How to Fix Phone Screen Unresponsive Touch
Fix a phone touchscreen that does not respond: strip it to bare glass, force restart, test for a bad app, charger, or dead zone, and back up before a reset or repair.
You will end up with a touchscreen that responds again, or with proof that the fault is hardware, a backup of your data, and a repair-or-replace decision. The checks run from the cheapest to the most drastic. They start with a clean, bare screen and a force restart, move through a safe-mode test for apps, a software update, a dead-zone test, the charger, and temperature, and end with a factory reset.
Work through the steps in order. The early ones cost nothing, and the last one erases the phone, so steps 8 and 9 put the backup before the reset. The steps give separate instructions for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and OnePlus where they differ.
We checked the iPhone, Pixel, and Samsung instructions against Apple's, Google's, and Samsung's support pages in October 2026.
Soft lint-free cloth A second charger and cable (to test whether yours is the cause) Flashlight (to look into the charging port) USB mouse, plus a USB-C or Lightning adapter if its plug does not fit the phone (to work a phone whose screen is dead) Computer and USB cable (to back up, and to reset a phone whose screen cannot be used)
Clean the screen and remove your case
A dirty or wet screen, a case, and a screen protector can each interfere with touch, so strip the phone back to bare glass first. Unplug the phone and lock the screen. Do not spray liquid onto the phone. Wipe the screen with a soft, lint-free cloth. For grime on an iPhone, Apple's cleaning guidance allows a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe on the display, as long as no moisture gets into the openings. Dry the screen and your hands, because moisture on the screen affects touch, and take off gloves. Remove your phone case. Then take off the screen protector, knowing that Google warns you may not be able to put it on again. Samsung's support page puts it plainly: "Screen protectors, cases, or other accessories attached to the device may affect touch sensitivity and gesture recognition." It adds that non-genuine screen protectors and cases may affect touch especially around the screen edges. Unlock the phone and test the bare screen.
Good to know: If the phone works without the screen protector, the protector was the problem. Replace it with one made for your exact model. With a protector on a Samsung, turn on Touch sensitivity under Settings, then Display. On a Pixel 8a or earlier, turn on Screen protector mode under Settings, then Display & touch, then Touch sensitivity.
Restart your phone
A restart clears a temporary system error, which Samsung lists as one cause of a touchscreen that stops responding. A screen that ignores taps cannot show you the power menu, so force restart with the buttons. For iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X 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 the Apple logo appears. Apple notes that this can take longer than 10 seconds. iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) and iPhone 8 use the same three presses. On iPhone 7, hold the Volume Down and Side buttons together, and on iPhone 6s or earlier, hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together, until the Apple logo appears. For Samsung Galaxy phones, hold the Side button and the Volume Down button together for more than 7 seconds, until the phone restarts. For Google Pixel phones, hold the Power button for about 30 seconds until the phone restarts. For OnePlus phones, hold the Power button and a Volume button together for more than 10 seconds, until the phone vibrates and reboots. The Power button on its own will not do it.
Check if a specific app is causing the problem
If the screen works everywhere except in one app, or the trouble began right after you installed something, test for an app problem. This step needs a screen that responds at least some of the time. On Android, restart in safe mode, which temporarily turns off all downloaded apps. On a Pixel 6 or later, hold the Power and Volume Up buttons for a few seconds, touch and hold Power off or Restart on screen, and tap OK. On a Pixel 5a or earlier, hold the Power button alone to open that menu. On a Samsung, hold the Side and Volume Down buttons, touch and hold Power off, and tap Safe mode. If the touchscreen works normally in safe mode, a downloaded app is the cause. Restart the phone to leave safe mode, then uninstall recently added apps one at a time, restarting after each one, until the problem goes away. On iPhone, there is no safe mode. Open several apps and see where the problem shows up. If it happens in only one app, update that app, and if there is no update, delete and reinstall it. If it happens across the system, move on to the next step.
Check for software updates
Outdated software can cause touch problems, and manufacturers ship fixes for touchscreen bugs in updates. On iPhone, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update. If an update is available, install it. On a Pixel, go to Settings, then System, then Software updates. On a Samsung, go to Settings, then Software update, then Check for updates. Install anything offered. If your touchscreen stopped working right after a system update, check again for a follow-up update over the next few days, because the fix for a bug that an update introduced arrives as another update. Pixel 4a and later have a second route. Google's Update and Software Repair tool reinstalls the latest software from a computer over USB, and Google says this may resolve software issues without a factory reset.
