If you can swear up and down that your touch screen wasn’t always like this, there’s no need to get a new phone, because you can probably make that touchscreen act like new again. There are a few different ways to fix an unresponsive Android touchscreen. But, before I get into that here are a few tips that might fix the problem without a need for any major troubleshooting.
Method 1: Power Cycling
If your phone has stayed on for a while, the touch screen bugging out could be its way of telling you that it needs a quick power nap. Let your phone get some well deserved rest by powering it off completely. It may have been resting its eyes in standby, but that isn’t always enough. There aren’t may steps to this method, but the first one is to power off your device. Make sure to power off your device completely. This is arguably the hardest part to any method, waiting. You should wait for at least fifteen seconds, and then power your device back on. If your touchscreen is responding properly then congratulations, a short rest was all it needed. However, if it’s still on the fritz, we’ll need to dig deeper to find the source of the problem.
Method 2: Performing a Battery Pull
These next few methods should help you narrow down what the problem is, or fix the issue without the reason for the problem becoming known. These all vary from something as low risk as screen cleaning, and something as intimidating as a factory reset. Let’s start with one that’s fairly similar to letting your phone rest for a few seconds, a battery pull. A battery pull is almost exactly what it sounds like. In order to go through with this method you’ll need to physically remove your battery, if your phone allows you to remove it that is. Some models of Android smartphones don’t allow the battery to be removed, in this case there may be a built in function to simulate a battery pull included in your device. Here you can see a way to simulate a battery pull with the Samsung Galaxy S6: You must remove the battery while the phone is still powered on, initiating an effect that it isn’t unlike pulling the plug on a computer. After your battery has been removed, you should wait at least a full minute. Once a minute has passed, reboot your device. Rebooting your phone after the battery pull works much like shutting your phone down for ten seconds, except this acts as an intensified variant of that method. Doing this should help resolve minor software issues, but if your touchscreen is still malfunctioning, there are more methods to attempt.
Method 3: Booting into Safe Mode
This method may also be worth a try if your Android device wasn’t able to perform a battery pull. Booting your phone into Safe Mode is a good way to determine if your touchscreen woes are being caused by something recently installed. If your touchscreen works perfectly fine while in Safe Mode, then you’ve now narrowed the problem down to installed software. There’s only one step to this method. Once you’ve booted into Safe Mode, if a problem application is causing your touchscreen trouble, you shouldn’t be experiencing any touchscreen problems currently. If you have any concerns about how to boot into Safe Mode, or it’s usefulness, you can take a look at the ins and outs here. Once you’ve found out what trouble making application is causing you headaches, you can remove it once and for all.
Method 4: Installing Anti-Malware Software
If your touchscreen issues aren’t bad enough to keep you off the app store entirely, downloading and installing anti-malware software may just get rid of your problems in one fell swoop. The first and only step here is to decide what anti-malware app you can trust to be on your device. If you aren’t sure which app you should trust your Android device with, there are five apps that may just be worth your time. However, if these above methods aren’t enough to fix a software issue with your touchscreen, there are only two options left to try.
Method 5: A Factory Reset
This is it, the big red button, the nuclear option, the point of almost-no-return. If you’re out of options, and are sure it’s a software issue causing your touchscreen to malfunction, a factory reset is your strongest tool to get control of your touchscreen back. However, be warned, if a factory reset does not fix the issue, it may be difficult to set up and restore your device after the reset with an uncooperative touchscreen. Back up all the data you can before attempting a factory reset. Once your phone is reset you can then try installing software again application by application starting from your most recent changes. Doing this can help you pinpoint what caused the problem. A factory reset can be an intimidating method of troubleshooting, so make sure you read up on what you’re doing. This is your ace in the hole when it comes to software issues, so with this your touchscreen should finally be repaired if you’re dealing with a software issue. However, if the hardware is the problem, fixing it becomes a completely different ballgame. If it looks like your touchscreen is the culprit, and not software, be wary with attempting a factory reset. It may be difficult to perform your phone’s initial setup with a disobedient touchscreen.
Method 6: Buying a Replacement Touchscreen
There aren’t as many solution methods for touchscreen troubleshooting when hardware is the culprit, but the first step to any hardware problem is locating the damage responsible. There are a few methods to try to save your phone if it gets wet without resorting to screen replacement. However, if there are visible cracks, or shatter marks present on your screen, then I’m afraid to say your screen needs to be replaced. Replacing a touchscreen yourself may be easier than you think, but if you have your concerns, it’s best to contact a professional.
Conclusion
Most touchscreen issues can be resolved with a quick shutdown of your device, or a battery pull, but in extreme cases, you may need to perform a factory reset or even replace your touchscreen. However, it would be extremely rare for you to ever need to replace your entire phone because of a touchscreen problem. If your screen doesn’t want to play nice, there are plenty of cheap or even free ways to make it behave again. Did the methods above manage to fix your touchscreen? Leave a comment down below exclaiming your success using that very touchscreen that refused to work before! Or, if you know a better way to fix an unresponsive touchscreen, please let us know. Featured Image
