Black Ink Spots or Bleeding iPhone Screen? How to Fix
Does your iPhone screen have what looks like ink spots, blobs or streaks? They may be black or even look dark purplish-blue.
If your iPhone has these inky spots on the screen, you may be wondering:
- What caused the spots?
- What are the spots? Ink?
- Can it be fixed?
In this article, we will answer these questions about the ink spots on your iPhone screen.
Ink spots on your iPhone screen
What are the spots?
Well, they are not ink – unless, of course, you actually spilled ink on your iPhone. They are actually dead/damaged pixels caused by damage to your iPhone’s screen.
What caused the “ink” spots?
Usually, this is caused by some kind of damage to the phone:
- Drop: A drop can cause this kind of damage. Most people expect damage caused by a drop to be immediately visible as cracks in the screen glass. This doesn’t always happen. You may not have any visible cracks and still have a damaged screen. Also, the damage may not show up right away, so it can be easy to forget that you dropped your phone. I know my iPhone has taken a few tumbles; I’ll look to see if the screen is ok and then pretty much forget about having dropped it.
- Pressure: Do you keep your iPhone in your back pocket? If so, you’ve likely also sat on it a time or two. The pressure from sitting on it can cause damage to the screen. Phones can also get stepped on or smashed in other ways.
This damage can occur on iPhones with LCD screens:
- iPhone SE (1st and 2nd gen), iPhone XR, non-Pro iPhone 11, and all iPhones prior to iPhone X
And those with OLED screens:
- iPhone X, XS and XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, and all iPhone 12 models and later
Can it be fixed?
Yes, but you will need to replace the screen. Although you can do this yourself if you are inclined, for most people, this means taking it somewhere to be fixed. Screen replacement costs vary by iPhone model. You can check with your local Apple Store or Apple-certified repair center (like Best Buy).
Do you have to get it fixed?
You might wonder if you can just “live with” the inky spots on your iPhone. One of the problems, however, is that if you have an LCD screen (see above), these spots tend to spread – the ink blob grows in size. Any pressure near the spot can kill off more pixels.
If you do plan on taking your iPhone in to be repaired, make sure to back up your phone. This is a good idea even if you aren’t planning to get it repaired, as your phone has been damaged and other problems could pop up. You can back up everything using a computer (Finder on a Mac, iTunes on a PC) or using iCloud.
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