It starts as a flicker. Maybe a tiny sliver of neon green or a persistent white streak cutting right through your notifications. If you’re seeing lines on iPhone X screens, you aren't alone, and honestly, it’s one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a phone that otherwise still feels pretty premium in 2026.
The iPhone X was a pioneer. It was the first time Apple went all-in on OLED technology. But being first comes with baggage. That beautiful Super Retina display is a complex sandwich of organic light-emitting diodes, touch layers, and a delicate controller chip tucked at the bottom of the glass. When things go south, they go south in very specific, colorful ways.
Sometimes it's a software glitch. Most times? It's hardware.
The Infamous Green Line of Death
You’ve probably seen the pictures online. A bright, vertical green line running perfectly from the notch down to the charging port. This isn't usually your fault. It’s actually a known manufacturing defect related to how the display controller sends voltage to the sub-pixels.
Basically, a tiny bit of damage—or even just heat—causes a specific column of pixels to receive a constant surge of power.
Apple actually faced significant pressure over this. While they never launched a formal "official" worldwide recall program specifically named for the green line, many users found success getting replacements through the Apple Service Program for "Display Module Issues." However, as the iPhone X ages, getting a free fix from a Genius Bar becomes a lot harder. They’ll likely tell you it’s "out of vintage" or point to a tiny scratch on the frame as evidence of accidental damage.
Why These Lines Appear Out of Nowhere
It’s tempting to think it’s just a software bug. "Maybe if I restart it, the line will vanish," you think.
It won't.
Physical Trauma vs. Spontaneous Failure
If you dropped your phone, even if the glass didn't crack, the internal OLED layers are incredibly brittle. A sharp jolt can "bruise" the panel. This leads to colorful vertical lines or, in worse cases, the "ink blot" effect where black liquid seems to bleed across the screen.
But what if you didn't drop it?
Heat is the silent killer here. The iPhone X uses the A11 Bionic chip, which can get pretty toasty during heavy GPS use or gaming. Since the display sits right on top of the internals, prolonged heat can degrade the adhesive or the flex cable connection.
👉 See also: Chrome MPC Cursor 调用：别再被那些复杂的配置搞晕了
- Vertical White Lines: Usually a sign that the digitizer or the LCD/OLED connector is loose.
- Multicolor Static: This often points to a failing GPU or a catastrophic logic board issue, though it's rarer than the single line.
- The "Ghost" Line: A faint line that appears and disappears based on brightness levels. This is a classic sign of aging organic material in the OLED panel itself.
Can You Actually Fix It Without a New Screen?
Let’s be real: most "hacks" you see on YouTube don't work.
I’ve seen people suggest "massaging" the screen or putting it in the freezer. Don't do that. Pressing hard on an OLED panel with a pixel defect is a great way to turn one green line into a massive black bar of dead pixels. Cold won't shrink a microscopic hardware fracture back together either.
There is one exception. If the lines are flickering or look like "static" rather than solid bars, it could be a seating issue with the display flex cable.
If you’re brave enough to open the phone, or if you take it to a local shop, sometimes simply disconnecting and reconnecting the two display ribbons on the logic board solves the problem. Dust or a slight nudge can break that connection. But for the "Solid Green Line"? That’s an internal failure of the panel. You need a replacement.
The Cost of Repair in 2026
Repairing an iPhone X today is a bit of a gamble. You have three main paths, and they vary wildly in quality and cost.
Apple Official Repair Going to Apple will cost you significantly more than the phone is likely worth on the used market. They will use a genuine OEM Samsung-made OLED. It’ll look perfect, but you’ll pay a premium for a device that's several generations old.
Third-Party OLEDs Local repair shops usually offer "Soft OLED" or "Hard OLED" replacements.
- Soft OLED: These are closer to the original. They’re flexible, have better color, and can survive a minor bump.
- Hard OLED: These are cheaper but much more fragile. The bezels are usually thicker, and the colors look a bit "off." If you're on a budget, this is the go-to, but don't expect it to last another three years.
The LCD Conversion Some ultra-cheap shops will try to put an LCD screen on your iPhone X. Avoid this. The iPhone X was never designed to power an LCD backlight. These screens drain your battery faster, run hotter, and frankly, look terrible compared to the original deep blacks of the OLED.
Real-World Troubleshooting Steps
Before you shell out $150+ for a repair, try these steps just to rule out the 1% chance it’s a software fluke.
- Force Restart: Quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side Button until the Apple logo appears. If the line is visible even on the Apple logo screen during boot-up, it is 100% a hardware failure.
- Check for "Screen Layout" glitches: Sometimes an app crashes and leaves a weird visual artifact. Swap to a different app or go to the home screen.
- Update iOS: It’s rare, but driver-level bugs can cause flickering. Ensure you’re on the latest supported version for the X.
Understanding the Risks of Ignoring It
Can you just live with the line?
Sure. Many people do. A single green line on the far right of the screen might be annoying, but it doesn't necessarily mean the phone is about to explode. However, be aware that these lines often indicate a compromised seal or a failing component that will eventually spread.
I’ve seen phones start with one line and, within a month, the entire right side of the touch interface stopped responding. If you rely on your phone for work or safety, a line is a warning shot. Back up your data to iCloud or a computer immediately. Once the screen goes completely black—which can happen without warning—getting your photos off the device becomes a much more expensive nightmare involving data recovery experts.
Practical Next Steps for iPhone X Owners
If you are currently staring at lines on iPhone X displays, your path forward depends on your budget and how much you love the device.
- Check your serial number: Even though the iPhone X is older, some consumer protection laws in specific regions (like the EU or certain US states) provide extended warranties for known manufacturing defects. It’s worth a quick chat with Apple Support online just to see if they’ll offer a "CS Code" for a discounted repair.
- Evaluate the trade-in: Most "Buy Back" sites will still take an iPhone X with a damaged screen, but they’ll dock the price significantly. Compare the cost of repair against the cost of a used iPhone 13 or 14. Often, the repair cost is halfway to the price of a much newer, faster phone.
- DIY with caution: If you decide to fix it yourself, buy a "Soft OLED" kit from a reputable supplier like iFixit. Avoid the $25 screens on mystery auction sites; they often lack the True Tone chip compatibility, meaning you'll lose your auto-brightness and color-matching features.
- Back up now: Regardless of whether you fix it or not, plug that phone in and run a full backup. When the display controller finally gives up, the screen usually goes green, then white, then nothing. Don't lose your data because of a failing $0.05 ribbon cable.