Burn-in vs image retention

Two different problems

• Image retention (also called image persistence or ghosting of a static image): a faint copy of something that was on screen for a long time stays visible after it is gone. It is temporary and fades, usually within minutes to hours of showing other content.
• Burn-in: uneven ageing of the pixels or backlight. Areas that showed the same bright content for very long periods have aged differently from the rest. It is permanent.

OLED screens age per pixel, so burn-in is mainly an OLED topic. Some LCD panels show temporary retention, but permanent burn-in on LCD is rare.

How to check for it

1. Open the monitor uniformity test in full screen and show mid grey, then dark grey. Also try solid red, green and blue from the screen color test.
2. Look for shapes that match what you show often: taskbars, window borders, channel logos, game HUDs, subtitles.
3. Note how strong the shape is and take a photo with lowered exposure.
4. Use the screen with varied content, or leave it on a moving or neutral image, for an hour or so, then check again with the same grey.

Reading the result

• The shape fades or disappears: image retention. Nothing is damaged.
• The shape stays the same after several hours of other content and after the screen's own care routine has run: likely burn-in.
• Bands, clouds or tinted areas that do not match any content: probably panel uniformity rather than burn-in. Many OLEDs show faint banding on dark greys from new; see the backlight bleed test and the uniformity test for LCD effects.

Phones, TVs and monitors

• Phones with OLED screens most often show wear where the status bar, navigation bar or keyboard sit. Show full-screen grey at high brightness and look at the top and bottom edges.
• TVs show channel logos, news tickers and black bars from films that were watched for many hours. Check with grey in the TV's normal picture mode.
• Monitors are at risk from taskbars, window borders and desktop icons that stay in place all day. A hidden taskbar and a dark wallpaper help.

Whatever the device, judge in person. Photos exaggerate faint marks; lower the exposure until the photo matches what you see before you send it anywhere.

What OLED care routines do

Many OLED monitors, TVs and phones run a compensation routine, usually when the screen is turned off after use or on demand from the settings menu. The name differs by manufacturer (pixel refresh, panel care, panel refresh and similar). It measures how the pixels have aged and adjusts the drive to even them out. Some screens also shift the image slightly or dim static elements to spread wear.

• These routines run inside the screen. A website cannot start them or replace them; run them from the screen's own menu, following the manufacturer's instructions and how often they recommend it.
• They can reduce the visibility of uneven wear. They do not restore worn pixels.

Can burn-in be fixed?

Permanent burn-in cannot be reversed by software. Videos and websites that flash colours or scroll noise, often sold as burn-in fixers or wipers, show other content and so help temporary image retention fade, which normal use does just as well. They cannot repair burned-in areas; on OLED, running bright flashing content for hours adds wear. TestDock does not offer such a tool.

For real burn-in, the options are the manufacturer's care routine, the warranty (some manufacturers cover burn-in, others exclude it; check the terms for your model) or panel replacement.

Reducing the risk

• Use moderate brightness for static content such as desktops and spreadsheets.
• Hide the taskbar, use a dark theme and a screen saver or screen-off timer.
• Let the screen's own care features stay on and let it run its routine after use.
• Vary content: long sessions with the same HUD, logo or news ticker are what cause uneven wear.