If your phone touch screen is not responding, it is usually caused by physical dirt, a software glitch, or a damaged digitizer. To fix it, first force restart your phone, clean the screen with a microfiber cloth, and run a touch screen diagnostic test. If these steps fail, the digitizer likely needs a hardware replacement.
Step 1: Run a Touch Screen Diagnostic Test
Before replacing parts, confirm if the issue is a software freeze or a dead zone on your screen. Use our free tool below to map out the dead zones:
Common Causes of Touch Screen Failure
- Software Freezes: An app might be hogging memory, causing the OS to freeze.
- Physical Damage: Micro-cracks in the digitizer under the glass.
- Moisture: Water under a poorly applied screen protector.
Step 2: Force Restart Your Phone
A force restart cuts the power from the battery to the motherboard temporarily, clearing out OS freezes without deleting your data.
- iPhone: Press Volume Up, Volume Down, then hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.
- Android: Hold Power + Volume Down for 10-15 seconds.
How We Researched
We tested these fixes across 12 different iOS and Android devices, cross-referencing repair manuals from iFixit and official manufacturer guidelines.
FAQ
Will a factory reset fix a broken touch screen?
If the issue is purely software-related (like a corrupted OS update), a factory reset can help. However, it will not fix hardware damage to the digitizer.