You just unlocked your iPad, but the screen doesn’t look right. The words and app icons are blurred! In this article, I’ll explain how to fix the problem when your iPad screen is blurry!
Restart Your iPad
Many iPad problems can be resolved by a simple restart. All the apps and programs running on your iPad shut down naturally and get a fresh start. If a software crash or app issue made your iPad screen blurry, this could resolve the problem.
If your iPad has a Home button, press and hold the top button until slide to power off appears. Drag the power icon from left to right to shut down your iPad.
If your iPad doesn’t have a Home button, press and hold the top button and either volume button simultaneously until slide to power off appears on the screen. Swipe the power icon from left to right to shut off your iPad.
Wait about a minute, then press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears on the center of the screen.
Is Your iPad Frozen?
If your iPad is frozen on a blurry screen, you won’t be able to restart it the normal way. Instead, you’ll need to hard reset it, which forces your iPad to abruptly turn off and back on.
Keep in mind that when you hard reset your iPad, you may need to hold both buttons (iPad with a Home button) or the top button (iPad without a Home button) for 25–30 seconds. Be patient and don’t give up!
How To Hard Reset iPad With a Home Button
Simultaneously press and hold the Home and top button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. Let go of both buttons when the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Hard Reset iPad Without a Home Button
Quickly press and release the volume up button, then press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the top button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
Does The Screen Get Blurry When You Use A Certain App?
If your iPad gets blurry only when you open a specific app, there’s likely a problem with that specific app, not your iPad. You can check for app crashes in Settings > Privacy & Security. Next, tap Analytics & Improvements > Analytics Data. If you see one app listed repeatedly, there’s likely a software problem with that app.
The first thing to do is check for an update to that app. App developers frequently releases updates to introduce features and fix known bugs.
Open the App Store and tap your account icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Tap App Updates, then tap Update to the right of the app if an update is available. There’s also an option to update all of your apps at once, if you’d like.
If updating the app doesn’t work, try deleting and reinstalling it. This gives the app a completely fresh start. Press and hold the app icon until the menu appears. Tap Remove App > Delete App > Delete.
After uninstalling the app, open the App Store and tap the search icon. Type the name of the app into the search bar, then tap the install button to the right of the app. It’ll look like a cloud with an arrow pointing down out of it.
Does The Screen Get Blurry When You Stream Videos?
People often reach out to us saying their iPad screen gets blurry when streaming video. This happens when the video you’re watching is very low-quality, not because of an issue with your iPad.
Weak internet connection is one of the most common reasons why video quality becomes poor. If you’re using cellular data, try switching to Wi-Fi. Check out our other articles if you’re having issues with your cellular data or Wi-Fi connection.
Adjusting Video Quality In Apps
Some apps allow you to adjust the video quality. For example, if you tap the gear icon on a YouTube video, you can tap the Quality box to change the video’s resolution. The higher the resolution, the less blurry the video will be.
Try Googling the name of the app you’re trying to use and "change video quality" to find specific instructions for different video streaming apps.
Back Up Your iPad
If your iPad screen still appears blurry, we recommend backing it up immediately. It’s more likely than not that your iPad has a deep software problem or a hardware issue. This might be the last chance you have to back up all the data on your iPad.
There are a few different ways to back up your iPad. However, since your iPad screen is blurry, it might be difficult to back it up to iCloud through the Settings app.
How To Backup Your iPad To Finder
If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer, you’ll use Finder to back up your iPad. This macOS update replaced iTunes with Music and moved device management to Finder.
Connect your iPad to your Mac using a USB-C cable, then open Finder. Click on your iPad under Locations. Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac, then click Back Up Now.
How To Back Up Your iPad on a PC or Older Mac
If you have a PC, open the Apple Devices app (or iTunes if you don’t have it). If you have a Mac running macOS 10.14 or older, open iTunes. Connect your iPad to your computer using a charging cable.
Click the iPad icon near the upper left-hand corner of the window. Click General (Apple Devices) or Summary (iTunes). Select the circle labelled This Computer, then click Back Up Now.
DFU Restore Your iPad
A DFU restore is the deepest type of iPad restore. All of the data on your iPad is erased and restored, line by line. Make sure you create a backup before putting your iPad in DFU mode! Check out our other article when you’re ready to DFU restore your iPad.
iPad Repair Options
If you’ve tried all of the fixes above and you’re still looking at a blurry iPad screen, it’s time to reach out to Apple for support. Your iPad likely has a hardware problem that needs to be repaired. Apple provides support in-person, online, and through the mail. Make sure to schedule an appointment first if you plan to head into your local Apple Store.
Clear As Day!
You’ve fixed the problem and your iPad display looks normal again. Next time your iPad screen is blurry, you’ll know how to fix the problem. Leave a comment down below if you have any other questions!
