LG TV White Spots: Fix in MINUTES

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White spots or orbs on screen are a common problem on LG TVs that are a few years old, with this usually caused by a backlight issue.

The exact cause can vary between models, so for completeness I’ve covered every possible fix for your LG TV white spots in this article.

I’m confident that if you follow each step in turn, you will get your TV working again without too much bother.


lg tv white spots

LG TV White Spots?

Fix LG TV white spots by replacing the fallen reflector lenses that cover your LED backlights. You’ll need to open your TV back panel and carefully uncover the LED strips before using some clear epoxy to fix the fallen reflectors back into place.


The above is the definitive way to fix white spots on your LG TV, but this is easier said than done.

You should remember that opening up your TV will void it’s warranty, so if you bought your TV in the last year, or purchased the extended warranty, then send it straight back to LG to repair.

I’ll cover the exact steps to fix your fallen LED reflectors in case you are out of warranty and want to do this yourself, but before we delve into this hardware fix, let’s first try a couple of software fixes to confirm that the white spots are a hardware, rather than software issue.

If you are seeing a message on-screen that you cannot get past, then check out my guide to the LG TV white screen problem.


1. Power Cycle Your LG TV

With modern electronics, it’s possible that the white spots on your LG TV is caused by something stuck in your TV’s flash memory.

Power cycling your TV will clear out any issues with non-permanent memory and reset your main board without losing your personal settings.

This is quick and painless and won’t cause you to lose any of your saved settings.

  1. Switch off and unplug your TV.
  2. Hold down the physical power button on the TV for at least 15 seconds.
  3. Wait for at least 30 minutes for any residual power to drain from the TV’s capacitors (which are capable of storing charge for several minutes).
  4. Plug your TV back in and try switching it on. You should see a red light if you have been successful.
lg tv power button
The LG TV power button is often on the side of the TV

Make sure you do wait for the full 30 minutes before plugging your TV back in – you would be surpised how long the components within your TV can hold charge, and you want to make sure it has fully reset.

Although this seems a very basic step, don’t overlook it because in the vast majority of cases a simple soft reset fixes most issues.

Most people will now have their TV fixed and back up and running. If this isn’t you, then we’ve got a few more basic fixes to try before getting into the hardware fixes.


2. Check for HDMI Errors

There’s a strong possibility that a poorly seated HDMI cable is creating signal noise which is displaying as a white spots.

This comes down to either a:

  • Faulty HDMI cable with a break in it
  • Damaged HDMI port with broken pins
  • Poor HDMI connection where the cable and connector are not fully making contact
tv hdmi cable

To check your HDMI and other cables:

  1. Switch off your TV.
  2. Remove any HDMI or other physical cables connected to the back of your TV.
  3. If you have any compressed air, use that to clean the contacts both of the cable and in the connector on the TV. If you don’t have compressed air, then blow gently on them.
  4. Firmly push the cables back into their slots on the TV.
  5. Switch your TV back on again.

It that hasn’t fixed the problem, then try using a different HDMI input. Most TVs have 3 or 4 HDMI ports.

If you have one that is on a different part of the TV then that would be the best one to try, as it this should have a separate connection to the TV’s main board.

lg tv hdmi port

Plug you HDMI cable into the new port, note the number next to it, then choose this HDMI input on your TV, by using the Input or Source button on your TV remote or the Input or Menu button on your TV itself.

You can also try removing all external devices, including those connected by Bluetooth and any coaxial or signal cables, so that the TV only has a power cable going into it.

Pull up the on-screen menu to see if the white spots are still there. If it is, this means that your external connections are fine and the problem is located within the hardware of your TV.

If the white spots have gone, then try re-seating your HDMI and other cables one by one, until you find the damaged cable that needs replacing.


3. Change Your Picture Settings

Most LG TVs have an option to change the color temperature or other aspects of the picture. Brightness changes in particular can make any white spots less noticeable, even if they don’t totally fix it.

