A TikTok user is warning others that their favorite app might be burned into their phone screen, depending on how long they scroll.
Just like a memory or experience can be seared into your memory, an app can be burned into a phone’s screen, through a process called screen-burn. While it does not actually mean that the phone screen is physically burning, a phone with an OLED screen can be permanently discolored by a “ghost image,” taking the form of text, shapes, or a shadow on the screen. It is different from a graphics glitch or pixel issue, and will only affect the hardware of the phone.
It takes many hours to actually burn an image into an OLED screen, making a screen-burned image on a phone less common. However, for a user who spends many hours of their day scrolling TikTok, it may not be impossible.
In a video that has drawn just under 1 million views, TikTok user Hannah (@hannahs1025) shared that she did not think her usage of the app was all that concerning until she realized she had the buttons from the app’s home page seared into her phone screen.
“I did not think I was on TikTok too much until I saw I screen burned the fyp on to my phone,” a text overlay on the video reads.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Hannah via Instagram direct message regarding the video.
@hannahs1025 Like I’m going to logg of now #fyp #viral #screenburn #dayinmylife #dayinthelife ♬ original sound – Hannah
Several viewers shared that their phone screens looked similar, with some features of TikTok seared into the screens of their phones.
“PLS this made me check and mine is like that too,” one commenter wrote.
“I WAS WONDERING WHAT THAT WAS,” another said. “I thought it was an invincible home button.”
“Mine is like this i didn’t know that’s what it meant,” a further user commented.
Others shared that they thought it was due to the brightness of their phone screen, or that the videos loop endlessly.
“This happen to me before and it was because the brightness was up too high on tiktok too long,” one shared.
“This happened to me,” another wrote. “I think it’s because tiktok stays open, like the screen doesn’t time out. idk how to change it.”
“BYE that was me… I be fallin asleep while the same video plays over nd over again as it over heats,” an additional commenter said.
