5 ways to fix black horizontal lines on your smartphone screen

Everything is fun and games until your phone begins to display horizontal or vertical lines on its screen. And more so, if they appear out of nowhere, like a bad omen. But as much as it could be a cause for concern, there are possible ways you can tackle this without making a run for the service centre. Before we dive into the solutions, here’s what you need to know about the condition:

Why is your phone displaying black horizontal lines?

There are plenty of reasons why your smartphone could suddenly be facing a display error and showing lines. We’ve listed out possible reasons for you to look into; check them out below.

Physical damage: Accidents or drops can cause you to damage your phone’s display. Most of the time, lines on the screen occur after the device suffers a considerable impact. 

Connectivity problems: Loose or poor connection within internal components could cause a phone to show you black lines on the screen. 

Overheating: Excessive heat can damage your phone’s display and can cause horizontal or vertical lines to show up on your screen.

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Liquid damage: Even the best of phones can succumb to liquid damage. Display anomalies are common if your device is exposed to moisture or water damage.

Corrupted drivers: Although a relatively rare occurrence, corrupted display drivers can also be the cause behind display damage that results in a number of issues, including on-screen lines.

Software glitch: If you’ve recently updated to a new software version, your phone’s software could have encountered a bug causing it to have lines on its display. 

Manufacturing defect: While this is also rare, there’s a good chance that your smartphone may have come with a manufacturing defect. These issues typically become apparent over time and are not easy to identify.

How to fix black lines on your phone's screen

Here are a few ways you can attempt to fix your phone’s display:

1. Allow your phone to cool down
2. Restart your phone with safe mode
3. Update your phone
4. Reset your phone
5. Visit an authorised service centre

1. Allow your phone to cool down

It is a recommended rule of thumb to let your phone cool down before restarting it to cross out overheating as a cause of display woes. Remove your phone from any protective case and set it aside. Be sure to leave it aside until it completely cools down before switching it off completely.

2. Restart your phone with safe mode

Simply restarting your phone can sometimes easily solve minor errors plaguing it. Hold the power button (power + volume buttons on some phones) and allow your phone to restart. On iPhones, you will have to manually shut down the phone and then power it back on.

Android users can also try rebooting their phones in safe mode, which is a diagnostics mode used to identify problematic areas.

3. Update your phone's software

Check for any updates or bug fixes rolled out by the manufacturer. If a previously installed version is a culprit, updating to the most recent version of the OS could help resolve the display error. Tap on Settings and then System Updates on your smartphone to see if there are any new versions available.

4. Reset your phone

If you’re certain your phone has no physical damage and none of the steps above seem to help, try performing a factory reset to get rid of the issue. That said, it is important to note that this step will wipe out all the data from your phone. Make sure you opt for this only when you’re sure and have your files backed up on cloud storage.

5. Visit an authorised service centre

In the case of liquid or hardware damage, it is best to get your phone checked at an authorised service centre. Depending on what the issue is, the technician may suggest a replacement. You can always opt for Croma’s ZipCare plan for smartphones, which ensure timely replacement and attention in the case of accidental or liquid damage. 

While it may seem tempting to try and fix your smartphone at home, it is best to run it by an expert in case you are unsure about the cause behind the issue.