You’re looking at your phone, maybe trying to read a text, but there’s this weird, faint image of the Instagram home bar or a keyboard hovering in the background. It won’t go away. It’s annoying. You’ve probably heard people call it iPhone 6s screen burn, and honestly, it’s one of the most misunderstood glitches in the history of the "S" cycle iPhones.
Here is the thing: the iPhone 6s doesn't actually get screen burn. Not really.
Technically speaking, "burn-in" is a permanent hardware failure that happens to OLED screens, like the ones on the iPhone X or the newer iPhone 15. The iPhone 6s uses an IPS LCD (In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display). LCDs don't burn. They "retain." It sounds like a nitpicky distinction, but it’s the difference between needing a $150 repair and just turning your phone off for ten minutes while you grab a coffee.
The ghost in the machine: Image retention vs. burn-in
When people complain about iPhone 6s screen burn, they’re usually seeing image retention. It looks identical to the permanent damage you’d see on a plasma TV from 2004 or a modern Samsung Galaxy. You see the faint outlines of icons or UI elements that stay on the screen too long.
LCDs work by using a backlight that shines through a layer of liquid crystals. These crystals twist and untwist to let light through. If you leave a static image on the screen at high brightness for hours, those crystals can get "lazy." They sort of get stuck in one physical position. When you finally switch apps, those crystals don't snap back to their neutral state immediately. They linger. That's why you see the ghost of your keyboard while you’re trying to watch a YouTube video.
It’s fundamentally different from OLED burn-in. On an OLED, the individual pixels are actually dying. They lose their brightness because the organic material inside them wears out. Once an OLED pixel is burnt, it is dead. There is no "fixing" it with software. But with your 6s? There is hope.
Why the iPhone 6s was particularly prone to this
Apple’s 2015 flagship was a beast for its time, but the display tech had its quirks. The 6s introduced 3D Touch. To make that work, Apple had to integrate a layer of capacitive pressure sensors directly into the backlight assembly. This made the display assembly thicker and slightly more complex than the previous iPhone 6.
Heat is the enemy of liquid crystals.
The A9 chip in the 6s was powerful, but if you were playing a heavy game or charging the phone while using GPS, the internal temperature would spike. Since the LCD and the backlight are packed so tightly against the 3D Touch sensors and the battery, that heat has nowhere to go. High heat combined with high brightness is the perfect recipe for image retention.
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I’ve seen dozens of these devices where the "burn" is most prominent around the edges. Why? Because that’s where the heat dissipation is often the worst, or where the adhesive for the display assembly starts to degrade over years of use. If you’ve replaced your battery recently, you might even notice it more. Sometimes, third-party batteries run slightly warmer, or the technician didn't apply the internal thermal shielding perfectly, leading to localized "hot spots" on the screen.
Real world fixes that actually work
If you're staring at a ghosted image of your lock screen clock right now, don't panic. You probably don't need a new phone yet.
First, the "Off" method. It sounds stupidly simple because it is. If the liquid crystals are just stuck, removing the electrical current and the heat source allows them to relax. Turn the phone off for at least an hour. Seriously. If it's just minor retention, it'll be gone when you boot back up.
If that doesn't work, you can try a "pixel flusher." There are videos on YouTube—just search for "LCD noise" or "screen burn fix"—that cycle through colors (Red, Green, Blue, White) at high speeds. This forces every crystal in the panel to cycle through its full range of motion. It’s like a massage for your pixels. Run one of these at 50% brightness for about 20 minutes. Don't go 100% brightness; you don't want to add more heat to the problem you're trying to solve.
When it's actually hardware failure
Sometimes, what looks like iPhone 6s screen burn is actually backlight bleed or pressure marks.
- Pressure Marks: If you see bright white spots that look like tiny clouds, that’s not burn-in. That’s something behind the screen (like a swollen battery) pushing against the LCD.
- Yellowing: If the edges of your screen are turning yellow, that’s the adhesive aging.
- Corner Shadows: If the corners look dim, a segment of your backlight LEDs is failing.
In these cases, software won't save you. You’re looking at a full display assembly replacement. The good news? Since the 6s is a legacy device, screens are dirt cheap now. You can find a decent quality aftermarket 6s screen for under $30, and it's one of the last iPhones that a regular person can actually repair at home without a specialized heat gun or crazy proprietary tools.
Preventing the ghosting from coming back
If you’ve cleared the ghosting, you’ve gotta change your habits or it’ll be back by dinner.
Lower your brightness. Most people keep their phones way too bright for indoor use. Use the "Auto-Brightness" feature found in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Apple buried it there for a reason, but it’s a lifesaver for the longevity of your hardware.
Change your wallpaper. If you have a static, high-contrast image as your background, those pixels are under constant strain every time you’re on the home screen. A darker, more neutral wallpaper is easier on the liquid crystals. Also, set your "Auto-Lock" to 30 seconds or 1 minute. There is no reason for your screen to be glowing while the phone is sitting on a table.
A quick reality check on the iPhone 6s in 2026
We have to be honest here. The iPhone 6s is an aging legend. While it’s impressive that it still functions, the hardware is reaching its natural limit. The "screen burn" you’re seeing might just be the display panel reaching the end of its life cycle. LCDs have a shelf life. The phosphors and the backlight LEDs dim over time, and the liquid crystal layer becomes less responsive.
If you’ve tried the pixel flushers and the power-down method and the ghosting is still there after 24 hours, the panel is physically damaged. At that point, you have to decide if a $30-50 repair is worth it for a phone that no longer receives the latest iOS security updates. For some, the 6s is the perfect "distraction-free" device or a great music player for the gym. For others, the screen ghosting is a sign from the universe to finally upgrade.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check for permanency: Open a solid grey image in full screen. If you see the icons, it’s retention.
- The Cool Down: Power the device off completely for two hours to see if the crystals reset.
- The Stress Test: Run a 20-minute RGB color cycle video at medium brightness to "exercise" the pixels.
- Hardware Audit: Inspect the side of the phone. If the screen is lifting or the glass feels warm, your battery might be swelling and causing pressure-related discoloration.
- Adjust Settings: Toggle Auto-Brightness on and set Auto-Lock to 1 minute to prevent future recurrence.