You know what’s common between phones, TVs, laptops, and the Nintendo Switch? They all use OLED screens. OLED, or Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, is known for providing true-to-life picture quality and contrast ratios compared to LCD displays. However, there is one major flaw that comes with OLED screens, and that is screen burn-in. So how do you prevent screen burn-in on phones and TVs? Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
What Causes Screen Burn-in
There are several factors that can cause image retention or screen burn-in:
- Static Image or UI Element
- High Brightness
- Long Screen-on Time
- Fixed Position Widget
- Always-on Display
- Uneven Usage of the Screen
- Aging
While these are just a few examples, we will go through each of them in more detail in the later part of the article.
Why Use OLED Screen When It Has Burn-in Issue
Now, the question you might be asking yourself is, “If image retention or screen burn-in on an OLED panel has such a major flaw, then why do even big companies like Apple, Samsung, Sony, and many more use OLED displays? And what exactly is image retention and screen burn-in?”
Well, it’s true that OLED screens are prone to burn-in, but it’s not as frequent as you might think. Also, if you use them with proper care and follow some best practices, which we will discuss shortly, it shouldn’t be a problem. And there is a difference between image retention and screen burn-in.
Now, back to the main question: the number one reason why many companies use OLED screens in their devices is because of their picture quality. Since each pixel emits its own light, it provides better color accuracy, and the contrast between colors is much more vibrant and striking. Compare that to LCD, where liquid crystals control a backlight to produce images, which can lead to variations in color accuracy and contrast.
Many of us have become so accustomed to OLED displays on smartphones that we can’t imagine going back to an IPS LCD display. So basically, once you immerse yourself in the world of OLED, there’s no turning back.
Image Retention vs. Burn-In
You may have heard about image retention and burn-in several times. If you’re wondering what they are and how they differ from each other, we’ll try to explain it in quick and simple words.
Image Retention typically occurs when you’ve been viewing a static image for an extended period, such as watching cable TV channels like ESPN, CNBC, or Fox News for hours. When you switch the channel or play a different TV show, you might notice a faint ghost image of the previous logo or frame on your screen for a moment. Fortunately, this issue is temporary and will gradually fade away on its own.
Burn-in happens when you’ve been consistently watching the same news channel for more than 5 hours every day, week after week. In this case, there’s a high chance that the image (logo) won’t easily disappear, and in the worst-case scenario, it may leave a permanent shadow on your screen. Essentially, you’re in a tough spot, and you may need to consider screen replacement.
Image retention is less likely to result in permanent damage because shifting to different content after a while aids in the gradual disappearance of the ghost image.
Personal Experience
Allow us to share a story about one of our friends. He used to play PUBG Mobile on his OnePlus 6 phone for over 3 to 4 hours nonstop every day. After about a month, he began to notice the game’s UI elements appearing on his phone screen. It got so severe that these static images would overlay every other image on the screen. Just imagine how much this affected his user experience due to screen burn-in. We wish we could have shown you how the phone actually looks, but unfortunately, the phone is no longer functioning.
How to Prevent Screen Burn-in on Your Phone or TV
Now that you’re aware of how and why screen burn-in on OLED displays happen. Let’s learn how we can prevent it from happening in the first place.
1. Avoid Static Elements
As mentioned multiple times, viewing a static image or element for an extended period on your phone, TV, laptop, etc., can lead to image retention, or in the worst case, screen burn-in. So if you’re watching TV shows with static logos or playing games with fixed UI elements, try to occasionally switch to other forms of entertainment to prevent screen damage.
2. Reduce Screen Brightness
Another common reason for screen burn-in to occur is keeping your display on high-brightness settings all the time. This places an excessive load on all the screen pixels and can lead to screen burn-in at a much faster rate. Therefore, consider using the auto-brightness feature on your phone, and for your TV, adjust the brightness to suit your indoor environment.
In our office, we’ve adjusted the screen brightness to a level that is neither too low nor too high. Here is how it looks.
3. Use Pixel Shifting/Refreshing Feature
Most modern smartphones, TVs, and laptops are equipped with pixel shifting or refreshing techniques to control screen burn-in on OLED screens. For instance, Samsung and LG OLED TVs offer a pixel refresh setting. While pixel cleaning is typically automatic, if you notice a decline in image quality or persistent image retention, you can initiate the process manually. The duration of this process varies, usually taking around 1 hour, depending on the TV manufacturer and model.
