You are tapping and swiping on your iPhone screen but your iPhone won’t respond to your taps and swipes. When your iPhone screen is not responding to touch, you can’t use your device at all! In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone screen is not responding to touch and show you how to fix or repair the problem.
Why Is My iPhone Touch Screen Not Responding?
Many people believe that there’s a hardware issue when their iPhone screen is not responding. However, a lot of the time, iPhone screens freezes because of a software crash, making the screen completely unresponsive.
Software Problems and Your iPhone Touch Screen
A lot of iPhone touch screen issues are caused by a software problem. The steps below will first walk you through software troubleshooting steps you should take before exploring screen repair options!
Does The iPhone Touch Screen Stop Responding When You Use A Specific App?
If your iPhone screen stop responding while using a specific app, it’s possible that app is causing the problem rather than your iPhone. Closing and reopening the app can sometimes fix a minor software crash or bug.
If your iPhone has a Home button, double-press it to open the app switcher. Swipe the app you were using up and off the top of the screen.
If your iPhone doesn’t have a Home button, open the app switcher by swiping up from the very bottom of the screen to the center of the screen. Swipe the problematic app up and off the top of the screen to close it.
If an app is the cause of the problem, you may want to contact the app Developer and let them know about the issue.
How Do I Contact the App Developer?
Please follow the steps below to find contact information:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Search for the app, then tap it.
- Scroll to the Ratings & Reviews section, then tap App Support. This will open a page. Safari will open and you will be redirected to the developer’s support page. If you don’t see App Support, make sure that you’re signed in to the correct Apple Account.
What to do if your iPhone screen it’s not responding to touch at all
If your iPhone’s touchscreen is not responding, try each of these troubleshooting tips. Hopefully, one of these will get you up and running. If not, it’s likely you have a hardware problem that may only be fixable by contacting Apple customer service to repair or replace your phone.
Hard Reset Your iPhone
The first step to take when your iPhone screen is not responding to touch is to hard reset your iPhone. If a minor software crash made your screen unresponsive, a hard reset should fix the problem.
The way to hard reset your iPhone varies depending on which model you own. To hard reset an iPhone 8 or newer, press and release the volume up button. Then, press and release the volume down button. Finally, hold down the side button on the right side of your iPhone until the screen turns off and the Apple logo appears.
On an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, simultaneously press and hold down the volume down button and the power button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
To hard reset an iPhone SE, iPhone 6, or Earlier iPhone models, press and hold the power button and the Home button at the same time until the screen turns off and the Apple logo appears.
Update Your iPhone
Even if your screen still isn’t responding to touch, you can update your iPhone by connecting it to your computer and using Recovery Mode:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
- Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.
- Keep your device connected and wait until the Connect to computer screen appears.
- iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later): Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold the top (or side) and volume down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the top (or side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- Locate your iPhone on your computer. When you see the option to Update or Restore, choose Update. Wait while your computer downloads the software for your iPhone. If the download takes more than 15 minutes and your device exits the Connect to computer screen, let the download finish, then repeat step 3.
iPhone Touch Screen Still Isn’t Responding? Factory reset your iPhone!
If your iPhone has recently stopped responding to your touch and nothing else so far has worked, it’s possible there’s a serious hardware issue and the phone needs to be repaired or replaced.
Before you investigate that drastic option, you might want to perform a factory reset. This will reset the phone back to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box — it’ll wipe out all software updates, installed apps, and your personal data. That’s not a problem if you have your phone set to perform regular cloud backups, but beware that this could result in the permanent loss of any data since the last backup.
How do i Factory Reset My iPhone?
Without the ability to use the iPhone’s touchscreen, you’ll need to start the factory reset on a computer:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
- Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.
- Keep your device connected and wait until the Connect to computer screen appears.
- iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later): Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold the top (or side) and volume down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the top (or side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- Locate your iPhone on your computer. When you see the option to Update or Restore, choose Restore, and follow the directions to perform a factory reset.
When Your Touch Screen Hardware Is To Blame
If you still have no luck getting the touchscreen to respond, it’s almost certain that you have a hardware problem with your iPhone and it needs professional help.
Options for Fixing a Broken iPhone Touch Screen
If your iPhone screen is still not responding to touch after trying the above solutions, it’s time to consider repair options. It’s more likely than not your iPhone is experiencing a hardware problem, or has a manufacturing defect.
We highly recommend taking your iPhone to Apple, especially if it is still covered by AppleCare+. Apple may repair your iPhone for free or offer a replacement. Apple provides support online, over the phone, through the mail, and in-person. Make sure to set up an appointment before bringing your iPhone into a physical Apple Store, otherwise you could spend several hours waiting for help!
Back In Touch With Your iPhone
You’ve fixed the problem with your iPhone, or you’re prepared to get it repaired by Apple. Make sure to share this article on social media to teach your friends and family what to do if their iPhone screen is not responding to touch! Leave a comment down below if you’ve found any other fixes for this problem.