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It usually starts with a casual wipe of the thumb or a cloth. You spot a speck on your iPad screen against the light background of your browser, while watching Netflix, or editing a photo and you try to brush it away. But the speck remains defiant, appearing on your beloved iPad’s screen despite multiple attempts to remove it. Congratulations, your iPad might just have a pixel issue.

It doesn’t affect the touchscreen’s functionality, but once you notice it, the pixel defect becomes hard to ignore and catches your eye every time you use the device. It could be the result of a software glitch, a stuck pixel locked on a specific color, or a dead pixel that isn’t receiving any power. While the first one is relatively easy to fix, the other two aren’t.

To determine the root cause, you should perform the screenshot test. Press the power and volume up buttons, or the home and power buttons if you have an older iPad model, to take a screenshot. Thereafter, open the Photos app, rotate your iPad, and observe the movement of the problematic pixel (or pixels). If it moves when you zoom or rotate, it is a software glitch.

In such cases, simply restarting the iPad or reinstalling the app that’s causing the problem can fix the issue. This can occasionally help with stuck pixels as well, though it doesn’t always work.

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If the speck remains in the exact location on the screen, stuck or dead, it is a hardware defect.

On newer iPads, the pixel issue might emerge due to manufacturing defects. Display yields are never perfect, and a pixel might fail weeks or months after purchase due to microscopic variances. On older iPads without a laminated display, slight gaps in the frame or display housing could let in tiny dirt or lint particles, which are then trapped between the display layers and show up as dead pixels over time.

If it’s a pixel failure, the only possible solution is to contact Apple support, schedule a service center appointment, and get the device diagnosed by certified professionals. If your iPad is under warranty and shows no physical signs of damage, you may qualify for a free repair or replacement.

However, if the pixel issue on your iPad has surfaced after a drop or impact and the device has dents, cracks, or other visible damage, getting a free repair or replacement is unlikely. In cases like this, an active AppleCare+ plan definitely helps lower repair costs. Otherwise, you might have to pay a hefty fee to get the screen replaced.

If you’re seeing a bright spot on your iPad’s screen, that’s another common issue that also requires replacing the iPad’s screen, regardless of warranty status.