The iPhone’s touch screen stops working or responding to touch quite rarely. And if it happens, it’s because of technical problems, not by itself. Obviously, if this does happen to your device, you will touch the screen, but nothing will happen. If you try to perform a “swipe” action, nothing will happen either, or your device won’t respond to taps and other actions either.
In many cases, problems with the touchscreen are software-related. However, it can also be related to the hardware assembly of the display with the front camera. If it’s a hardware issue, your best option will be to contact Apple or visit one of their stores.
However, don’t rush to take your device to the service center, because you can try to fix the problem yourself at home.
Well, if you want to fix your iPhone touchscreen that isn’t working, here’s what you can try to do.
How to clean an iPhone screen
Make sure your fingers are clean and dry when using your iPhone, as the screen may not respond due to moisture or dirt.
Here are some tips on how to properly clean the iPhone screen:
- Unplug your iPhone from the power source and turn it off before cleaning the screen to avoid permanent damage.
- Use a microfiber cloth, a soft cloth, or a lint-free cloth. Don’t use a towel or anything that could scratch the screen.
- Don’t spray cleaner directly on the iPhone screen. Instead, you can apply it to a cloth and wipe it gently.
- Don’t press the screen too hard.
If you are using a case or protective film or glass, remove it. If the quality of these accessories isn’t very good, your finger touches won’t be recognized by the iPhone. After you remove them, try to touch the screen of your iPhone and see if the problem is resolved.
How to reboot an iPhone
You may need to reboot if your smartphone is frozen and unresponsive. Keep in mind that if the iPhone isn’t frozen, the standard shutdown dialog box with a slider may appear when you press the buttons below. Ignore it and just keep holding the buttons until the device reboots.
iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone X and newer models
- Quickly press and release the volume up button.
- Quickly press and release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
iPhone 7
- Press the side button and the volume down button.
- Hold them down until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
iPhone 6s и 6
- Press the side button and the home button.
- Hold them down until the Apple logo appears.
iPhone SE (1st generation), 5s and earlier models
- Press the top button and the home button.
- Hold them down until the Apple logo appears.
If the touch screen works again after restarting the device, then the problem was caused by a software malfunction.
How to uninstall or update the problematic app on iPhone
Sometimes touch screen freezes are caused by running a certain application. In that case, the problem isn’t with the iPhone display, but with the app, which freezes and stops responding to “taps” and “swipes”. As a rule, the problem is solved by pressing the Home button. The app closes and you are returned to the home screen.
In this case, try updating the app first. Open the App Store, check if updates are available for the problem program, and install them. If the app still hangs after installing the updates, uninstall it from your device and install it again. If that doesn’t help either, then the problem is with the app itself and there is nothing you can do.
How to restore iPhone to factory settings using iTunes
You can perform this method if your iPhone screen is slow to respond. If you encounter the iPhone touch screen not responding fully, you can try the following methods: restore iPhone in recovery mode or DFU mode. Otherwise, make sure that your iPhone is synced with the computer you are going to use to restore iPhone.
To restore your iOS device to factory settings, follow these steps:
- Use the Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to a PC that has iTunes installed.
- Launch iTunes and on the “Report” tab, click on the “Restore” option.
- Let the restoration process be completed.
- Finally, set up your iPhone.
Once you have completed these steps, you will restore your iPhone to factory settings.
What to do if the touchscreen won’t work on your iPhone after water damage
It doesn’t matter what kind of iPhone you have, if it comes into contact with water, you’ll probably run into the same problem. Here are a few things to try:
- Immediately turn off your iPhone as soon as you find that the touchscreen doesn’t work on your iPhone after water damage to prevent additional problems.
- Then, clean every nook and cranny of your iPhone using the best desiccant you can find. Let all the water soak into the material. You may have to repeat this several times to get all the water out.
- It’s best to put the iPhone with its left side up so that water doesn’t get on the logic board on the right side of the iPhone.
- After 48 hours, try turning on your iPhone and see what happens, especially with its touch screen.
If your iPhone won’t turn on, the best option, in this case, would be to take it to a specialist for diagnosis in the Apple Service Center.
