A pure black screen in fullscreen. Use it to spot dust and smudges while cleaning, check a display for backlight bleed or stuck pixels, or darken a second monitor without switching it off.
How to use the black screen
- Press F or the fullscreen button so the whole screen turns black.
- For display tests, turn off the room lights and give your eyes a few seconds to adjust.
- Move the mouse or tap to bring the controls back. Press Esc to leave fullscreen.
Ways to use a black screen
- Cleaning your screen
- Dust, lint and fingerprints catch the light against black, especially at an angle.
- Backlight bleed and IPS glow
- Bright patches near the edges of an LCD are easiest to see on black in a dark room. The backlight bleed test walks you through it.
- Stuck pixels
- A pixel that stays lit, red, green or blue stands out clearly on black. The dead pixel test cycles through every color.
- Darkening a second monitor
- Blank a side screen during a film or a game without unplugging it or changing your display layout.
- Blank screen for presentations
- Show a black page on a projector between slides or before a talk starts.
Black on OLED and LCD screens
On an OLED screen, black pixels switch off, so the screen gives out almost no light. On an LCD the backlight stays on, so black looks dark grey in a dark room. That even glow is normal. Uneven bright patches, usually near the corners, are backlight bleed.
Questions
How do I get a black screen on my monitor?
Open this page and press F. The whole screen turns black until you press Esc.
Does a black screen save power?
On OLED screens, yes, because black pixels are switched off. On LCD screens the backlight keeps running, so the saving is small and turning the display off saves more.
How do I check for backlight bleed?
Turn off the room lights, open the black screen in fullscreen, set your display brightness to maximum and look along the edges for light leaking in.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no time limit. It runs in your browser and never asks for camera, microphone or location access.