“My iPhone touch screen is not working!” is what my friend yelled at his phone when his Apple smartphone’s display started acting up. I saw that day how infuriated he was when his iPhone was incapacitated. Considering my experience with iPhones since day one, I made the following article after learning that a lot of users experienced the same issue.
You will find the following write-up very useful if your iPhone’s touch display isn’t working perfectly. I made a list of all the factors that could be, potentially, responsible for this issue and also the solutions, you can use, to fix this issue. Keep implementing all the fixes, listed one by one, for quicker and better results.
Hopefully, by the end of this article, your iPhone screen starts working again, without any issues, as it used to, previously. Read this article to know more.
What is the iPhone Touch Problem?
The iPhone touch problem is a technical issue that has been around on Apple’s iPhone since the 6s model. The main symptoms of this include –
- A blinking gray bar at the top of the iPhone screen
- iPhone gesture issues
- Dysfunctional touch features and screen
The creators of the iPhone are in knowledge of the problem and have officially stated that this issue occurs when the device has been dropped on hard surfaces, which would have caused significant stress to the device and the components that make it up.
Another team looked into this and discovered that this was in fact a defect that arose because of the device’s design.
Factors that cause the iPhone Touch Issue
Suspicious Application Activity
The iPhone display might not work when you are trying to run shady applications on your iOS device. This happens when iOS is not familiar with the source of the application or when the app uses an abnormal level of system resources.
There is also a possibility that the application crashed and you are unable to use the touch screen. In this case, we’ll be left with very few options to end the app.
Cracked or Disconnected Display
iPhones are very durable and that is a fact. However, no electronic device can remain unharmed after it undergoes a physically traumatic experience. You could end up with cracks on the screen glass or even on the display itself. The device may also absorb moisture, making it very hard or impossible to use the touch feature.
Outdated iOS Firmware
Out-of-date system software will cause a series of issues on any device that is powered by an Operating System (OS). Coming to our topic of discussion, an older iOS version can also cause touch-related issues when the user has not updated it in a very long time.
If you haven’t updated your iOS to the most recent version and are facing the touch issue, you can consider this an alarm to update the firmware.
Loose parts inside the device
This is a possible consequence of damage to the iPhone. Though all the components inside the device are compactly packed and will rarely become loose, this is a possible factor. The only solution for this is to have an authorized technician take a look at this and replace the damaged components, if necessary.
Dirty Screen
Even a fine layer of dust on the screen can prevent the user from utilizing the touch features properly. Placing the device, the screen side up can cause dust to accumulate on the surface. You will also be very careful not to drop the device into dirt or any other contaminant.
Possible Scenarios you can deal with when the iPhone Touch Screen Is Not Working
There are four explainable situations with your iPhone, that involve the touch error, on the basis of the factor that causes it. They are listed as follows –
Certain application is causing the issue
There could be an application that causes this touchscreen issue to come up when launched. It could either be using too many of the device resources or the system could be checking the application if it is not from an authorized source.
Hardware Problem
A bent iPhone is most likely to have touch issues as the display may not be in contact with the relevant sensors to detect the user’s touch. The same applies to a cracked iPhone display. The touch might malfunction if there are signs of damage on the iPhone.
The screen can’t be unlocked
The user may not even be able to unlock the device properly. This issue can occur when Face ID is not enabled and the iPhone display does not work properly. The device will respond when you press the buttons on the sides, but the screen will not work normally.
Touch doesn’t work at all
No part of the screen works, no matter how many times or how gently the user taps the screen. This is a situation where you might need to get a new display for your iOS device. Hopefully, your warranty covers it.
Solutions to the “My iPhone Touch Screen Is Not Working” issue
- Clean the iPhone screen
- Remove the screen guard and phone case
- Take the connected accessories out
- Force the iPhone to Restart
- Remove the problematic apps
- Run a Device Firmware Update
- Download iPhone updates through a PC
- Alter the iPhone’s 3D device sensitivity
- Reset the iPhone
- Contact Apple Customer Support
- Fixing it on your own
- Take the iPhone to an authorized service unit
Fixing the “My iPhone touch screen is not working” error
Clean the iPhone screen
The most basic workaround for getting your iPhone screen to work smoothly is to wipe the screen with a soft, clean, and dry cloth. Make sure to clear all the fingerprints, dust, water droplets, and other particles that might be on the screen.
