Image Retention/ Burn on iMac 27" 5K Screen

I'm having the same issue. Crazy burn in on the iMac monitor and nothing on the thunderbolt display. These two sit right next to each other, so it's an easy effect to see. I'm also seeing dark spots appear in the bottom corners of the display. iMac is 1st gen from 2014, and the thunderbolt display is Rev A from around 2011. I do design work, so both of these displays show UI for stretches at a time, and the thunderbolt display has _never_ had burn in.

In fact, now this window is burned into my screen just from leaving this reply.

Well the ironic thing is some guy reported on here that if he ran Microsoft software on his iMac the image persistence issue went away. So this could be a combination of hardware not working correctly with software, possibly. What version of Apple software are you using, and what are the specs on your iMac? I do a lot of photography and have this issue for me is un-expectable, and right next to my iMac I have a Thunderbolt display with zero issue which is 3 years older, go figure. I think all new Apple 5K displays are now being made by LG, not sure if Samsung is doing them, at this point I wish they were! I will keep an eye on this new screen and once it starts happening again I will call. Frankly at this point I could see a class action issue popping up for them, but that could be directed towards LG, which makes it more difficult because then their is finger pointing to what is causing it, I think its the Display manufacture, but then that falls back into Apples lap in the long run.

Use the LG UltraFine 4K Display with your Mac - Apple Support

Using 4K displays, 5K displays, and Ultra HD TVs with your Mac - Apple Support

I am taking mine in on Monday for this. It's a year old and I can't even work on anything without the effect taking place in less than 30 seconds – the whole screen not just a hotspot. Hopefully they will order me a new screen and not give me the "fixes" speech because I don't have time for fixes or time without a computer because it's my business machine.

I have gone through 3 different screen replacements for my 2014 5k iMac and each one has developed retention.

The article link to apple's website on how to fix such retention is pointless because retention develops sometimes after just 30 seconds of staying on a screen.

I've been buying iMacs since 2008 and this will be the last one I ever own. This is completely unacceptable to me for a $3,500 machine.

I have the same problem. I have the iMac 27" 5K (Late 2014) and the image retention sometimes starts after 5 minutes. I can clearly see toolbars etc. of my used software.

The support link is really useless because I cannot stop work every 15 mins to activate the screen saver. I have to work 9h and then the retention is really annoying.

I think I will never buy an iMac again. Because this is not acceptable for me for an 3500 € machine.

I have the same problem. And its with a late 2014 retina iMac, like a lot of other people. Some retention I can see is more permanent burn in. But the really annoying thing is when it happens after going on a webpage for only a few minutes. Then when you open photoshop you really see it. Has anyone found a fix for this? And by that I mean something practical, not running a screen saver every two minutes.

For what it's worth- I get "image persistence" in minutes when booted in Mac OS, however I can use Windows 10 in bootcamp on this same machine and never, ever, have any screen burn-in or "image persistence" (I use Windows 10 for weeks on a time). This leaves me with the conclusion that Apple could fix this with software- the issue is completely gone when in bootcamped Windows. Apple's response is horrendous to date- this is in no way acceptable and is fixable.

Hello I had the same problem and found a way to fix it.

I have a late 2014 iMac 27" 5K that just this week started giving me image retention/burn in.

Something at first quite noticeable since I'm a photographer and I immediately noticed the issue when in photoshop.

I went ahead and turned my desktop image to white as well as tuned on the screensaver to in a way kind of exercise the screen. I used the random photo screensaver that uses a white background and shuffles photos and left it on for about 4 hrs. after those 4 hrs. I changed the screensaver to flurry view, which is a black based screen with a color swatch just swirling around the screen and left the computer on with this screensaver overnight.

This morning I checked the screen by opening up photoshop and creating an 18% gray image to make sure I could see if the image rentention/burn in was still present and it seems to be ALL GONE!!

Hope this helps!

Richmond: I think your on to some thing, as I never had a issue with my computer till I got the last two Sierra updates! Now it's horrible! I get screen retention in a matter of 30 secs and I have a second Apple display with zero issues hooked up too it as well. So when Apple tells me its normal I say BS!