Warning: Don’t perform pixel refresh manually every now and then, as it often runs in the background. Only do it when engaged in prolonged gaming sessions, extended news watching, or any activity involving static images displayed for an extended period. Also, during the pixel refresh process, avoid unplugging your TV or turning it off.
Moreover, certain OLED laptops, like those from Asus, utilize this technology to shift pixels and prevent static desktop images.
4. Disable Always-on Display
Having an always-on-display feature on an OLED smartphone is common nowadays. Many of us use it to quickly check the time, notifications, or other important information without the need to unlock the device. To ensure that a constant static image doesn’t cause image retention or burn-in, many smartphone manufacturers move the clock and other information periodically.
However, there are some smartphone brands that keep the date and time fixed on the always-on screen, which may potentially lead to screen burn-in in the future. So if you have such a phone in your hand, we would recommend disabling the always-on display feature. However, if the information on the always-on screen changes its position from time to time, then you can safely keep the always-on display enabled.
5. Use Sleep Timeout
If you frequently find yourself forgetting to turn off your TV, leaving it with static images like channel logos or news tickers constantly on display, consider using the sleep timer feature on your TV.
This issue is not limited to just TVs; we’ve noticed many users disabling the screen timeout on their phones as well.
It’s crucial to note that if your device features an OLED screen, refraining from such practices is highly advisable, as they could potentially result in permanent screen damage.
6. Screen Saver on TV
You may have noticed that on every TV, after a period of inactivity, it enters screen saver mode, often in the form of a slideshow. This feature is designed to help avoid image retention or screen burn-in. However, if you’ve manually configured the screen saver and set your custom solo image, a static image may eventually lead to screen ghosting or, in the worst-case scenario, screen burn-in.
7. Use Dark Mode
Nowadays, nearly every smartphone and laptop comes with a dark mode. This feature can be quite useful if you want to extend your smartphone’s battery life to some extent. Moreover, dark mode also contributes to reducing the risk of screen burn-in on OLED displays. This is because when pixels are turned off or displayed black, they are less likely to be exposed to prolonged, static, and bright elements that can lead to burn-in.
If you have a TV, laptop, or smartphone that supports dark mode, you may consider going over to the dark side.
8. Take Breaks While Gaming
While we understand that you purchased a laptop, monitor, or phone for gaming, it’s important to be mindful of extended gaming sessions with static elements like HUDs, scoreboards, or chat boxes. Such usage can lead to temporary image ghosting or even screen burn-in on OLED displays. Also, it is a good idea to stretch your legs, have some food and water, and get some light and fresh air. Gaming addiction is real and not good for health.
Though there is no fixed time, to be on the safe side, it’s advisable to play for a maximum of 1 hour with reduced screen brightness to avoid displaying the same static elements for too long. If you’re a dedicated gamer, it might be practical to explore devices with IPS LCD screens, as they are less sensitive to image retention, though they may not match the image quality of OLED screens.
Cool Tip: Do you game on Windows PC? Here are some ways to optimize your computer for gaming.
Is There a Way to Fix Screen Burn-in
Millions of dollars have been invested in OLED technology research and development, resulting in significant improvements. In typical usage, users rarely encounter image ghosting or screen burn-in, though the possibility remains. However, if you do observe screen burn-in on your display, there is no remedy. You will permanently see the ghosting of the static image on your display, leaving replacement as the only available option.
Does My Warranty Cover Screen Burn-in
Unfortunately, no. Most smartphone, TV, and monitor companies do not provide burn-in warranty coverage for OLED displays. However, a few companies have started to offer burn-in warranties. LG, Samsung, Dell’s Alienware, and Corsair are among those providing two to three-year burn-in warranties for some of their OLED monitors. You can learn more about the burn-in warranty coverage by visiting the manufacturer’s website.
Don’t Toast Your Display
Experiencing a screen burn-in on your device can be one of the worst things to happen. It not only affects your viewing experience but also diminishes the overall value and usability of your device. However, by taking appropriate actions, you can prevent screen burn-in from occurring, and we hope that the above guide will assist you in doing so.