If there is a sticky screen surface or something stuck to the screen, you can use a damp cloth to wipe it. If you have a cleansing solution, you can apply a few drops onto a cloth and use it to wipe the screen dry.
It is not advisable or safe to use more than a few drops of water to clean the device. You will have to be very careful while doing this as Apple Care does not fix water-logged Apple devices for free.
Remove the screen guard and phone case
This might seem like a very unusual step to fix a touch screen that isn’t working. There is a minuscule chance that the iPhone touch problem is caused by a tight mobile cover or an improperly placed screen scratch protector.
An incompatible mobile cover might squeeze your phone or be large enough to not detect the user touching the screen. Any object that is in direct contact with the screen could also be hindering the user with touch issues.
In the case of a screen protector, there could be pockets of air between the thin fiberglass sheet and the screen. This will make it difficult to use the screen and also looks really bad on your screen.
Note: Once you remove the screen protector, you can’t use the same one again. You will have to wipe your screen with a cleaning solution and micro-fiber tissue before placing another screen guard.
Take the connected accessories out
In highly unlikely situations, iOS device users may experience the touch problem, when an accessory is plugged into the lightning port. Such accessories may vary from a USB charger cable to a power bank.
If the issue gets fixed when you remove the peripherals, this is a sign that the peripherals is not compatible with your iPhone. This factor causes the same error on almost every device with a touch screen.
Force the iPhone to Restart
Forcing a reboot of your iPhone might help with fixing touch issues. This is the first solution that comes to our minds when we notice something wrong with our smartphones. However, in this case, there is a catch; the screen does not work, obviously.
You don’t have anything to worry about as there is a procedure that does not require the touch feature to forcibly restart the iPhone. If you do not know how to, the steps to do this for different iPhone versions are as follows –
iPhone 6s and previous models
Push the power button and the home button at the same time. You will have to do this until you see the Apple logo on your system, which means that the system is being rebooted.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Push either of the volume buttons and the power button together for around 5 seconds to see the Apple icon appear. This will reboot your iOS device.
iPhone 8 and newer models
Newer iPhone models do not have the home button. The procedure for this involves pressing both volume buttons one at a time, simultaneously. And after that, you have to push the side button till you see the Apple logo show up on the screen.
Remove the problematic apps
Since some suspicious applications can be responsible for this issue, let’s try uninstalling them. Even if this does not cure the iPhone touch problem, you’ll always have the option to download the application back. The easiest method to uninstall an application on the iOS interface is as follows –
- Open the menu where you can see the application’s icon.
- Tap the option and hold it. All the icons on your screen will start vibrating.
- Touch the Remove app option and then, choose Delete app.
- In the confirmation prompt, choose the Delete option to remove the application.
For reinstalling it, you will have to use AppStore or the application’s source website.
Alter the iPhone’s 3D device sensitivity
iPhone has a 3D touch feature that causes this issue as it is related to the iPhone’s touch. Instead of disabling it, you can adjust the sensitivity to see if it helps fix the touch issue. The following procedure will you –
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility.
- Navigate to the 3D touch settings and select that option.
- There are three levels of pressure sensitivity for this feature – Light, Medium, and Firm.
There is also another option for you to disable this feature completely. You can keep it if you are familiar with using this feature.
Run a Device Firmware Update
Updating the iOS firmware on your iPhone might be able to help with the touch not working error. For users who aren’t familiar with the steps to update iOS, check the steps below –
- Open the Settings window on your iPhone and go into the General settings.
- Choose the Software Update option.
- Navigate to the Download and Install option and tap on it. If your iPhone has the auto-update feature disabled, you will see an Install now option, instead of the Download and Install option.
- You will see some instructions that will help you with the updating process.
If you want to, you can always enable the auto-update feature. Just make sure that you are around a network connection. You’ll find the option to do this in the form of the Automatic Updates toggle switch on the same page as the available updates.
There is also another feature called the Device Firmware Upgrade, that will remove all contents of your device and reinstalls them for you. It is important for users to back their data up so that they don’t lose it. The procedure to do this is as follows –
- Connect your iPhone to a computer with the help of the lightning cable. This can be a Windows or a macOS-powered PC.
- Launch the iTunes window on Windows. For Macs, you can either open the Finder tool or the iTunes application.
