If you are asking yourself, “why is my iPhone screen not responding”, then you are in the right place. Here, we will go through what you need to know and if you need to get your device repaired.
If you are experiencing a tech issue that you need help with, why not check out our articles and guides? From failed software updates and speaker problems to broken power buttons, or front cameras, we have blogs to help you figure it out.
Easy Fixes for an iPhone Screen That isn’t Responding
First, let’s go through some easy solutions that might resolve the frustrating situation.
The Screen is Dirty
If the screen is too dirty, the touch-screen feature will glitch and become unresponsive. Simply clean off the screen using a lint-free cloth (and isopropyl alcohol solution if necessary), and see if this does the trick.
You Are Using a Low Quality Screen Protector
The device’s ability to detect screen touches can be impacted by poor quality screen protectors. So, if you are using one that is cheap, remove it and see if the screen works without any protector on it.
If it works fine without a protector on it, try and get a better quality screen protector going forward. In purchasing online, read the reviews before you buy!
Accessories in the Lightning Port
Occasionally, there are glitches when you plug an accessory into your iPhone’s lightning port/charging port. While this doesn’t happen often, it’s worth testing out by unplugging anything that you have attached to the phone and trying out a different cable to see if it resolves the issue.
If you use a different cable and your screen becomes unresponsive again, you will need to bring it in to get serviced.
Your Phone Case is Putting Pressure on the Screen
Badly designed or very tight cases can result in this unresponsive screen, too. All you need to do here is remove your phone case and see if it resolves the issue. If it does, then you need to get a better phone case.
If the issue remains, then try the other fixes on this list or take your phone to an Apple Store or a trusted repair shop like us, and we can have a look at it for you.
Why is My iPhone Screen not Responding?
None of the easy fixes worked for you? We will go through some more in-depth fixes that could the answer you are looking for.
Water Damage Could be the Problem
There could also be water damage that is making your screen unresponsive. If you have somehow got your phone wet, whether it was dropped in a puddle or you walked through a sprinkler, you should know how to handle water damage.
Here’s what you should do if you have somehow managed to get your iPhone wet:
- Remove your iPhone from the water immediately
- Get the iPhone out of its case
- Get a clean and dry cloth or soft towel and gently wipe off all the liquid that you can reach
- Direct the lightning port down and give your phone a gentle shake, tapping it to remove any excess water that might have found its way into the speakers and port
- Leave the iPhone somewhere warm and dry to dry out. If you have a fan, place it in front of that with the lightning port facing it, but make sure the fan is not heated
Your Device is Too Hot or Too Cold
You should be able to tell if your iPhone is overheating or freezing simply by touching it and feeling how hot or cold it is. An icy cold iPhone will be due to the weather, so do keep an eye out for this, because we’ve seen it happen!
An overheating phone, however, could be caused by a number of things, with the weather also playing a role. Heavy data use, poor signal, faulty batteries, or too much sunlight can all cause an iPhone to overheat and shut down.
So, the first thing to do would be to put your iPhone somewhere cooler. To cool your frozen-screened iPhone down, you can:
- Make sure it is not charging
- Take the case off
- Put it in the shade (never put your phone in the fridge, we know it’s tempting)
- Fan it with a book, paper, or anything else you have on hand
The Software is Glitching
Software glitches are, unsurprisingly, very common. To fix them, you can try a number of different things, but we recommend doing a hard-restart or updating iOS. We will go through how to do these below.
Hard-Restart the Device
Sometimes a simple restart is all that’s needed to jumpstart the correct processes in your iPhone. Depending on the iPhone model you have, you will need to take different steps to force restart your device.
For iPhones that Support iOS 16 or Later
- Quickly press the volume up button and release
- Quickly press the volume down button and release
- Hold down the side button
- Release the side button when the Apple logo shows
For iPhones that Don’t Support iOS 16 (iPhones 6, 7, 8 and SE (1st Gen)
- iPhone 6 models and iPhone SE (1st Gen) – Hold down the home and sleep/wake button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 7 – Hold down the sleep/wake button and volume down button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (2nd Gen) – Quickly press the volume up button and release, then do the same with the volume down button. Hold down the side button, and release it when you see the Apple logo
Ensure iOS is Up-to-Date
Check your device to see if it needs an iOS update. If it does, then update it and try the camera again. If your device doesn’t want to update, then you can do it manually – but you will need the latest version of iTunes on a Windows or Mac laptop/PC.
Follow these steps:
- Connect your Windows/Mac device to the phone
- Do a force restart (steps outlined in an above section) to get your phone in Recovery Mode
- Don’t let go of the buttons until the phone screen has the Recovery mode screen (a charging cable with an arrow pointed at a laptop)
- Select ‘update’ when the option to restore or update on your computer shows up
- Confirm, then follow the instructions given to you (it can take up to 15 minutes, so have some patience)
- Your phone will restart on its own once you’re done
If this doesn’t work, you can use DFU Mode, but beware that this will restore iOS to a clean slate, so back your phone up first!
imFixed Can Help You
An unresponsive iPhone screen is frustrating, but there are things that you can do to try and resolve the issue. Some fixes are quick and easy, while others need a bit more effort to get done. Work your way through our list, and see if any of these fixes work for you.
At imFixed, we offer local tech repairs in Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale to help you with all your devices, including battery replacements. We also supply accessories such as cases and holders, Apple screen protectors, chargers, and cases, so that you can keep your tech running like it should be.
We also cover issues like iPhones that won’t charge, connect to Wi-Fi or read SIM cards, issues with sound quality on calls, why people can’t hear you through your phone, and even why your iPhone won’t vibrate.
So, why is my iPhone screen not responding? It could be anything from out-of-date iOS and software glitches to low-quality screen protectors and the wrong phone case!
