QUICK ANSWER
Restart once, compare several files and record whether the old image survives a completed screen refresh.
A momentary black, white or coloured flash is part of how the Paper Pro clears and redraws its digital-paper display. Ghosting is different: text, blocks or images from the previous page remain visible after the new page has settled.
If the remnant appears across notebooks, PDFs and the My files screen, check the installed software version, install any newer official update and restart normally. If strong ghosting remains after that, photograph it and contact reMarkable support. Do not factory-reset or install an unofficial downgrade before confirming that important files are synced or exported.
FIRST DISTINCTION
A refresh flash is expected; a persistent previous page is not the same thing
The Paper Pro uses a colour digital-paper display. reMarkable explains that microscopic coloured particles physically rearrange inside the display, and its setup guide deliberately demonstrates a screen refresh as normal behaviour that keeps the image clean and sharp. A flash while a page changes is therefore not, by itself, a fault.
Wait for the page to finish drawing before judging it. Then look for recognisable material from the previous page: a paragraph, image edge, toolbar or large dark block that remains after navigation has stopped. A faint temporary trace that clears on the next page change is less concerning than a strong, stable image that follows you into other documents and menus.
TRY THIS IN ORDER
Change one thing at a time so the result is useful
- Capture the symptom before changing anything.Photograph the settled screen in even light. Note the file, page, reading-light level and whether the unwanted image belongs to the immediately previous page.
- Test more than one kind of screen.Open a notebook, a different document and My files. If only one imported file is affected, keep the diagnosis focused on that file.
- Close the document and restart normally.Use the ordinary power menu, wait for the tablet to start fully, then repeat the same page change. Avoid cycling the power over and over.
- Record the exact software version.Open Menu > Settings > Software > Version. reMarkable lists release 3.28 as its September 2026 release, but timing alone does not prove that an update caused a display failure.
- Check for a newer official update.From the same Version screen, tap Check for updates. reMarkable rolls software out gradually, so another device receiving a maintenance version does not mean yours can download it yet.
- Retest with one simple notebook page.Use large dark writing on a blank page, move to another blank page and wait for the redraw to settle. This creates a clear, reproducible example for support without risking an important document.
READ THE PATTERN
Where the remnant appears matters more than when you first noticed it
The screen briefly flashes while changing a page or rebuilding colour, then settles into a clean image. reMarkable introduces this flash during setup as a normal digital-paper refresh.
The unwanted marks appear in one PDF or EPUB but not in notebooks, menus or other files. Re-importing a fresh copy is safer than resetting the whole tablet.
The behaviour began after an update, affects several files and changes after a normal restart. Record the exact version and check for a newer maintenance release.
A strong previous image remains across different files, the My files screen and a restart. Stop repeating resets and give support clear photographs and a short video.
Release 3.28 changes the EPUB reading experience and includes unspecified minor fixes and adjustments. That makes the installed version relevant evidence, but reMarkable's public release notes do not identify persistent Paper Pro ghosting as a known 3.28 issue or provide a public rollback procedure. Treat “after the update” as a timeline, not a confirmed cause.
BEFORE DESTRUCTIVE STEPS
Confirm your notes exist somewhere other than the affected screen
Open Menu > Settings > Cloud and run Check sync. Then inspect a recent important notebook in the reMarkable desktop, mobile or web app. reMarkable describes its cloud service as both synchronisation and backup, but files that have not been opened and synced for more than 50 days can stop syncing without Connect.
For especially important work, export a separate PDF or PNG from the desktop app or use the tablet's USB web interface. This gives you a readable copy before any support-led recovery or reset. An export is not a complete editable-device backup, so keep the synced original as well.
A reset is destructive and does not establish whether the cause is the document, software or display hardware. Make it a support-led last step only after verifying sync and exporting essential work.
WHEN TO ESCALATE
Persistent ghosting across the interface deserves a support case
Contact reMarkable if a recognisable old image remains across different files and My files after a completed refresh, normal restart and check for current software. Send the device model, exact software version, when the behaviour began, photographs in even light and a short video showing the page change and settled result. Mention any drop, pressure or liquid exposure plainly because that changes the diagnosis.
Do not use developer mode or a third-party downgrade as an early troubleshooting step. reMarkable's public update guidance recommends current official software and its public release notes do not offer a normal rollback path. A support case preserves a clean record if the display needs warranty assessment.
SOURCES
Authoritative documentation
Display behaviour, update steps and backup guidance were checked on September 15, 2026 against reMarkable's current public material.