LG TV Too Dark: Reasons and Fixes

If your LG Smart TV appears too dark, it can be caused by improper enhancements in the backlight or if the contrast is very low. In some cases, the display may go dark unless you turn off the standby mode on LG TV. Besides that, there are many reasons why your LG TV keeps changing brightness without your consent. We suggest users try the following workarounds to fix all types of LG TV screen problems.

Why is LG TV Too Dark

Other than man-made errors, technical errors might cause the LG TV screen to go too dark. We have identified the key reasons responsible for such problems.

• Energy Saving mode is turned on
• Software glitches
• Wrong picture settings
• Faulty backlight
• Due to video sources
• Outdated LG TV firmware
• Defective cable

How to Fix LG TV Too Dark Issue

Here are some working solutions to fix the black screen issue on your LG TV.

Soft Reset your LG TV

Turn off your LG TV and unplug it from the power source for a minute. Meanwhile, press and hold the Power button on your LG TV for 30 seconds to drain all the residual power. Doing this will soft reset your LG TV. Plug your LG TV back into the power source after a minute and turn on the TV. See if the screen brightness issue is fixed.

Ambient Light Sensors

All modern LG Smart TVs have ambient light sensors which help to automatically adjust the brightness on LG TV based on the lighting conditions. These sensors are located in the bottom bezel of the TV. If any object is placed before the sensors, it might darken your LG TV screen. Remove all objects in front of the bottom bezel of your LG TV.

Turn Off the Energy Saving Mode

If the Energy Saving mode in LG TV is turned on, it will lower the brightness level of the LG TV. As a result, your TV will appear too dark. To fix this issue, you must disable the Energy Saving mode in settings.

[1] Press the Smart Button on your LG TV remote.

[2] Click on the Settings icon and select All Settings.

[3] Select Picture from the left menu.

[4] Choose the Energy Saving mode and turn it Off.

This will most probably fix the too-dark issue on your LG TV, if not move to the next troubleshooting method.

Disable Local Dimming

Local Dimming is a feature in all new LG TV that automatically change the brightness of the screen based on the ambient lighting.

[1] Press the Settings button on your LG Magic Remote. Following that, click All Settings from the menu.

[2] Select the Picture settings and go to Picture Mode Settings.

[3] Select LED Local Dimming and turn it Off.

This might help in fixing your too-dark issue. If the issue persists try the next fix.

Increase the Backlight and Brightness

Adjusting the Backlight (or OLED Light) and Brightness settings on your LG TV can help you fix a dark screen output.

[1] Press the Settings button on your LG TV remote and go to All Settings.

[2] Select the Picture settings and go to Picture Mode Settings.

[3] Increase the Backlight (or OLED Light) value of your preference.

[4] Next, increase the Brightness value based on your preference.

If increasing the Backlight and Brightness not helps in getting rid of the dim screen issue, try the next troubleshooting method.

Change Picture Mode

Sometimes a different picture mode like Vivid can help you fix the brightness issue you might face. There are also various other picture modes to choose from.

[1] Press the Settings button on your LG TV remote and go to All Settings.

[2] Select the Picture settings and select Picture Mode Settings.

[3] Select Picture Mode and select Vivid.

You can also try out other picture modes to find which one works best for you.

Reset Picture Mode

If none of the above solutions worked for you, try resetting the Picture Mode back to default settings.

[1] Press the Settings button on your LG TV remote and go to All Settings.

[2] Select the Picture settings and select Picture Mode Settings.

[3] Scroll down to the bottom and select the Reset option.

Now, observe if the screen brightness is retained.

Run a Picture Test

You can easily diagnose any picture-related problem on your LG TV by running the built-in Picture Test. The whole point of the Picture Test is to determine whether the problem is due to software or hardware.

• 2022 TV Models: Settings > All Settings > General > Settings > OLED Care > Device Self Care > Screen Self-diagnosis
• webOS 6.0: Settings > All Settings > Support > Screen Self-diagnosis.
• Older Models: Settings > All Settings > Picture > Picture Test > Enter.

Examine all the picture test results and see if the problem is related to the software or your hardware.

Check the Cables and Ports

A loose cabling or damaged cable might also be the reason for a darker screen. Check all the other cables attached to your LG TV and see if you can find any damage. Remove all cables from your TV to see if any of the ports are damaged.

If you find any damaged cable replace it with a new cable, if a port is damaged use a different port (if available). Now test if the issue still persists, if not move to the next troubleshooting.

Change the Input

Probably, the issue may be with the external port that has malfunctioned due to wear and tear. To check that, unplug and plug the device into a new port and check if the LG TV picture is still dark. You can simply press the Input button on the LG TV remote to switch the input.

Check the Video Sources

If you are using an external video streaming device or gaming console, check the brightness setting on the device. If the brightness is not a concern, connect the device to a different HDMI port to find out the issue with the port.

Also, if you’re facing a screen dimming issue in a particular app or streaming service. Use the screen mirroring or AirPlay methods to see if the LG TV screen is still dark. If the screen mirroring and AirPlay are not fine, update the app or uninstall and reinstall the app. Now, check if the issues are fixed.

Update your LG TV

Make sure that LG TV firmware has been updated to the latest firmware. If not, do it right away to fix the issue.

[1] On your LG TV, go to Settings > All Settings > Support.

[2] Select the Software Update option.

[3] Click on Check for Updates.

[4] If there are any pending updates, click Download and Install.

[5] Once the latest firmware is installed, it will automatically restart your LG Smart TV.

Now test if the screen brightness is back to normal.

Factory Reset your LG TV

Factory resetting your LG TV will restore all the settings to the system default which might help fix the screen dark issue.

[1] Using the LG TV remote, go to Settings > All Settings > Support or General.

[2] Click Reset to Initial Settings.

[3] Select OK.

This process might take a minute or two, wait for your TV to reset to factory default and check if your TV brightness is back to normal. If your screen is still dim, move to the final method.

Contact LG Customer Support

If none of the troubleshooting fixed the issue, visit the LG Support Page and contact customer service. Hopefully, they will help you to fix, repair or replace the TV based on the condition. You can directly chat, send an email, or talk to a support executive to submit your query.

Frequently Asked Questions