iPhone Screen Sporadically Turns On, Off

Some users have reported an issue in which the iPhone screen sporadically turns on for no apparent reason while the device is in sleep (standby) mode. This wastes battery life.

One iPhone Atlas reader writes:

"While my call drop problem seems to have cleared up, I've been getting a blinking problem. Even when the phone is asleep, it will blink on every few minutes, as if it is registering a signal change or something. This seems to have started with the recent iPhone (2.1) update and I'm trying to sort out if it's the iPhone software or some 3rd party problem. It's annoying since it chews through my battery life."

Other users have reported a more significant issue where the screen sporadically and unexpectedly turns off during routine operation, or when calls are incoming.

Apple Discussions poster jpingen writes:

"Every once in a while my screen goes black. Sometimes it happens while writing a text message, other times it happens when surfing on the internet. Sometimes it even happens on the home screen while pressing an icon to open an application. When the screen goes black, i have to wait about 5 seconds, then press the sleep/wake button. The unlock screen appears, i slide to unlock and my phone is exactly at the same point where it was before the screen went black."

In some cases, the later issue is caused by cases, which can interfere with the iPhone's proximity sensor. The proximity sensor automatically turns the screen off when the phone is held to the ear, but can be tricked by a case or other obstruction into inadvertently turning off the screen.

In other cases, both issues are caused by temporary software issues that can be resolved by restoring the iPhone in iTunes.

Similar issue? Please let us know.