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If you’ve had an iPhone or iPad screen freeze all of a sudden, you’re not alone. It’s a frustrating situation when your device becomes unresponsive to taps and swipes, rendering it unusable. But the good news is that it’s often a simple fix, and we’ve listed ten easy steps to try in this article. We focus on unresponsive displays and recommend solutions for them. For visibly damaged screens or shattered ones, head over to our guide on how to fix a cracked iPhone or iPad screen. We’ve also covered advice on what to do if your iPhone won’t turn on.
What’s Causing the Issue with Your Device?
Many iPhone users have reported issues of unresponsive screens after updating to iOS 11.3. This problem is related to using non-Apple screens installed by third parties. However, some iPhones repaired with official Apple displays are also experiencing issues where they can’t adjust brightness automatically after updating to iOS 11.
Apple has stopped touch functionality from working on repaired iPhones before, mentioning in 2017 iOS update notes that third-party replacement parts may not work properly. However, the company released a software update a week later to resolve the issue.
A software update to iOS may resolve screen issues. Apple subsequently released iOS 12, and iOS 13 will be available for everyone in the fall of 2019. If the issue persists, though, read on for solutions on what to do.
There have also been reports of iPhone X screens being unresponsive in freezing temperatures. Apple attributed the problem to a rapid change in temperature and subsequently released a software fix to solve the issue. Learn more about iPhone X issues.
We also explore the problem of ‘Touch Disease’ in more depth below, including how to prevent it and what to do if you experience it.
Tips and Solutions for Unresponsive Screens
We recommend trying the following solutions in order to fix an unresponsive screen:
- Check if the screen doesn’t always work or it only becomes unresponsive when using a specific app. If it’s the latter, uninstall and reinstall the app.
- Ensure your fingers are dry and clean – moisture or dirt can interfere with the touchscreen and prevent a strong connection.
- If you wear gloves, make sure they’re designed to work with touchscreens.
- If you’re using one, try removing the screen protector.
- Wipe the screen with a soft cloth. (Read more: How to safely clean an iPhone screen.)
- If your device has this feature, check the 3D touch sensitivity settings. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > 3D Touch and adjust the sensitivity slider.
- If the screen issue relates to rotation (i.e., it won’t rotate when you want it to or rotates when you don’t), check Orientation Lock. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center and tap the ‘rotating padlock’ icon. Try playing with the side switch if your device has one (this only applies to the iPad Air 1 and earlier; iPhones have never had rotary switches).
- Press and hold the round Home button and the Power (Sleep/Wake) button simultaneously for about 10 seconds. This will restart your device, and the screen should work fully again.
- Make sure you don’t need any software updates installed – Apple has resolved various issues that caused screens to become unresponsive in subsequent iOS updates.
- If the screen has stopped responding due to a repair by a company other than Apple, return to the store and explain the issue you’re experiencing. Learn how to get an iPhone screen repaired.
- As a more extreme option, reset the device to factory settings.
If none of these tips works, your device may have what’s known as Touch Disease (or Touch IC Disease), which we discuss in the section below.
Touch Disease
In 2016, Apple made headlines with Touch Disease
The common repair website iFixIt discovered and named Touch Disease, although the issue has been around for two years since the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Touch Disease is very likely an additional symptom of Bendgate – a design flaw with the iPhone 6 range of devices that allowed the devices to bend.
What is Touch Disease?
Affected phones show a small flickering gray bar at the top of the screen – about the height of the iOS menu bar. It’s like old-school TV static. Additionally, or alternatively, the screen may stop responding altogether.
The problem can happen intermittently, with some users saying it appears when they first wake up their devices but disappears after a minute or so. Some users say that applying pressure to the top screen area can fix the issue, while others say that twisting the device slightly can serve as a temporary fix.
At this point, we don’t recommend trying either of these methods as it could exacerbate the issue or even break the phone.
Which Devices are Affected by Touch Disease?
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the only models affected by Touch Disease.
The successors, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, are unaffected because Apple redesigned the circuit board, moved the affected parts (see below), and also made the devices structurally stiffer so they’re much less bend-sensitive.
Older devices are also not affected. The iPhone SE, released in March 2016, isn’t affected as it’s based somewhat on the older design of the iPhone 5s.
According to a Reddit post by someone claiming to be an Apple technician, this issue was fixed in models produced after November 2015. However, devices manufactured after that date are still affected. Sites like iPhone IMEI can provide details on when a phone was manufactured, though they aren’t always 100% accurate.
What Causes Touch Disease, and How Can I Prevent It?
Speaking to a number of independent iPhone repair shops, iFixIt concluded that the Touch IC chips on the phone’s motherboard partially loosen, creating intermittent electrical connections. This, in turn, causes the above symptoms.