guide for how to approach each major manufacturer.
Identify your pixel defect type
Run the color test to determine whether your defect is dead (black on white) or stuck (colored on black). Then try the fix tool if it is a stuck pixel.