Using your remote control, press the Settings button, then All Settings and go to the Picture menu.

lg tv picture menu

You can try the various picture modes to see if they fix the issue, and you should also switch off Energy Saving mode, as well as changing the Panel Brightness and Gamma.

To switch off Energy Saving Mode, go to Settings -> All Settings -> Support -> Energy Saving and toggle this off.


4. Try a Picture Self-Test

Modern LG TVs have a self-test option for diagnosing and troubleshooting picture issues.

If your issue is caused by some kind of software conflict, then this self-test should be able to clear the error for you.

To run a picture self-test, go to Settings -> All Settings -> Support -> Screen Self-diagnosis and follow the steps that your TV then indicates.


5. Update Your TV’s Firmware

Software and firmware issues have been known to cause problems with the display on LG TVs.

As with any product, you should ensure that you have updated your TV’s firmware to the latest version, even if it is new.

Smart LG TVs support auto-updating of firmware, but you can’t assume that this is turned on for you.

To check that auto-updating is on for firmware / software on your smart LG TV:

lg tv remote settings button
  1. Press the Settings button on your remote and go to All Settings.
  2. Click Support.
  3. Then Software Update.
  4. Agree to any terms and conditions that may popup, then switch on Auto Update if off.
  5. You can also manually check for updates here.
lg tv auto update screen

For older LG TVs:

  1. Press the Settings button on your remote and go to All Settings.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Then About This TV.
  4. Check Auto Updates are on, and use the Check for Updates button to manually see if you are running the most recent firmware version.
lg tv usb firmware update

For some LG TVs, you’ll need to update the firmware by USB. To do this:

  1. Go to the LG Software Drivers site.
  2. Enter your TV’s model number and find it on the site.
  3. Put a USB stick into your computer and create a folder on it called LG_DTV.
  4. Right-click the firmware ZIP file on LG’s site and Extract All to the folder on your USB stick.
  5. Once complete, eject your USB stick.
  6. Insert the USB stick into your TV’s USB port and switch it on.
  7. The TV will automatically search for the folder you created and should display USB UPDATE READY.
  8. Select Install.
  9. Follow the on-screen instructions, then switch off your TV for 10 seconds and power back on to complete the update.

6. LG TV Factory Reset

Returning your TV back to its factory settings is a more extreme step, as it will delete any personalization features, downloaded apps or connected devices, but it’s always worth a shot when other methods haven’t worked.

To factory reset an LG Smart TV:

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and go to All Settings.
  2. Then General.
  3. And System (or skip to the next step on older models).
  4. Choose Reset to inital settings.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions and hit Confirm.
  6. Enter your PIN, which by default is 0000 (four zeroes) or 1234 for LG.
  7. Then select Restart in the popup.
lg tv factory reset

If you don’t have your remote, then to reset an LG TV:

  1. Hold down the TV’s Power Button for 10 seconds, which will be underneath the screen on on the side.
  2. Use the Vol + or – or Channel + or – to scroll to Menu.
  3. Go to All Settings.
  4. Then General.
  5. And Reset.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions and hit Confirm.
  7. Enter your PIN, which by default is 0000 (four zeroes) or 1234 for LG.
  8. Then select Restart in the popup.

If you have changed your LG TV’s PIN and can’t remember what it is:

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and go to All Settings.
  2. Then Support.
  3. Go to Advanced Settings.
  4. Then Safety.
  5. And Reset Password.
  6. On your remote, press Channel Up twice, then Channel Down once, followed by Channel Up once.
  7. Put 0313 in the box.
  8. Then 0000.
  9. Then choose a new PIN that you can remember.

That should solve most screen issues without you having to delve into hardware problems, but just in case you still have a problem then it’s likely you will have to open up your TV.


7. Look for Fallen Reflectors in Your Backlight

White spots are very common on LG TVs older than two or three years. This is because of the design of the LEDs used in the backlight and the fact that the glue holding the reflector over the LED can burn off over time, causing the reflector to fall to the bottom of the panel.

