How to Fix Ghost Touch on iPhone (2023)

iPhones are one of the most durable smartphone brands today. Although they’re made in high-quality, it doesn’t mean that they’re immune to hardware problems. The most common screen issue experienced by iPhone users is ghost touch.

How to Fix Ghost Touch on iPhone

A phone suffers from ghost touch when it operates on itself and responds to unintended touches. You may experience this when your iPhone screen is moving on its own. In this guide, we’ll show you why your iPhone opens apps on its own and how to fix it. A separate problem is iPhone Green Screen, which has its own article.

Read on to know more.

 

Table of Contents

Why is My iPhone Experiencing Ghost Touch?

Ghost touch is a shared issue among many smartphone brands. For iPhones, this was mostly seen with the iPhone X model. A year after its release, Apple acknowledged a flaw in its touchscreen feature. Also, any iPhone X that had the ghost touch issue was given free repairs.

Besides the iPhone X, several iPhone models, such as the iPhone 5 to 8, iPhone XR, XS, and newer models, like iPhones 11 to 13 also reportedly had ghost touch problems. So, this flaw affects most iPhone devices.

 

Fixing Ghost Touch on iPhone

Regardless of the iPhone model, you can easily solve the ghost touch issue by trying out these fixes. Remember to go through them individually to see which one works for you the best. Also, some steps may require you to turn off the device and unplug it from any power source to avoid the risks of electrocution.

 

Fix #1: Remove its Screen Protector

Among the accessories that you may have bought for your iPhone is the screen protector. It’s a thin film of plastic or glass that adheres itself to the iPhone’s screen and protects it from scratches and splatters. Although it makes sense to attach this onto your iPhone as another layer of protection, it can sometimes be the cause of the ghost touch issue.

When removing the screen protector, ensure that it’s removed slowly—from one corner to the other until it’s removed in the full piece. If the screen protector is damaged, you can go to an authorized tech store, especially if it’s made with glass. 

 

Fix #2: Clean the iPhone’s Touchscreen

This might be a no-brainer but cleaning your iPhone’s touch screen is essential to make it last longer. This eliminates any grease and debris that might get stuck onto the screen that might cause the ghost touch problem. When cleaning the screen, make sure that you use a microfiber cloth to avoid scratches and use a non-aggressive solvent (like water) to dislodge dust and debris.

First, turn off your phone and unplug it from any power source. Then, dampen the towel with warm water and wipe with gradual pressure. Wipe from edge to edge to ensure that all parts of the screen are covered. 

 

Fix #3: Restart your iPhone

When experiencing problems on your iPhone, the best thing to do first is to restart your device and see if the issue is fixed. Some apps can sometimes cause glitches on your phone and affect its screen. 

To restart your iPhone without a Home button follow these steps:

  1. Hold the Side button and one of the Volume buttons until the slide to power off slider appears.
  2. Slide the Power icon to the right. Your phone will now shut down.
  3. Then, turn on your iPhone by holding the Side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

To restart your iPhone with a Home button, proceed to these steps:

  1. Hold the Side button until the slide to power off slider appears on the screen.
  2. Slide the Power logo to the right.
  3. Once it shuts down, hold the Side button once again until the Apple logo shows up on the screen.

Additionally, if restarting your iPhone didn’t fix the ghost touch issue, you proceed to do a force restart. This may also help if the iPhone swipe up is not working.

 

To do this on an iPhone 8 or greater, follow the steps below:

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume down button.
  3. Next, hold the Side button and release it until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

To do a force restart on an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, do the following:

  1. Press and hold both the Volume down button and the Wake button.
  2. Release both buttons when the Apple logo shows up.

To do a force restart on an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or earlier, follow these steps:

  1. Hold both the Home and Wake buttons simultaneously.
  2. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Note: This method will mean that you cannot view the clipboard history on your iPhone after the reset.

 

Fix #4: Update your iPhone’s Firmware

If your iPhone is glitching, then Downloading the latest firmware updates for your iPhone is critical. In some cases, the ghost touch issue was solved when users updated their iOS to the latest version available. Just connect your device to a stable wireless network to download the latest updates.

To update your iPhone’s firmware, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your iPhone and go to Settings > General.
  2. Select Software Update.
  3. Then, tap Download and Install. Once the update is ready, choose Install Now.
  4. After installing the update, check if the screen still has ghost touch issues.

Updating your firmware may also help if your iPhone is randomly restarting.

Fix #5: Factory Reset your iPhone

When all fixes didn’t work, you can attempt to factory reset your iPhone. This will put all settings and configurations to default and uninstall buggy applications that may be causing the ghost touch problem. However, it will also effectively delete all user data, so back up your phone before doing a factory reset.

To factory reset your iPhone, do the following:

  1. Navigate to Settings > General.
  2. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  3. Select Erase All Content and Settings and choose Continue.
  4. Enter the passcode for your iPhone and wait for the reset to finish.
  5. Once it’s done, set up your iPhone and check if the ghost touch issue is solved.

 

Fix #6: Contact Apple Support

The last resort that you can do is to let Apple’s iPhone technicians take a look at your iPhone’s touch screen. Although it can cost you some money, it’s better to have them solve your problem with ease, especially when your device already suffers from hardware damage on its screen. To contact Apple Support, visit this link. We have a related article which asks Does AppleCare Cover a Cracked Screen? 

We also have an article that helps if your iPhone connects to wifi but not the internet.

 

Final Thoughts

Your iPhone’s touch screen is arguably one of the most important parts of your phone. Whether it’s navigating from one app to the other, or typing important messages, you’ll need an operational touch screen feature to do basic tasks. However, your iPhone might suffer from ghost touch, regardless of the model.

Hence, this article can hopefully guide you in solving the ghost touch issue on iPhone devices. When all fixes didn’t solve this issue, remember to contact Apple Support for further help.