Five free tests that run right here in your browser — touch screen, display and dead pixels, speakers, microphone, and camera. Nothing to install, nothing recorded, and nothing sent anywhere.
These are the tests worth running before you book a repair or replace a phone, because they separate the two things that look identical from the outside: a genuine hardware fault, and a software problem you can fix yourself in a few minutes.
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Phone Hardware Test
Five free tests that run in your browser — touch screen dead zones, dead pixels, speakers, microphone and camera. Find out whether it’s a real hardware fault or something you can fix yourself in a few minutes.
Nothing installed, nothing recorded, nothing uploaded.
Touch Screen Test
Drag your finger slowly across every square below, covering the whole grid. Squares turn green when they register a touch — any square that stays grey is a spot your screen isn't reading. On a computer, hold the mouse button and drag.
Screen & Dead Pixel Test
The screen fills with one solid colour at a time. Look closely for dots that stay black (dead pixels), dots stuck on one colour (stuck pixels), patches that look darker or discoloured, and any lines running across the display.
Tap or click anywhere to move to the next colour. Tap the label to exit at any time.
Your display
Speaker Test
Turn your volume up to about half before starting. Each test plays a clear tone — if one side is silent, distorted, or much quieter than the other, that speaker or its channel has a problem.
Wearing headphones? Left and right should come from the correct sides. If they're swapped or one is silent, try the headphones on another device before blaming the phone.
Microphone Test
Allow microphone access, then speak normally. The bar should move with your voice. If it barely moves while you're speaking at normal volume, your microphone is blocked, muted, or faulty.
Camera Test
Allow camera access to see a live preview. Check for blur that won't focus, dark patches, colour casts, spots that stay in the same place (dust or a cracked lens cover), and whether both cameras work.
What Each Test Tells You
| Test | What it finds | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Touch screen | Dead zones where the screen doesn’t register a finger | Usually a digitiser fault — but check for a screen protector first |
| Screen & pixels | Dead pixels, stuck pixels, discoloured patches, lines | Panel damage; a single stuck pixel sometimes recovers on its own |
| Speaker | A silent, distorted, or quiet channel | Often just debris in the grille or a software route problem |
| Microphone | No input, or input far too quiet | Usually a blocked permission or lint in the mic hole |
| Camera | Focus failure, dark patches, spots, dead lens | Frequently a dirty or cracked lens cover rather than the sensor |
Touch Screen Test — Finding Dead Zones
A dead zone is an area of the screen that no longer registers touches while the rest works normally. It’s why a keyboard can feel fine except for one letter, or why a button in one corner never responds.
Before you assume hardware:
- Remove the screen protector. A lifting or bubbled protector — especially a thick tempered-glass one — blocks touch in exactly one patch. This is the single most common cause.
- Take the case off. Cases that overlap the screen edge press on it and cause phantom or dead touches near the border.
- Clean and dry your hands and the screen. Moisture and grease genuinely interfere with capacitive touch.
- Restart the phone. A crashed touch driver produces a convincing imitation of hardware failure — and a restart fixes it.
- Test in Safe Mode (Android). If touch works there, an app is the cause, not the screen.
If a zone still fails after all of that, the digitiser layer is damaged and needs a screen replacement. Our iPhone black screen guide covers the related case where the display shows nothing at all.
Dead Pixel vs Stuck Pixel — the Difference Matters
- A dead pixel stays black on every colour. It has no power and won’t recover — the panel needs replacing if it bothers you.
- A stuck pixel stays on one colour (red, green, or blue) and shows up against the others. These sometimes fix themselves after a few days, and rapidly cycling colours can occasionally revive one.
- Backlight bleed looks like lighter patches at the edges on a black screen — common on LCD, and normal in small amounts.
- Burn-in on OLED screens shows as a faint permanent ghost of something displayed for a long time, most visible on grey or white. It doesn’t recover.
- A line across the screen — a solid vertical or horizontal line — is a connector or panel fault and always needs service.
