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Troubleshooting iPhone touchscreen issues

Are you having problems with the responsiveness of your touchscreen on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Apple has detailed the symptoms and the suggestions on how to test it and what to do to get it fixed in a recent knowledge base article.

David Martin
David Martin has more than 20 years of experience in the industry as a programmer, systems and business analyst, author, and consultant.
David Martin
2 min read

Are you having problems with the responsiveness of your touchscreen on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Apple has detailed the symptoms and offers suggestions on how to test it and what to do to get it fixed in a recent knowledge base article.

According to Apple, if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may have problems with your touch screen:

  • Multitouch display (or touch screen) does not respond
  • Portions of the multitouch display do not respond
  • Multitouch display is very slow to respond

Apple suggests the following advice on how to improve or avoid damage to the touch screen:

  • Clean the iPhone screen with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.
  • Do not wear gloves or use the screen with wet hands (including lotions) while using the multitouch display.
  • Try removing any protective plastic or film screen covers, since it might be preventing the touch screen from working.

They then suggest the following software fixes that might resolve the problem:

  • Turn your device off and on by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button until the red slider appears and then slide it. The device should power down. Press and hold the same button until the Apple logo appears to turn it back on.
  • Reboot your device by pressing and holding Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears and release both.

If none of these steps resolves your touch-screen problem, Apple suggests you make an appointment at the Genius Bar inside your local Apple Retail Store to have it checked. If you don't have access to one of these stores, you can find other options in the iPhone Service FAQ.

There are additional tests that Apple suggests your perform before taking or sending your iPhone in for repair. Follow these steps and document your results:

  • Launch the basic calculator app, which is useful for testing the screen with the exception of the top row. Press each button on the calculator and make sure each one works.
  • Rotate your device forcing the calculator to change to the scientific version. Press all the buttons on the left two rows and make sure they work. This will test the top of the screen.