How to fix a stuck pixel

A stuck pixel can sometimes be revived. A dead one cannot. Here is how to tell which you have and what is actually worth trying.

Last updated September 19, 2026

Before trying anything, work out which fault you have. The fix rate is very different, and most of the advice online does not distinguish between them.

Dead, stuck, or dirt

A dead pixel receives no power at all. The transistor driving it has failed and there is nothing to revive. A stuck pixel is still powered but its liquid crystal is not changing state, usually because it is physically misaligned, and that can occasionally be shaken loose.

Clean the screen before doing anything else. A large share of suspected dead pixels are specks of dried liquid, and they look identical at a glance.

Methods worth trying, in order

Colour cycling

Rapidly flashing colours in the area forces the liquid crystal through its full range of states repeatedly, which sometimes unsticks one that has settled. This is the safest method and the one to start with because it cannot damage anything.

Run it for 20 to 30 minutes. If it has not worked by then, longer will not help.

Gentle pressure

With the screen on and displaying black, place a soft cloth over the stuck pixel and apply light pressure with a blunt, rounded object. Release while the screen is still on. The theory is that pressure redistributes the liquid crystal.

This works occasionally and carries real risk. Too much pressure creates new dead pixels or permanent pressure marks, and the damage is not recoverable. Do not do this on a screen still under warranty, and do not do it on an OLED panel at all.

Heat

Some people report success with a warm, damp cloth applied briefly. Evidence is thin and the risk of moisture ingress is real. This is the least recommendable of the three.

What does not work

Ignore anything promising a software fix for a dead pixel. A dead pixel is an electrical failure and no pattern of colours can restore power to it. Applications claiming otherwise are running the same colour cycling described above and marketing it as more than it is.

The warranty route

This is usually the better path, particularly on an expensive monitor.

1. Photograph the defect with the colour that shows it most clearly on screen.
2. Note the date and keep your proof of purchase.
3. Check whether your panel is inside the retailer return window. A return is far easier than a warranty claim because there is no defect threshold to argue.
4. If the return window has passed, read the manufacturer’s pixel policy before contacting them, so you know whether your count qualifies.

Never open a monitor to attempt a repair. There is no user serviceable pixel level repair, the panel is fragile, and opening it ends any warranty claim you still had.

Preventing them

Pixel defects are mostly manufacturing luck rather than anything you caused. The one behaviour worth avoiding is pressing on the screen, which is the most common way people create new defects on a previously perfect panel. Clean with a dry or barely damp microfibre cloth and no pressure.