How to Fix an Unresponsive iPhone Touchscreen (The Easy Way!)

How to Fix an Unresponsive iPhone Touchscreen

Apart from making calls and sending texts, iPhones serve many other purposes including office work, browsing the internet, taking photos and many others. Most users find it easier and convenient to use their iPhones thanks to the touchscreen functionality which enables faster navigation by just tapping on the preferred command or menu.

Unfortunately, you can only interact with your iPhone using the touchscreen so it can be quite frustrating when it is not working. While some iPhone unresponsive touchscreen requires professional repair or device screen replacement, there are a few simple ways of fixing the touchscreen not working issue in iPhones.

If you encounter such a problem, follow the steps described in this tutorial to troubleshoot and resolve the unresponsive iPhone screen problem.

What Causes Unresponsive iPhone Touchscreen

There are many possible reasons why your iPhone screen stops working. Some popular causes including iOS-related issues, physical damage and installed apps among others.

Whatever the reason, below we have prepared some troubleshooting tips and simple solutions to help you remedy the problem on your own.

Touchscreen not Working Basic Fixes

  • Ensure that the iPhone screen is clear and clean. You may use a lint-free cloth to wipe off any dirt or dust that could be covering the screen touch sensor.
  • You should also ensure that the screen is not wet or oily.
  • Similarly, ensure that your fingers are clean and dry before you touch the iPhone’s screen. 
  • If your device has a screen protector, remove it and test if the display can respond. Screen protectors may trap dirt underneath or wear out with time preventing the screen from responding to touch.
  • Inspect the screen for physical damage and if you identify any sign of cracks, swollen parts or colored spots, it could be the time to replace the screen or the entire device.
Touchscreen not working basic fixes

Solution 1: Soft-reset the iPhone to Fix Screen not Responding to Touch

  • To restart iPhone X or later models, long-press both the side and Volume down keys simultaneously.
  • For earlier models, long-press the wake/sleep button until the ‘power off’ slider appears on the screen and then slide the slider to the right to shut down the device.
  • Wait for 30 to 60 seconds and then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. 
  • Unfortunately, when the screen is not responsive you may not be able to slide the power off slider to switch off the device. In this case, you will need to do a force restart. Follow the procedure below to force restart your iPhone depending on the model:
  • iPhone 8 or Later - Press and release the Volume Up and then the Volume Down buttons in quick succession.
  • Long press the Power button until you see the Apple logo on the display.
  • iPhone 7 and 7 Plus model - Press and hold both the Power button and the Volume Down button until the Apple logo appears.
  • iPhone 6 and Older Models - Press and hold both the Power button and the home button and release when the Apple logo shows up on the display.

Your device will shut down and power on automatically resolving the issue that could be causing the screen to freeze.

Solution 2: Free up iPhone Storage Space

  • Navigate to the iPhone file manage “Files” and browse through the iPhone storage.
  • Tap the 3 dots at the right-top conner of the display and choose “Select”
SelectFiles
  • Now tap to tick the files you want to get rid of and then the delete icon at the bottom of the screen 
DeleteFiles
  • To delete unwanted photos, open the “Photos” app to view all the photos.
  • Select all the photos you would like to delete and then tap the delete icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen 
DeletePhoto
  • Confirm the action on the prompt that follows.
  • Step 2: Offload or Delete App

    • Navigate to the iPhone “Settings > General > iPhone Storage” and then tap to select an app.
    • The screen that follows shows you the size of the app and the space occupied by the app data.
    • Tap the blue “Offload App” link to delete the app data or the red “Delete App” link to uninstall the app automatically.
    OffloadApp
    • You can also delete an app by long press the app on the home screen or the app library and select “Remove App”.
    • On the pop-up that results, tap “Delete App” and then “Delete” to confirm the action
    DeletingApp

    Solution 3: Update the iOS and Installed Apps

    • To updated the iPhone software, open the settings app and open the “General” settings.
    • Select “Software Update” at the top of the options
    SoftwareUpdate
    • Allow the device to check for available updates. Download and install the updates.
    • Restart the device and check the screen responsiveness. 
    • Launch the Apple App Store and at the bottom of the display, tap “Apps” and then tap the account icon at the top of the resulting page
    AppStore
    • Scroll down to “UPCOMING UPDATE” section. Here you will see all the apps with pending updates.
    • To update the app, tap the “Update” button next to each of the out-of-date app. You can update all the apps together by clicking the “Update All” option
    UpdateApps

    After all the updates have been downloaded and installed, restart the iPhone and check to see if the touchscreen operates correctly.

    Have you Fixed the iPhone not Responding Problem?

    Have you Fixed the iPhone not Responding Problem?

    It is our hope that the above guide has helped you to fix your iPhone touchscreen not working issue. If your screen is still not responding to touch, it could be the time to replace the device if the device is too old or invest in a new iPhone screen.

    However, it is a good idea to take the device to an official iPhone repair shop or call Apple support team for assistance before you budget for a new phone or replacement screen.

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