The basic design of these backlight LEDs is that they come in strips of LEDs with a lens over each LED to diffuse the light and make sure there are no hot-spots, but just a general glow.

tv led reflector

You can see a set of working LEDs with reflectors in the image below, and you can see the circular reflector covering the LED diffusing the light.

tv backlights

With LG LEDs specifically, the glue holding the reflector on can fail, usually caused by thermal degradation from the LED itself.

This means that the light from the LED is no longer being spread out, and creates a hot-spot of white light on your TV, commonly described as a white orb.

fix samsung tv white spots

The easiest way to deal with this is to open your TV up, carefully removing the back panel and internal components until you uncover the backlight LED strips.

You should see one or more LEDs without reflectors which correspond to the position of the white spots on your screen.

tv backlight led without reflector

The reflectors/diffusers themselves should be in the bottom of the TV’s case, and they most likely would fall out when taking your TV apart.

tv led backlight reflector

Most LG TV backlight diffusers will be connected by three points to the LED strip.

Simply glue the fallen diffuser lenses back over their LEDs using a clear epoxy, and the white spots on your TV display will be fixed.

  1. Get some toothpicks and clear epoxy. Superglue is not recommended as it is not heat stable.
  2. Put a small amount of epoxy onto a some waste card or paper if it is pre-mixed, or if not pre-mixed, put each component onto separate parts of your card.
  3. Use the toothpick to pick up some of this epoxy (mixing both components if necessary) and carefully apply to the three points on the LED strip where the diffuser connects.
  4. Carefully place the diffuser back into place on the LED strip and hold it until the epoxy has set.

The video below covers how to open your LG TV. You don’t have to replace the backlights themselves, but this is an option if you can’t find the reflectors, or if the reflectors are all still in place which would indicate a fault with the LEDs themselves.

If you do end up replacing the entire LED, then know that backlights on modern LG TVs come in LED strips of varying lengths.

Older models used lengths that spanned the entire frame of the TV, but due to cost savings, more recent TVs use a set 16″ or smaller LED strip which is connected in series for each row to span your TV.

tv led lights

You can get replacement LED strips quite easily from eBay – just put in your TV model number to be sure you are buying the correct type.

If you have a TV backlight tester to hand, then you could get away with testing every backlight strip in your TV individually and only replacing the broken strips, but it’s a lot less work to just replace every backlight and skip the testing, particularly given the relatively low price of LED backlights.


LG TV Support and Warranty

You can check your warranty information direct with LG.

Unfortunately, warranties typically only last a year unless you have already paid to extend it.

Because screen issues can occur at any time, if your TV is under one year old, return your TV under warranty and get it fixed.

You can use the LG support site to help diagnose your problem, but if you are at this stage, then you are better off calling them direct on:

  • 850-999-4934 or 843-243-0000 (Mon. – Sun., 8am – 9pm EST)

You can also email them directly, or even email the president of LG customer care!

Even if LG won’t fix your TV, they might still offer you a discount off a future model if you pester them hard enough! This is always worth a try in my experience.


So, How Do You Fix LG TV White Spots?

If you’re seeing white spots on your LG TV, then to fix it:

  1. Power cycle your TV.
  2. Change your HDMI cable sockets.
  3. Change your picture settings.
  4. Run a picture self-test.
  5. Update your TV’s firmware.
  6. Factory reset your TV.
  7. Glue your TV’s backlight diffusers lenses back on.

Hopefully you’ve fixed your TV, but if not, give me a shout in the comments and I’ll see what I can do to help.


Read More:

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Hi, I'm Tim Daniels, photographer and photo trainer, founder of Lapse of the Shutter and creator of the totally free Lightroom Develop System. I've travelled to (probably) 30 countries over the last few years, taking photos and licensing them around the world, and creating lots of free photography learning resources. Read More ...

One Response

  1. PoeHao
    | Reply

    Thank you so much!!

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