Phone Touch Screen Not Responding? Fixes for Samsung, Pixel & iPhone

Key takeaways

• A force restart fixes most frozen screens. The button combination is different for iPhone, Samsung and Pixel (below).
• Water droplets, sweaty fingers, gloves and thick or cracked screen protectors cause most “ghost touch” and missed taps.
• A cheap or faulty charger can make the screen jump or tap by itself while plugged in.
• A dead strip or corner that never responds is hardware damage to the digitizer. Software fixes will not help.

What Kind of Touch Problem Do You Have?

“Not responding” can mean different things, and each one points to a different cause:

Step 1: Force Restart Your Phone

A force restart works even when the screen does not respond, and it does not erase anything.

• iPhone 8 and newer: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
• Samsung Galaxy: hold the Side (power) button and Volume Down together for about 10 seconds until the phone restarts.
• Google Pixel: hold the Power button and Volume Up together for about 10 to 20 seconds until the phone restarts.

If the screen works after the restart but freezes again later, an app or a software bug is the likely cause. Update the phone and any apps you installed recently.

8 More Fixes to Try

1. Dry and clean the screen. Water droplets and oil confuse the touch sensor. Wipe with a dry microfiber cloth and dry your hands.
2. Remove the screen protector. A cracked, lifting or thick protector is one of the most common causes of missed taps and dead edges. Test without it.
3. Take off the case. Some cases press on the screen edges and cause ghost touches.
4. Unplug the charger. If ghost touches only happen while charging, the charger or cable is faulty. Try an original charger. See why won’t my phone charge if charging is also a problem.
5. Take off gloves. Normal gloves block the touch sensor; Minnesota winter gloves are a common cause in December.
6. Free up storage and close apps. A phone with almost no free space can lag badly. Delete large videos or apps you do not use.
7. Update the software. iOS and Android updates often fix touch bugs.
8. Check for water damage. If the phone got wet recently, touch problems may be the first sign of corrosion. Turn it off and see what to do when water gets into your phone.

How to Test Your Touch Screen

A simple test tells you whether part of the screen is dead. Open a drawing or notes app and slowly draw lines across the whole screen, top to bottom and side to side. If the line breaks in the same place every time, that area of the digitizer is damaged. On many Samsung Galaxy phones, the Samsung Members app has a Diagnostics section with a touch screen test. Some Samsung models also open a hidden test menu if you dial *#0*# in the Phone app and tap Touch.

Samsung and Pixel Specific Fixes

• Turn on higher touch sensitivity. Samsung: Settings > Display > Touch sensitivity (helps with screen protectors). Pixel: Settings > Display > Increase touch sensitivity (on models that offer it).
• Turn off Accidental touch protection if taps near the top of the screen are ignored, or turn it on if the phone taps itself in your pocket.
• Boot into Safe Mode. If touch works normally in Safe Mode, a third-party app is causing it. Remove recent apps one at a time.
• Curved-edge Samsung screens can register the palm of your hand as a touch. A case with a raised edge helps.

We repair Galaxy S, A and Note phones and Pixel phones at our Eagan shop; see Samsung repair in Eagan and Google Pixel repair in Eagan.

iPhone Specific Fixes

• Check Touch Accommodations (Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Touch Accommodations). If it is on, it changes how taps are recognized; turn it off.
• Check 3D and Haptic Touch settings on the same screen.
• Update iOS in Settings > General > Software Update.
• Watch for lines or flicker along with touch problems. That usually points to screen damage; see lines on an iPhone screen.

Our detailed guide on iPhone touch screen not working has more iPhone-only fixes, and our iPhone repair in Eagan page covers every iPhone repair we do.

Signs It Is a Hardware Problem

• The same area of the screen never responds, even after a restart and without a protector.
• Touch stopped working right after a drop, even if the glass is not cracked.
• The screen is cracked, especially near the dead area.
• Touch problems come with lines, flicker, dark spots or a lifting screen.
• The problem started after water exposure.

In these cases the digitizer (the touch layer bonded to the display) is damaged. On modern phones the glass, touch layer and display are one part, so the fix is a full screen replacement. Occasionally the cause is a loose display connector, which a technician can reseat.

Screen Protector Problems (the Most Overlooked Cause)

A surprising number of “broken” touch screens we see at the shop work perfectly once the screen protector comes off. Protectors cause problems when they are too thick for the phone, when a crack in the protector runs across the screen, when dust or an air bubble sits under them, or when the edges lift on curved screens. If your screen started acting up after you fitted a new protector, or after the old one cracked, peel it off and test for a day. If the problem disappears, fit a thinner, good-quality tempered glass protector designed for your exact model. Here is how to install a tempered glass screen protector properly.

What We Do at the Shop

1. Free test. We check the touch layer across the whole screen and look for damage, liquid and loose connectors.
2. Clear answer. We tell you whether it is software, a protector, a connector or the screen, and what it will cost.
3. Repair. If the screen needs replacing, most repairs are done the same day.
4. Final test. We check touch, display, cameras and sensors before you leave, with a 90-day warranty.

Touch Screen Repair Cost in Eagan

Prices are from our repair pricing page. Every screen replacement includes a 90-day warranty, and your photos and data stay on the phone. For a Samsung-specific breakdown, see our Samsung screen replacement cost guide.

Frequently Asked Questions