Same issue here...iMac5K late-2014...just had a new screen dropped in at the Apple Store on Monday, but come Tuesday I was already seeing the faint reoccurrence of this phenomenon, which I also had on my mid-2012 MBP Retina 15.

I am furious that Apple continues to deny obvious issues and wastes our valuable time with all of these denials. This is a wide-spread problem that hasn't only affected iMac's as of late...when in the Retina MBP the LG screens were found to be vulnerable to this image persistence issue, getting a Samsung screen solved the issue. Is this also a matter of panel manufacturer? is there a way to find out the manufacturer of our LCD panels like there was with the rMBP?

tillkrueger: Thanks for the good information! I never had it on my MacBooks over the years, but I have had this happen twice now. I will tell you if your on Apples *** about this, they will replace screen and eventually the whole computer if it persists. I just had my screen replaced last week and problem is gone, if it comes back I will be asking for a replacement, I will be calling Apple today when you spend this much money they should take care of issues ASAP if they want to keep customers. So far they haven't disappointed. I think it is an issue with the LG panels and some other hardward/software combination that is causing this issue. The one that came out was a LG, saw a small label on it before it went in, not sure about the one going in, I hope it was a Samsung. I will ask Apple they can usually tell based of the serial number.

thanks for confirming, Gandalf...I'm on the phone with Apple (again) as I type this...always the same dance, trying to explain the whole sad story from the top...needless to say, nobody knows anything about such an issue...if need be I'll make them swap panels once a week until they do the right thing...already trying to schedule the next Apple Store visit with them, which I'll refuse to make until it was determined what the manufacturer of the screen is they just swapped out on Monday this week...whatever that factory is it comes from I don't want in my iMac anymore...they'll need to get a hold of the other screen (probably a Samsung, if it's the same issue as the Retina MBP debacle) and only then will I come by to have it swapped...bad enough to have to drag this machine through Berlin and be without it for a day or two or three...enough is enough...if only there was an alternative to Apple that ***** a little less, but let's face it, there isn't...all of them (which really means just Microsoft and Apple now, for production workstations), are now only focused on stock value.

yeah, I saw Randolf posting that he didn't have that problem in Windows, which would confirm my gut-feeling that this has something to do with how the GPU buffers image data under OSX/macOS is handled..what further corroborates this is that there is no way that these new IPS LCD panels are *this" sensitive to image "burn in"...that was an issue in the CRT and, to some extent, TFT monitors of the late 90's...this *must* be more than just an LCD panel thing...but chances that Apple will admit to having issues with how their software interacts with their hardware is next to zero...they never fully admitted to it with the old Retina MacBook Pros, almost 6 years later.

be that as it may, after a 70min hold in their hotline I was just connected to a new support person who asked me what the problem was I am calling about...can you believe it? the person I explained everything to for almost 45mins asked me to wait for a few minutes, then left me waiting for 25mins, only to be connected to a new person who asked me to start from the beginning.

now *that* is what I call a total disregard for your customers' time...or adding insult to injury.

~ sigh ~

ESVPllc, I appreciate you sharing your particular dance that you're doing to minimize the issue, but frankly, I refuse to do any such thing to be able to use this $3,500 computer in the way it was designed to work. There is a valid expectation that comes with these type of purchases from the company that has created "the best Mac ever, with the best display ever"...ok, I'll buy it and pay the premium, but don't then tell me that it's only really the best if I first set my desktop picture to a certain color, then set it to a particular screen saver, then try to not look too closely when using certain dark UI apps (like Apple's own FCPX and LogicPro X), etc...not going to do it. These are my tools of the trade, and I expect them to "just work", as Apple is so proud to always claim. And I am not someone who is above tinkering with tweaks and software patches and being patient for a bug to be addressed, but this is beyond that.

Apple needs to know that it is not acceptable to their customers that their "best computers ever" end up not being that at all. We are not beta testers but paying customers. That's my point of view, but ymmv.

Still, thanks for sharing your solution :)

This might work…

Avoiding image persistence on Apple LCD displays - Apple Support