One or two dead pixels on a new phone is often within the manufacturer’s acceptable tolerance, which is worth knowing before you file a warranty claim expecting a replacement.
Speaker Test — What the Result Means
Run each channel separately. What you hear narrows it down quickly:
- One side silent — that speaker, or its channel, has failed. On phones with a single speaker, the “earpiece” doubles as the second channel, so one silent side can mean the earpiece.
- Crackling or buzzing, especially during the frequency sweep — usually debris in the grille or a damaged cone. Brush the grille gently with a dry soft toothbrush before assuming the worst.
- Very quiet on both sides — check volume limits and any hearing-safety setting before suspecting hardware.
- Fine here but not in apps — that’s audio routing, not the speaker. Our iPhone call speaker guide and headphones not working guide cover it.
- Muffled after water — many phones eject water with a sound-based feature; give it time to dry fully before judging.
Microphone Test — Before You Blame the Hardware
If the bar doesn’t move while you speak normally, work through these first:
- Check the browser permission. A denied permission looks exactly like a broken microphone. Your browser’s address bar shows a mic icon when access is blocked.
- Close other apps using the mic — a call app or recorder holding it will lock everything else out.
- Clean the microphone hole at the bottom edge with a dry soft brush. Compacted lint is the most common physical cause, and it builds up invisibly.
- Remove the case — thick cases cover the mic opening on some models.
- Remember phones have several microphones — bottom, top, and near the camera. One can fail while the others work, which is why calls can be fine but voice notes are not.
Related: iPhone voice-to-text not working covers the same permission and hardware causes.
Camera Test — Reading the Preview
- Blurry no matter what — clean the lens with a microfibre cloth first. Fingerprints and pocket grime explain most “broken” cameras.
- Spots in the same place every time — dust or moisture behind the lens cover, or a hairline crack.
- Black preview — usually another app holding the camera, or a denied permission. Close everything and retry.
- One camera works, the other doesn’t — switch between front and rear to confirm; a single failed module is a specific and often affordable repair.
- Colour cast or heavy grain — check the lighting before concluding anything; phone sensors struggle in dim rooms by design.
Full guide for iPhone: iPhone 15 camera not working.
When It Really Is Hardware
- Check the warranty first. Most phones carry a year, and manufacturer faults are repaired free. Never pay a third-party shop while coverage is live — it can also void what’s left.
- Back up before any repair. Shops sometimes need to wipe a device, and a current backup turns that from a disaster into an inconvenience.
- Get a quote before agreeing. Speaker, microphone, and camera modules are frequently cheap to replace; screens are the expensive one. On an older phone, compare the quote against the phone’s resale value before committing.
- Mention any drop or water exposure — it tells the technician which components to check, and hiding it wastes everyone’s time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this touch screen test accurate?
It reliably finds dead zones in the area the grid covers. Because the grid sits within the page rather than filling the whole display, scroll the page so the grid sits over the area you’re worried about and test again — that way you can check the whole screen in a couple of passes.
Can a dead pixel be fixed?
A true dead pixel stays black and can’t be repaired without replacing the panel. A stuck pixel — one showing a single colour — sometimes recovers by itself within days, and rapidly cycling colours occasionally revives one. Neither spreads.
Do these tests record my voice or video?
No. The microphone and camera tests display live input in your browser and never transmit or store anything. Access is requested only when you press the button and ends the moment you press Stop or leave the page.
Why does the speaker test sound the same on both sides?
Many phones have a single main speaker, or use the earpiece as the second channel, so left and right can sound similar through the phone itself. Use headphones for a true stereo check.
The microphone bar doesn’t move — is my mic broken?
Not necessarily. A blocked browser permission produces exactly this, as does another app holding the microphone. Check the permission first, close other apps, and clean the mic hole before assuming hardware failure.
Do these tests work on a computer as well?
Yes. The screen, speaker, microphone, and camera tests all work on a laptop or desktop. The touch test needs a touchscreen, though you can drag with the mouse button held down to check that it responds.