Find out the top 10 solutions to fix a touch problem with your iPhone. They include cleaning the phone, restarting iOS, detaching accessories, and inspecting the phone for any signs of damage.
A touch problem is when the touch-sensitive screen on the iPhone cannot react accordingly to touches or gestures. It can happen due to issues with your touchscreen’s operation. These can be slow response, malfunctioning, and responding incorrectly to touches. The main reasons for the problem can be software issues, moisture or dust, screen damage, incorrect accessories, or hardware issues.
How to Fix Touch Problems in iPhone?
Use the listed actions in this exact order. After each step, check whether the problem has been solved.
1. Clean and Dry the iPhone Screen
Start with the simplest thing. Just turn off your iPhone and wipe its screen carefully using a soft, lint-free cloth. Nothing should be present on the surface – neither water nor dust nor oil, etc.
If you use your screen when your hands are wet, or there is some moisture on the screen, it may cause some problems with it. Try to avoid using it under such conditions. Apple advises cleaning the screen and avoiding water or dust on it.
2. Remove the Screen Protector
The screen protector installed in your phone might be loose or have a bad fit, causing issues with touch sensitivity in the device. The best temporary solution in this case would be removing the screen protector from your phone to see if touch sensitivity is okay. You will need to install a good-fitting screen protector after all.
3. Remove the iPhone Case
Some situations might apply pressure to the sides of the display. Try taking off the case to see if the touchscreen acts normally. Apple recommends removing any cases and screen protectors when there are occasional touchscreen issues.
4. Disconnect Your Charger or USB-C/Lightning Accessory
If the issue arises during charging, remove the charger or the accessory and check the touch. Disconnect the Lightning or USB-C accessory when troubleshooting touch problems according to Apple’s recommendations. If the touch problem goes away, you can use another cable, another charger, or another power plug point to see what causes the problem.
5. Restart Your iPhone
A reset will solve any temporary problem that exists in the software and is causing issues with your touchscreen. If your iPhone does react to touches:
- Open Settings.
- Go to General.
- Tap Shut Down.
- Slide to power off.
- Wait a few seconds.
- Turn the iPhone back on.
Apple suggests you reset your iPhone if the touchscreen does not respond properly.
6. Force Restart an Unresponsive iPhone
If the touchscreen of the device is frozen, a regular reset may not be possible. In most of the new models of iPhones with Face ID:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Release the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
The point mentioned by Apple is that the appearance of the Apple logo may require more than 10 seconds. Press and hold both the Side button and the Volume Down button at once for an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus till the appearance of the Apple logo.
Press and hold the Home button and Side button or Top button at once for an iPhone 6s and older models till the appearance of the Apple logo.
7. Check for iOS Updates
Software issues have been known to influence the way an iPhone works in some cases. If you can access your touchscreen, see if:
Settings → General → Software Update
Install an available iOS update, if necessary, and test your screen again. An iOS update will also be helpful in resolving software-related issues with other iPhone functions.
8. Check Whether Only One App Is Affected
If the touch is working in all applications except one, then the issue may not be with the display. You can try closing and relaunching the particular application. Apple advises that one should close and reopen a misbehaving application, restart the device, and check for any application or iOS updates.
9. Let an Overheated iPhone Cool Down
In case of overheating of the iPhone, there are likely to be certain problems related to the work of the device. You need to stop all resource-consuming tasks and transfer your phone to a place where the temperature is normal. Putting the iPhone in the fridge or trying other extreme means of cooling is highly discouraged. As per Apple, iPhones tend to work slowly if their temperature is high or low.
10. Reset All Settings
If all else fails and you believe that there might be issues related to system settings, then Reset All Settings might be an option worth exploring.
Go to:
Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset All Settings
This will not erase your pictures, messages, apps, or documents but rather restore many system settings to default. According to Apple, this is a troubleshooting technique and one that is seldom needed. Before you do this, please familiarize yourself with what settings will be reset.
What If the iPhone Touch Screen Is Completely Not Working?
If the entire screen is unresponsive, first try:
- Cleaning and drying the screen.
- Removing the casing and the screen protector.
- Disconnecting the charging cable and all additional hardware.
- Performing a force reset on the iPhone.
- Testing if the screen works after the reset.
Should any of the above-discussed methods fail to yield any results, then professional help is required. Apple recommends that professional help be sought in case the problem persists despite troubleshooting.
When Should You Get an iPhone Repaired?
Professional assistance is required if you fail to resolve the issue through troubleshooting or in the presence of visible hardware damage. When your iPhone is experiencing:
- A cracked screen
- Liquid damage
- Ghost touches
- Frozen touch screen
- Specific touch failures
- A replaced screen that is not functioning properly
Continued usage of the iPhone in case of physical damage may lead to further complications with the problem.
FAQs
How do I fix my iPhone touchscreen not responding?
The first step that you should do is to clean your iPhone and make sure its screen is not wet; remove the screen protector from your iPhone, unplug all charging devices for your iPhone, and either reboot or update your iPhone’s operating system.
Why is my iPhone touch screen suddenly not working?
Unexpected touch problems may be triggered by a temporary problem with your iPhone’s software, water, screen protector, charging accessories, apps, or some sort of hardware problem.
How do I restart an iPhone when the touch screen is not working?
Press the appropriate buttons for resetting your iPhone based on the version of iPhone that you have. For example, for the latest versions, you need to press Volume Up, Volume Down, and Side Button simultaneously.
Can I fix an iPhone touch problem without replacing the screen?
Sometimes, when the touch problem occurs because of your iPhone’s software, water, screen protector, or charging accessories, it may be enough to troubleshoot it. A hardware problem may require repairing or replacing your iPhone’s display.
Should I replace my iPhone if the touch screen stops working?
Not necessarily. It is best for the device to be checked out by a technician first. When the device is still fine aside from the broken screen, repair would make more sense than replacement.
Conclusion
An iPhone touch problem solution can usually begin with such simple actions as cleaning the screen, disconnecting the accessories, restarting the device, or upgrading to the newest version of iOS. If the touch continues to work incorrectly, especially after some kind of physical or liquid damage, then professional help will be required. Such solutions will help to find the reason and bring touchscreen functionality back.