How to check an iPhone screen

A few solid colors can make a display problem easier to describe. They cannot tell you whether a panel is original or diagnose its internal electronics.

Updated November 8, 2026

Open tool

Prepare a fair comparison

Clean the glass with a soft cloth and inspect for cracks first. Use moderate, comfortable brightness in steady room lighting. A dirty protector or reflection can look like a display fault.

For a repeatable color comparison, note whether True Tone, Night Shift, color filters and automatic brightness are changing the image. Temporarily adjust them if needed, then restore your preferences.

Move through the colors

Open the screen color tool and select white, black, red, green and blue in turn. Inspect the same area on each color. A point that stays dark or bright may deserve a closer look; dust and surface damage can produce similar appearances.

On black, look in a dim room without increasing brightness to an uncomfortable level. On white, look for broad tint or brightness differences. Do not press the screen to change the result.

Describe what you find

Write down the color, location and brightness setting where the issue appears. Rotate the phone or move the light to rule out a reflection. Repeat in another app or a normal photo.

Our tool colors the browser viewport. A browser may keep its bars, rounded corners or safe-area regions visible. It does not prove every physical pixel was inspected.

What to do next

If an issue persists in normal use, contact Apple or a qualified repair provider. A passing visual check does not rule out intermittent failures, burn-in or replacement parts. For a used phone, combine this with touch, camera and account-status checks.