How to use the full black screen
- Click “Go full screen” or the black box. The page uses the browser Fullscreen API, so tabs, toolbars and the taskbar disappear.
- Exit any time with Esc or a click. With Pixel test mode on, a single click moves to the next colour and a double-click exits.
- Options: hide the mouse cursor, keep the screen awake with a wake lock, and set a sleep timer that closes the black screen after 1 minute to 2 hours.
- Switch colours with the swatches (black, white, red, green, blue, 50% gray), or open the dedicated white, red and blue screens.
The page loads no images or video; the black is drawn by the browser, so it opens instantly and uses almost no memory or CPU.
Full black screen test for dead and stuck pixels
A black screen is the first step of any monitor, TV, laptop or phone pixel check, because a lit pixel stands out clearly against pure black. Follow this procedure, ideally when a new screen arrives and while it is still in the return window:
- Clean the panel with a dry microfibre cloth so dust is not mistaken for a pixel defect.
- Darken the room and set brightness to at least 75%.
- Open the black screen full screen and scan it section by section from about 30 cm away. A bright white or coloured dot is a hot or stuck pixel.
- Turn on Pixel test mode and cycle to white. A black dot on white is a dead pixel.
- Check red, green and blue. A dot that stays one colour, or goes black in one of them, is a stuck or dead sub-pixel.
- Use 50% gray to spot uneven brightness (clouding, vignetting) and dirty-screen effect on large TVs.
| What you see | On which colour | Likely cause | Fixable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright white dot | Black | Hot pixel (all sub-pixels stuck on) | Sometimes, with pixel-exercising tools |
| Red, green or blue dot | Black | Stuck sub-pixel | Often, with rapid colour flashing or gentle pressure |
| Black dot | White or colours | Dead pixel (transistor failed) | Rarely; check warranty |
| Light glow at edges or corners | Black | LCD backlight bleed | No; mild bleed is normal |
| Faint shape of old content | Gray or black | Burn-in or image retention | Retention fades; burn-in is permanent |
Warranty rules differ by manufacturer. Many follow ISO 9241-307 pixel fault classes and replace a panel only when it has more than a set number of bright or dark pixels, so note the position and colour of every defect before you contact support.
Other uses for a black screen
- OLED care: leaving a static image (a taskbar, a game HUD, a paused video) on an OLED TV or phone for hours wears those pixels unevenly. A black screen turns every pixel off while you step away, without quitting what you are doing.
- Cleaning the screen: smudges, fingerprints and dust are far easier to see on black than on a busy desktop, and you will not accidentally click things while you wipe the glass.
- Focus and presentations: black out a second monitor during a video call or a talk so it does not distract you or the audience, then press Esc to bring it back.
- Dark rooms and sleep: turn a monitor or tablet into a dark panel when you want a device on (for music or a download) but no light in the room. Combine it with the sleep timer.
- Contrast and black level checks: judge how deep a display’s blacks are, compare local-dimming settings on a TV, or check a projector’s black level against the room.
- Pretending the screen is off: a pitch black screen looks like a switched-off display at a glance, which is handy for photographs of devices or for props.
OLED vs LCD: how black is black?
On OLED and AMOLED panels each pixel makes its own light, so #000000 switches it off completely: infinite contrast and almost no power draw. On LCD panels (IPS, VA, TN) a backlight is always on and the liquid crystals can only block most of it. IPS screens show a gray-ish black and a glow at an angle; VA panels are darker. Mini-LED TVs dim zones of the backlight and get close to OLED, but may show a halo (blooming) around bright objects. If your black screen looks gray, lower the brightness; the page itself is already sending pure black.
Full screen tips for each device
- Windows and Linux: Chrome, Edge and Firefox support the Fullscreen API; F11 also toggles browser full screen.
- Mac: Safari and Chrome both work; the menu bar hides automatically. Esc exits.
- Android: tap the box; Chrome goes full screen and hides the status and navigation bars.
- iPhone: Safari on iPhone does not allow web pages to enter full screen, so the black area fills the browser window instead. Rotate to landscape and scroll slightly to hide the toolbars, or add the page to your home screen. iPad Safari supports full screen.
- Smart TVs: open the page in the TV browser and use the remote’s OK button on the black box.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my screen fully black?
Click Go full screen or the black box. The browser switches to full screen mode and fills the whole display with pure black (#000000), with the cursor hidden. Press Esc or click to exit. On phones, tap the box; if your browser does not allow full screen, rotate to landscape and hide the toolbars.
How do I test for dead pixels with a black screen?
Clean the screen, open the black screen in full screen in a dim room and look for dots that stay lit: those are stuck or hot pixels. Then turn on Pixel test mode and step through white, red, green and blue. A pixel that stays black on white is dead; one that shows the wrong colour is stuck.
Does a black screen save battery?
On OLED and AMOLED screens, yes: black pixels are switched off and draw almost no power. On LCD screens the backlight stays on behind the black image, so savings are small unless you also lower the brightness.
Can a black screen fix burn-in?
No. A black screen rests OLED pixels and stops further wear while you are away, but it does not repair burn-in that has already happened. Your TV or monitor's built-in pixel refresh or compensation cycle is the right tool for that.
Why is the black screen not completely dark on my monitor?
LCD panels cannot block the backlight fully, so black looks dark gray and may glow at the edges (backlight bleed) or show a silvery haze at an angle (IPS glow). That is a property of the panel, not the page. OLED screens show true black.
Will my computer go to sleep while the black screen is open?
With Keep screen awake ticked, the page asks the browser for a screen wake lock so the display stays on. Use the Sleep timer to exit automatically after a set time so the device can sleep normally. Browsers without the Wake Lock API follow your normal power settings.
Is there a white, red or blue full screen?
Yes. Use the colour swatches here to switch in place, or open the dedicated full white screen, full red screen and full blue screen pages.