iOS 17.1 Fixes iPhone Display Image Retention Issue

The iOS 17.1 update that Apple is set to release in the near future addresses an issue that "may cause display image persistence," according to Apple's feature notes for the software.

iphone 15 sizes
Since the launch of the iPhone 15 models, there have been sporadic reports of severe screen burn-in impacting the new devices. There was speculation that it might be a hardware issue with the OLED display, but based on the iOS 17.1 update, Apple has found and addressed a software problem that mimicked screen burn-in.

iphone 15 display burn in

Image via MacRumors reader Josh

While most of the reports of display problems were coming from ‌iPhone 15‌ users, there were also some users with iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro devices that saw similar issues, which is likely why Apple's release notes do not mention the ‌iPhone 15‌ specifically.

Those who have noticed "burn-in" on their iPhones should update to iOS 17.1 to ensure that it solves the problem.

The iOS 17.1 update also addresses a number of other bugs. It fixes an issue that could cause the Significant Location privacy setting to reset when transferring or pairing an Apple Watch for the first time, plus it addresses a bug that could cause custom and purchased ringtones not to appear as options for a text tone.

There is a fix for an issue that could cause the ‌iPhone‌ keyboard to be less responsive, and Apple says that it has added crash detection optimizations for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone 15‌ models to further refine how the iPhones respond when a vehicle crash event is detected.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

Paradoxally Avatar
20 months ago
How do bugs like these even happen? I've been an engineer for almost two decades and I've never seen anything like this lol

I feel like Apple's QA department is in shambles.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
20 months ago

Keep tryin to implement these fake bugs to force people to upgrade. Green hue, purple lines now this fake burn in screen.
How would a bug causing NEW iPhone models force people to upgrade to them?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falkon-engine Avatar
20 months ago
Excuse me? Software screen burn in? What kind of bug is that LMAO! Well hopefully for those with affected devices, this fixes the issue.

Edit: I can confirm. Faint Image retention that was present on the 15 pm on 17.0.3 is now gone in 17.1.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
20 months ago
Weird, I was assured by so many on these forums that this was an existential problem for Apple that would prompt a massive global recall and be the end of the company.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JWort93 Avatar
20 months ago

you can't fix "burn in" with a software update lmao. it's obviously an issue with the graphics processor (if it's really been fixed).
It could very well be a software bug that is not related to the graphics processor. Modern OLED displays utilize software algorithms to mitigate screen burn by essentially keeping track of how long individual sub-pixels are lit, and at what intensity. This allows them to adjust nearby pixel luminance to account for the degradation that the pixels have encountered from normal use, and continue to produce a clean image on a display that would otherwise have screen burn. My guess is that there was a bug in the display driver firmware that caused these algorithms to overcompensate for the amount of usage that these screens were seeing, essentially causing it to over adjust the luminance of certain pixels resulting in what looked like real screen burn when these compensation values were utilized by the display driver.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
20 months ago

How would a bug causing NEW iPhone models force people to upgrade to them?
Don't think, just angry post. Apple Bad!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)