Dead pixel massage

deadPixel012409_3.jpg

Mobile phones on bar tables deserve what they get. But that doesn't make it suck any less when you're the drunk with the dead pixels. Ask MAKE subscriber Tim Watson. When his iPhone got a party night beer bath, he was faced with either replacing his screen or trying one of the free utilities or fixes suggested online. Software solutions didn't work, so he tried the screen massage method (usually suggested for just a few dead pixels). With time and a lot of massaging, he managed to at least greatly reduce and move the necrotic mass to the edge of his screen. BTW: It should go without saying, but when he says he did it with a Sharpie, he means the cap of the pen, not the marker itself!

Fixing dead pixels on an iPhone


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Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: AA on January 24, 2009 at 4:42 PM

I think if the dead "pixels" move its really just crap in between the layers of the screen. he would be better off taking apart the lcd and washing off the plastic diffusers, etc.


Posted by: Gareth Branwyn on January 24, 2009 at 5:52 PM

Yeah, I changed the wording to avoid confusion 'cause I think you're right. I wouldn't imagine it's actual electrically-dead pixels if he's coaxing them off the screen.


Posted by: charlie on January 25, 2009 at 5:52 PM

what a great example of how stupid some of these apple fanboys are. "i thought it would be funny to get my iphone drunk. it didn't really work. now it haz ded pixils. ... i'll just push those off to the side so it can grow some new pixils. yeah, now i'll post all about it on the interweb!"


Posted by: jsoverson on January 26, 2009 at 11:27 AM

It should be noted that the article writer's iphone's affliction of dead pixels aren't the standard LCD's dead pixels. I don't know what causes them in an iphone (other than some obvious hardware problem) but massaging them in this manner can just as easily create /new/ "dead" pixels or expand the problem areas.

The iphone's dead pixel problem isn't like anything i've seen before (have them myself). They actually rearrange themselves throughout the course of every day but mine, at least, stay confined to the top 4 rows of the LCD.

The problem grew from one pixel, to 5, to a line, to several lines, back to one broken line, and now it seems content at molesting a consistent 4 lines on my screen daily.


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