It's a moment we all dread. You swipe to use your phone, but the screen doesn't respond or is very slow. Don't panic. Read on to discover the most common reasons your phone’s touch screen won’t work and how to fix it.
A dirty screen is the most common reason for problems with a phone’s touch screen. Cleaning it should solve it. Here’s how to clean it safely:
• Wipe the screen using a cloth designed for use with monitors or glasses. These contain isopropyl alcohol to remove dirt build-up safely. Alternatively, try using a dry microfibre cloth. Never submerge your phone in water.
• Make sure that your hands are clean and dry before you use your phone.
If the problem still hasn’t gone away, try step 2.
Sometimes if your phone is connected to a power source, it can interfere with the screen response. If your phone is connected to a charger, unplug it. Check to see if this has resolved the problem. If not, try step 3 below.
To find out if software failure has caused the problem with your phone’s touch screen, follow the steps below:
• First, try restarting your device. To do this, hold down the power button until the phone turns off. Press the power button again and wait for your phone to restart. Check if the touch functions on the screen have started working.
• If restarting your phone has not solved the problem, you may need to restore your phone’s factory settings. To do this, start the phone in recovery mode by holding down the power button for several seconds to turn off the phone. Then press and hold the power button and volume up key at the same time (note you may need to use the volume down button on some models). When the Android icon appears on the screen, release both keys, Use your phone’s volume buttons to select “clear data/restore factory settings” and confirm using the power button. Select “yes – delete all user data” and confirm. Then use the volume button to select “reboot system now” and confirm using the power button.
If your phone screen still does not respond to touch after you’ve tried all the steps above, your display probably has a mechanical fault. If that’s the case, get in touch with the company where you bought your phone or head to the manufacturer’s website to see if there is any more help available.