How to check Xiaomi smartphone for broken pixels: the complete guide

Broken pixels on Xiaomi’s screen are one of the most common problems that can occur on both new devices (due to production defects) and used phones (after falls or prolonged use). One or two dead pixels often go unnoticed, but their cluster spoils the picture, annoys when watching videos or working with text. Worse, the defect is not always visible on standard wallpaper or on the menu – it manifests only in monochromatic colors.

In this article, you will learn how to accurately identify broken pixels on any Xiaomi smartphone (including Redmi models, POCO, Black Shark, without having to use a service center, and we'll take 5 working methods, from embedded tools to specialized applications, and we'll explain which pixels are considered critical and which can be ignored. AMOLED-screens where defects are manifested differently than on IPS.

What are broken pixels and why do they appear?

A broken pixel is a dot on a screen that doesn't change color or displays it incorrectly. There are three types of defects:

• 🔴 «A dead pixel is always black, doesn't glow under any circumstances. AMOLED-matrix.
• 🟢 «Hanging pixel – burns in one color (red, green, blue) regardless of the picture on the screen.
• 🔵 «Hot pixel – brightly glows in white or other color, often visible against a dark background.

Causes of defects:

• 🛠️ Marriage of production – even new Xiaomi smartphones may have 1–2 broken pixels (acceptable by standards) ISO 13406-2).
• 💥 Mechanical damage – impacts, falls, heavy pressure on the screen.
• ⚡ Overheating or voltage surges – for example, after improper charging.
• ⏳ Wear matrix – over time, the pixels “burn out” (especially on the AMOLED).

Nana AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60 Ultra) broken pixels are often disguised as burnt-out areas, and to distinguish them, you need to use dynamic tests, and we'll talk about this later.

Method 1: Integrated screen test in MIUI

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones have a hidden screen-checking tool that doesn’t require third-party apps to be installed, a method that works for all models including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, and Xiaomi 14.

How to run the test:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##284## (for some models, see the alternative below).
3. You'll see a Test Mode menu on the screen. Select Color Test.
4. Consistently displayed monochromatic screensavers: black, red, green, blue, white.

If the code does not work, use an alternative method:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu, open Additional → for developers.
4. Activate the switch Screen Test.

Turn off automatic brightness

Set the brightness to 100%.

Close all background applications

Check the screen in a dark room.-->

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) The screen test may not be available in the firmware, in which case use third-party applications (method 3).

Method 2: Manual check with monochromatic wallpaper

If the built-in test is not available, you can do without special tools, just alternately install monochromatic images on the screen and carefully examine the surface.

Instructions:

1. Download the archive with test wallpapers at this link (or create them yourself in Paint with your screen resolution).
2. Set brightness to maximum and turn off Adaptive Brightness in the settings.
3. Use the following colors in turn: black, red, green, blue, white, gray.
4. Carefully examine the screen from different angles (especially on a black background – so you can see the “hot” pixels).

What to look for:

• 🕳️ On a black background, white or colored dots ("hot" pixels).
• ⚫ On a white background, black dots ("dead" pixels) are shown).
• 🎨 Colored backgrounds have pixels that don’t match the primary color (e.g., a green dot on a red background).

💡

For verification AMOLED-Use a black background in complete darkness - so you can see even faintly glowing "hot" pixels that are invisible during the day.

Method 3: Applications for deep diagnostics

Third-party utilities offer advanced tests including burnout check, uneven lighting and scroll artifacts.Best apps for Xiaomi:

• 📱 Screen Test (free, no ads) – supports tests PWM-flickering, gradients and reading information about the matrix.
• 🔍 Dead Pixels Test and Fix – allows you not only to find, but also to “unlock” the hung pixels (efficiency) ~30%).
• 🎯 Display Tester – a professional tool with tests for font smoothing, color gamut and response time.

How to use (as an example of Screen Test):

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Start and select the Pixel Test.
3. Flick through the color screensaver, holding the screen 20-30 cm from the eyes.
4. To check for burnout, select the Burn-in Test and display static elements (such as a navigation bar).

Nana AMOLED-Xiaomi screens (for example, Xiaomi) 12T Pro) a burnout test can show false artifacts due to the features of the technology. To distinguish burnout from broken pixels, compare the screen to the reference image on another device.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. Dead Pixels Test and Fix) offer to “fix” the pixels with a quick flash of colors. AMOLED-Do not use it unless absolutely necessary!

Method 4: Computer Verification (for advanced users)

If you want to test a Xiaomi smartphone for broken pixels with maximum accuracy (for example, before selling), you can connect it to a PC and use professional tools. This method requires debugging over USB and basic ADB knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable Developer Mode (as in Method 1, paragraph 2).
2. Activate debugging over USB in the developer settings.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and install the Android SDK Platform-Tools.
4. Open the command line in the folder with ADB and type: adb shell dumpsys display This will display information about the resolution and type of screen.
5. For the monochromatic color test, use the command: adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "color-test://red" Replace red with green, blue, black, white.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Accuracy – Colors are displayed without distortion from the graphical interface MIUI.
• 📊 Ability to record screen log for analysis (adb shell dumpsys SurfaceFlinger command).
• 🔧 It works even on locked phones (if debugging is enabled).

Method 5: Visual inspection in service mode

Some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi K50 or Xiaomi 11T) have a hidden service mode that allows you to check the screen at the hardware level, which gives the most objective results, since it bypasses the MIUI graphical interface.

How to enter service mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the button combination: For most models: Volume up + Power. For POCO: Volume down + Power (hold 10 seconds).

Advanced → Enter Fastboot

Fastboot

root

For untrained users, this is a tricky way to do this, but it's the only one that shows hardware defects that don't depend on the firmware, for example, it can detect problems with a display plume or a matrix controller that mimics broken pixels.

⚠️ Attention: Mistakes in Fastboot can lead to a device blink.If you are not sure about your skills, use other methods or contact the service center.

What to do if you find broken pixels

What you do depends on the situation.

If the phone is warranty-free, don’t try to “fix” the pixels yourself – this will void warranty obligations. Xiaomi service center usually replace the entire screen if the defects are more than the permissible limit.

For AMOLED-The matrixes are a nuance: over time, the hot pixels can disappear on their own (if it was a temporary failure of the controller). Try not to use the phone for 24 hours, then repeat the test.

💡

If the broken pixels came after the firmware update, it's not a hardware defect. Try to roll back to the previous version of MIUI or reset to factory settings.

Frequent questions about broken pixels on Xiaomi