Black Screen

What can you use a black screen for?

• Black out the screen while things keep running: Downloading a big file, taking a break during a presentation, or playing music in the background? Open the black screen and turn on Keep the screen awake. The screen goes dark and your computer won't lock itself.
• Lights out or bedtime: When you want the room dark but don't want to quit what's running, a black screen keeps a big bright glare out of the room.
• Checking backlight bleed: Turn off the lights and open the black screen. Light leaking from the edges of an LCD shows up right away.
• Spotting fingerprints and smudges: Fingerprints, grease, and scratches are easiest to see on black. Check again after wiping to make sure it's clean.
• A black backdrop for photos and video: Shooting small objects or products? A tablet showing a black screen makes an instant black background.

How OLED black differs from LCD black

Each OLED pixel makes its own light. When it shows #000000, the pixel turns off, so you get true black, and a fully black screen also saves power. Many phones, some laptops, and many TVs use OLED.

An LCD is lit by a backlight behind the panel. Black means the liquid crystals block that light, but a little always gets through, so in a dark room black looks dark gray. Slightly brighter corners are normal for LCDs and don't necessarily mean a defect.

Will the clock cause burn-in?

Burn-in is a faint ghost image left behind when the same picture stays on an OLED screen for too long. A clock is bright text that stays in one place, so this page does two things: the clock is dim gray by default, and it moves slightly every minute.

That lowers the risk, but it's not a guarantee. If you plan to leave it on all night or longer, set a timer so full screen ends on its own.

Checking backlight bleed and burn-in

Turn off the lights, open the black screen, and look for light at the edges. Burn-in is easier to see on gray. For a full check, use the dead pixel test.