How to Fix Screen Burn, Color Shifts, or Green Lines on iPhone XS Max After iOS 13.2 Update

If your iPhone XS Max suddenly shows screen discoloration, burn-in effects, color shifts, or even green lines after updating to iOS 13.2, you’re not alone. These display issues are often tied to software glitches but can sometimes point to hardware damage, especially on older OLED screens like the one on the XS Max.

Here’s a full list of fixes to try before heading to an Apple Store.

Force Restart Your iPhone

A force restart can flush out minor software glitches that mess with display output.

Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.

This quick reboot often clears temporary bugs after a system update.

Update All Your Apps

Outdated or buggy apps can cause display issues, especially after an iOS update.

Open the App Store.
Tap your profile icon in the upper right.
Scroll to Available Updates.
Tap Update All, or update individual apps.
Restart your phone after all updates are installed.

Check for Another iOS Update

Apple often releases quick patches after a buggy iOS rollout.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If an update is available, install it.
Restart your iPhone after updating.

Reset All Settings

If the issue started right after the update, a settings conflict could be the culprit. This won’t erase your data, but it will reset things like Wi-Fi passwords and display settings.

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset > Reset All Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

Restore from a Backup (iTunes or Finder)

Rolling back to a backup made before the iOS 13.2 update can help if the update caused serious problems.

Connect your iPhone to a Mac or PC with iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).
Select your device in iTunes or Finder.
Choose Restore Backup and pick the most recent one before the issue started.
Let the process complete and see if the screen issue clears up.

Try a Recovery Mode Restore

This reinstalls iOS completely, which helps if bugs in the update are deeply rooted.

Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Force restart your phone but don’t release the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
Keep holding until you see the Recovery Mode screen.
On your computer, choose Restore when prompted.

Let the restore finish without disconnecting your phone.

Use DFU Mode (Deep Restore)

If nothing else works, DFU mode is your last resort before getting hardware help. It completely erases and reloads your iPhone’s firmware.

Plug your iPhone into your computer and open iTunes or Finder.
Press and quickly release Volume Up.
Press and quickly release Volume Down.
Press and hold the Side button until the screen goes black.
Once the screen is black, hold Volume Down (while still holding the Side button) for 5 seconds.
Let go of the Side button, but keep holding Volume Down until iTunes or Finder detects your iPhone in recovery mode.
Follow the prompts to restore.

To exit DFU mode, force restart your iPhone again.

Still Seeing Green Lines or Burn-In? It Might Be Hardware

If none of the above fixed your screen, there’s a strong chance your OLED display is physically damaged—especially if the issue includes green lines, persistent ghost images (burn-in), or flickering. This can happen from wear over time, previous overheating, or just an unlucky hardware fault that surfaced after the update.