iPhone Screen Flickering Or Shifting Color?

Before you assume your screen is failing, it helps to know what Apple calls normal for the OLED screens in most recent iPhones.

Which iPhones Have OLED

The Super Retina and Super Retina XDR displays use OLED. They're in iPhone X, iPhone XS and XS Max, and iPhone 11 Pro models and later. The exception is iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation). (Apple Support 109039)

What Apple Says Is Normal

• Color shifts at an angle. Looking at an OLED screen off-angle can show slight shifts in color and hue. (Apple Support 109039)
• Blur or color change when scrolling in the dark. At low brightness against black backgrounds, you may see slight blur or color change while scrolling. Apple calls this normal OLED behavior. (Apple Support 109039)
• Image persistence. A faint leftover image that goes away after a few minutes of normal use is temporary. (Apple Support 109039)
• Dimming with age. All displays, OLED and LCD, can lose some brightness as they age. (Apple Support 109039)

Burn-In

Burn-in is a more lasting ghost image. Apple says it can happen in extreme cases, like when the same high-contrast image stays on screen at high brightness for long periods. (Apple Support 109039) To help prevent it, Apple suggests:

• Keep iOS up to date.
• Leave Auto-Brightness on. It's in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
• Set a short Auto-Lock time in Settings > Display & Brightness.
• Don't leave static images up at max brightness for long. (Apple Support 109039)

When It's More Than Normal

Flicker you can see at normal brightness, lines across the screen or patches that won't go away aren't on Apple's list of normal behavior. They're worth having checked, especially after a drop or an earlier screen repair.

Franchitti's Fix is a home-based iPhone repair workshop at 4515 Texas St, San Diego. Book An Appointment to pick a time.

1-year warranty against defects on undamaged parts and labor (60 days on Budget parts). Budget parts carry a 60-day warranty.

Learn more about Steven Franchitti, who runs the workshop.

Sources

• Apple Support, About the Super Retina and Super Retina XDR display: https://support.apple.com/en-us/109039

Franchitti's Fix LLC is an independent repair shop, not affiliated with Apple.