- Push the Volume Up button and remove your finger. Then, do the same with the Volume Down button.
- Press the Side button and hold it for around 10 seconds, until the screen turns black.
- Do not remove the finger and now press the Volume down button along with the side button for around 5 seconds.
- Now, release the Side button alone and keep pushing the Volume Down button for around 10 more seconds.
It is very important for the iPhone’s screen to be black all this time.
- Once you see the ‘Your Mac has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used.’ prompt message, release the Volume button.
- Choose the OK option in the pop-up window and select the Restore Phone option.
You might see the device restarting or the Apple logo at times. This should not happen. Nowhere in this process should you be able to see the Apple logo. You will have to do this procedure again from step one.
Download iPhone updates through a PC
There is a second way of updating the iOS version on your iPhone – using a computer. This is longer and a little extra but might be able to fix this issue for you –
- Use a lightning cable to connect the iPhone to your computer.
- Launch the iTunes window and choose the Tiny Device icon.
- On the left panel, select your device.
- If you see the Trust prompt, click on it to confirm.
- In the Trust, This Computer prompt, choose the Trust option to whitelist your computer.
- You will have to enter the iPhone passcode to proceed here.
- Go into the Summary tab on iTunes and then, move to the General tab on the Finder page.
- Click on the Check for Update option, if there are no updates showing. If you have pending updates, make sure that you have a good network connection and choose the Update option.
- Another confirmation window will appear, asking you if you are sure about updating the iOS version. Here, you will have to select the Update option.
- Now, choose Next and then, Agree. Sometimes your passcode may be required.
This will start the download process. Make sure that the network does not get disconnected when the update is in progress. Do not unplug your device till the update completes.
Reset the iPhone
As a final resort, we recommend resetting the device completely. This will give you the default settings that were applied when you obtained the iPhone. If the error is caused by some change in the settings configuration, this method should fix it for you.
- Launch the iPhone settings page and go into General.
- Select the Reset tab and you will see a list of all the different aspects of the iPhone that can be reset.
- There are two options we suggest that you use here –
- You can choose Reset All Settings to see if removing all the configurations and setting them to default helps you. If it doesn’t it means that all the system configurations are functioning properly.
- If you choose the Erase All Content & Settings option, your device will be reset to the state it was in when it was boxed. You will have to initialize your device again as you did the first time.
The reset process can take anywhere between an hour to two hours. You just have to wait patiently until the process finishes.
Note: Resetting the iPhone will cause all the data you owned on the device to be erased. Only the system software will remain with the default settings. It is highly recommended for the user make a backup of the important files before you start the reset process.
Contact Apple Customer Support
Customer support teams can be very helpful when it comes to seeking help from them. This is why we recommend taking this problem up with the Apple customer support executives.
The experts on the other side may have other solutions for you to implement. If none of the steps work for you, they’d recommend taking the device to the nearest Apple store or service center too.
Fixing it on your own
This solution is the one my friend tried to use when his iPhone got the touch problem. The procedure for this may not seem like a standard one but this unconventional one might be able to help.
I have listed this solution in the end because I want you to try this only when you have no other options left. The last solution for you is to take it to the service center
- Locate the part of the screen that is not functioning. There is, usually, a sign of a visible display fracture on your screen.
- Now, push the part of the screen with your thumb gently. This procedure may seem meaningless but this action might help the display cables reconnect with the device’s logic board.
It is important to be very careful and gentle while doing this because a bit of extra pressure can crack your screen and make things even worse for you.
I have listed this solution in the end because I want you to try this only when you have no other options left. The last solution for you is to take it to the service center so why not try this?
If you are familiar with the Apple Self Service Repair, you can try fixing this on your own. It is important that you be extremely cautious, considering the fact that the insides of the device are very delicate and have to be handled with care.
If you notice any visible signs of damage or if the other solutions did not work for you, your final fix is to hand your iPhone over to an authorized service center. The Geniuses at the Apple Genius Bar should be able to analyze the problem and fix your dysfunctional touchscreen for you.
Make sure that you have an alternate device to carry out the functions you usually do with your iPhone. The service process can vary in duration, considering a number of reasonable factors. You can also talk with the dealer who sold you your iPhone regarding the service required for the touch problem.
This article has everything you need to know about the iPhone touch problem. If you still haven’t fixed this issue by now, you might have to replace your existing iPhone. Happy browsing!
