Burn-in Test & Prevention

A bright shape continuously drifts around the screen instead of sitting still — the same principle OLED TVs use for their own pixel-shift protection. Use it to visually check for existing image retention, or leave it running as a low-effort prevention exercise.

What Is Burn-in?

Burn-in (image retention) happens when the same static image — a taskbar, a logo, a UI element — stays on screen so long that OLED/AMOLED subpixels wear unevenly, leaving a faint ghost image behind.

Checking for Existing Burn-in

Display a solid colour fullscreen (try the Black Screen or White Screen tool) in a dark room — faint shapes that persist across colours are a sign of retention.

LCD vs. OLED

LCD and IPS panels use a backlight and are essentially immune to burn-in. This is specifically an OLED, AMOLED, and plasma-panel concern, since those technologies light each pixel individually.

Prevention Habits

Auto-hide taskbars and docks, use screen savers or sleep timers on idle displays, and avoid leaving static high-contrast content (like a paused video with subtitles) on screen for hours at a time.

FAQ

No — the pattern continuously drifts position specifically to avoid static image retention. It's designed to exercise the panel safely, not to strain it.
Display a static, uniform colour (try our Contrast test) in a dim room and look for a faint ghost image or discoloured patch — that's the tell-tale sign, most common on OLED and older plasma panels.
Not usually — LCDs can develop a milder, often temporary version called image persistence, while true permanent burn-in is mostly an OLED/AMOLED and plasma phenomenon.
Dead Pixel Test 5-colour cycle · Auto mode · Monitor & TV testing Black Screen OLED power saving · Backlight bleed test · Eye rest Uniformity Test Backlight bleed · Clouding · Adjustable grey field