Good to know: Update your apps as well. Samsung's touchscreen page lists outdated apps beside outdated system software as a cause of compatibility problems. On Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, then Manage apps & device, and update everything listed.
Test for dead zones on the screen
A touchscreen can fail in one area while the rest works. A dead zone that stays in the same place after a restart and an update points to the screen hardware. Open a drawing or note-taking app and slowly drag your finger across the whole screen in a zigzag. Anywhere the line breaks and your touch does not register is a dead zone. On the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL, Google documents a built-in touch diagnostics test, reached from Settings by tapping Display & touch and then Touch diagnostics. Google's page lists the test for those three models only, so on any other Pixel use the drag test. On Samsung phones, use the Samsung Members app. Tap Support, then Get started. When the diagnostics scan begins, stop it and select Touch screen to run that test alone. If you find a dead zone that is still there after the restart in step 2 and the update in step 4, go to step 8, back up your data, and plan a repair.
Disconnect your charger
Unplug the charger and anything else in the charging port, then test the screen. Apple's page for a screen that responds intermittently says to disconnect any Lightning or USB-C accessories and, if the screen then works, to use a different outlet, cable, or charger. Samsung says a damaged charger can make the touchscreen malfunction, and advises against using the touchscreen while the phone is charging. The sign to look for is a screen that works on battery and misbehaves only while plugged in. If that is your phone, stop using that charger and cable. Test with a different, undamaged set, starting with the cable that came in the box with the phone. Look into the charging port with a flashlight for lint and debris. Do not push anything into the port. Google's instruction for a Pixel is to hold the phone with the port facing down and gently tap it against your hand.
Let the phone cool down or warm up
A phone that is too hot or too cold limits what it does. Apple specifies 0 to 35 degrees Celsius (32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) for using an iPhone. Outside that range, it says, "certain features might become temporarily disabled," and in extreme conditions the whole device might become temporarily disabled. Google says a Pixel below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) may shut down suddenly. Neither page names the touchscreen among the features affected, so treat temperature as a quick thing to rule out. If your phone has been sitting in direct sunlight, in a parked car, or near a heat source, unplug it, move it to a cooler place, and leave it alone until it has cooled down. Do not put it in a freezer or refrigerator. If your phone has been outside in below-freezing temperatures, bring it inside and let it warm up gradually before you test the screen.
Get your data off the phone, even with a dead screen
If the screen still ignores you, get your data off the phone before a reset or a repair. The route depends on the phone. On Android, plug in a USB mouse. Google's Android accessibility help says you can attach a mouse using Bluetooth or USB, and a wired one needs no pairing. Use a mouse with a USB-C plug, or a regular USB mouse on a USB-C adapter (sold as a USB OTG adapter). The mouse moves a cursor on screen that stands in for your finger. Samsung's touchscreen page also suggests connecting the phone to a computer or monitor to navigate it. On iPhone, Siri works without the screen. Say "Siri" or "Hey Siri," or hold the Side button (the Home button on models that have one), then ask it to open apps, send messages, or make calls. You can also run the phone with a mouse. Apple's AssistiveTouch page says it works with a wired or Bluetooth mouse or trackpad, and that you can switch it on by asking Siri to "Turn on AssistiveTouch," so it does not need to have been set up in advance. Unlock the iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID first, because Apple says an iPhone has to be unlocked before a wired accessory can connect. A wired mouse needs a Lightning or USB-C adapter unless its plug fits the phone. A Bluetooth mouse has to be paired in Settings, which you cannot reach without a working screen or pointer, so use the wired route. ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is the last route on Android, and it works only if you turned on USB debugging and approved this computer before the screen failed. Android asks you to accept each new computer in a dialog on the phone, and Google's documentation says ADB commands cannot run until you unlock the phone and acknowledge it. With that done earlier, the adb pull command copies files from the phone to the computer.
Heads up: Back up your data before you hand the phone over for repair. Google tells Pixel owners to back up their data and then factory reset the phone before sending it in. If you cannot reach your data at all, ask the repair shop whether it can recover it, and ask before the work starts.
Factory reset the phone as a last resort
A factory reset erases everything on the phone, so finish the backup from step 8 first. Know your account sign-in as well. Samsung and Google both say a phone that has been reset asks for the Google Account that was on it, and an iPhone asks for your Apple Account password during the erase. A reset removes every software cause at once. On iPhone, go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Erase All Content and Settings. If you cannot use the screen, restore the iPhone from a computer in recovery mode, because a screen without touch cannot approve the computer the usual way. Apple's steps are to connect the iPhone to a Mac and open Finder, or to a Windows PC and open the Apple Devices app. Then, on an iPhone 8 or later, press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, and hold the Side button until the "Connect to computer" screen appears. Apple's recovery mode page gives the buttons for older models. The computer offers Update or Restore. Apple says to try Update first if you have not yet, and that Restore reinstalls iOS and erases all your data. On a Pixel, go to Settings, then System, then Reset options, then Erase all data (factory reset). On a Samsung, go to Settings, then General management, then Reset, then Factory data reset. If you cannot use the screen, the button route depends on the brand. Google sends Pixel owners to a separate procedure on its help site, Reset your Pixel phone manually with Fastboot mode. Samsung's procedure is to switch the phone off, connect it to a computer with a USB cable, open the recovery menu with the button combination for your model, and choose Wipe data/factory reset using the volume and power buttons. The combination differs by model, so follow Samsung's factory reset instructions for yours. If the touchscreen still does not work after a factory reset, the problem is hardware, and the phone needs a repair.
Decide whether to repair or replace
A phone whose screen fails the checks above needs a repair shop or a replacement. Three things decide which. Repair it when the quote is well below the price of a comparable replacement, the phone still receives software updates, and the battery still holds a charge. iFixit's iPhone touchscreen troubleshooting page walks through the hardware causes and sells the parts if you want to do the repair yourself. Replace it when the quote approaches the price of a newer model, the phone no longer receives software updates, or the battery is failing too. Using an independent repair shop does not by itself void a manufacturer warranty in the US. The FTC says companies cannot void your warranty or deny coverage solely because you used another company's part or had the work done by someone unaffiliated with them, unless they supply that part or service free under the warranty. They can still refuse to cover damage that the outside part or repair caused. So you are free to shop around. Check your own warranty terms before you commit. On cost, FAQ 5 below explains why the only number to plan around is a written quote for your exact model.
If the screen works again, turn on automatic backups now, so the next failure does not put your data at risk. Our guide on how to declutter digital files starts with the 3-2-1 backup rule. Put the case back on and test the screen once more, and retire the charger or cable that failed the test in step 6. If the problem comes back, write down what was happening each time: whether the phone was charging, which app was open, and which part of the screen failed. Take that record to the repair shop. If the screen ever lifts away from the frame or the back bulges, stop charging the phone and read FAQ 3 below.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
A screen can show a picture and still ignore your finger. Samsung lists temporary system errors, screen protectors, accessibility settings, moisture, and third-party accessories as the causes to check. Start with the bare-screen check in step 1 and the force restart in step 2, and read FAQ 4 below if the phone talks when you touch it.
Yes. iFixit's troubleshooting page says a display can stop working properly without visible damage, and that a small shift in an existing crack can cut off touch even when the screen has been cracked for some time. Look at the glass from several angles for hairline cracks. If touch problems started after a drop, plan on a screen replacement. If they started after a screen replacement, go back to the shop that did it, because iFixit reports that touch problems are rampant in low-grade replacement screens.
This is called ghost touch or phantom touch. Look at the phone's body first. If the screen is lifting away from the frame or the back is bulging, suspect a swollen battery. Stop charging the phone and stop using it. iFixit's battery guidance says lithium-ion batteries may catch fire if handled improperly, so do not press the screen back into place, and take the phone to a repair shop. If the body looks normal, unplug the charger (step 6), dry and clean the screen and remove the screen protector (step 1), and force restart (step 2). If ghost touches continue after those three, run the dead-zone test in step 5 and get a repair quote.
A screen reader is switched on. On Android it is called TalkBack, and on iPhone it is VoiceOver. Both change the gestures the phone accepts. With TalkBack on, one tap selects an item and reads it aloud, and a double-tap opens it, which makes the screen seem to ignore ordinary taps. Samsung lists TalkBack among the causes of a touchscreen that does not respond normally. To turn it off on Android, say "Hey Google, turn off TalkBack," or go to Settings, then Accessibility, then TalkBack, double-tapping each item to open it. If the volume-button shortcut is set up, holding both volume buttons for a few seconds also turns it off. On iPhone, ask Siri to turn off VoiceOver, or go to Settings, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver.
No single figure exists, because the price depends on the model and on who does the work. Apple does not publish a flat screen price. Its repair page gives an estimate per model, says the final fee is set after Apple inspects the phone, and notes that Apple Authorized Service Providers set their own fees. Samsung publishes a suggested screen repair price for each model and says prices vary by region and service location. Get a written quote for your exact phone from the manufacturer and from an independent shop, then weigh both against the price of a replacement (step 10).
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