How to Fix Ghost Touch on iPhone

When your iPhone is registering random touches or working erratically without input, using it can be a nightmare. This frustrating phenomenon is commonly referred to as “ghost touch” and it may happen for different reasons ranging from usage of third-party accessories and cables to display failures resulting from physical damages. If you’re someone who is experiencing phantom taps or swipes on your iPhone, we’ll explain what may be causing the ghost touch issue and how you can resolve it to make your iPhone usable again.

What’s Causing Ghost Touch on iPhone?

Your iPhone may register ghost touches for several reasons and before you can fix it, you must understand the underlying problem.

How to Fix Ghost Touch on iPhone

Depending on what’s causing phantom touches, the following fixes should help resolve the issue on your iPhone.

Fix 1: Check If Touch Works Correctly on the Home Screen

The first thing you can do to confirm whether ghost touch is the actual issue on your device is to make sure your iPhone is registering your touch when on the home screen. You can try tapping or swiping through the edges on your iPhone’s home screen. Check if the device is providing the expected feedback.

By checking for touch input on the home screen, you can eliminate phantom touches that could be limited to specific apps. You can go to the home screen byswiping upwards from the bottomof the screen (on iPhones with Face ID) or by pressing theHome button(on iPhones with Touch ID).

If you’re struggling to do so, you can summon Siri and ask it to “go to the home screen” and then check how the touchscreen works.

Fix 2: Disable Back Tap and AssistiveTouch

iOS offers ways to customize the Accessibility settings to modify how your device responds to your touch input. Features such as Back Tap, AssistiveTouch, and Tap Assistance can make it easier to interact with your iPhone but when you have any of these functions enabled unknowingly, your device may behave differently.

For instance, if Back Tap is turned on without your knowledge, your iPhone may perform actions like opening the Control Center, Notifications Center, or other shortcuts when you tap the back of your iPhone twice or thrice. Hence, it’s important that you disable these Accessibility features to make sure your device works the way you intend it to.

Fix 3: Unplug iPhone from Faulty Chargers or Cables

The touchscreen on your iPhone may sometimes go on the fritz when it’s plugged into a wall charger and the current passing through the cable is inconsistent or unusual than ideal conditions. This may happen if you’re using non-Apple-certified third-party adapters and cables to charge your iPhone.

In some cases, ghost touch issues may also arise when you’re using Apple’s adapter or cable that has been damaged beyond use. If that’s the case, you caninstantly disconnect your iPhone from the concerned cable or chargerand reboot your device to see if the phantom touches go away.

If yes, you should avoid plugging in third-party cables or adapters that may be faulty andpurchase Apple-certified accessoriesto charge your iPhone.

Fix 4: Clean Your iPhone Screen

iPhones rely on the conductive properties of the human skin to log your input. If your hands are wet or there’s dirt and debris on the display, your device may react differently. You can stop phantom touches bywiping your iPhone’s screen using a dry microfiber clothuntil the screen is squeaky clean.

If there are sticky or oily substances on the screen, you can lightly dampen the microfiber cloth using water or a screen-cleaning liquid and then gently rub on the screen to take it off. Before you do this, remember to disconnectthe iPhone from its charger or other accessoriesand turn off the display to avoid accidental touches.

Fix 5: Quit the App Where You Noticed Ghost Touch and Reopen

Ghost touches may also specifically occur when using certain apps on your iPhone. To make sure this issue is limited to an app, you can close the concerned app and reopen it to see if this issue is temporary.

Fix 6: Update Apps That Register Ghost Touch

If ghost touches inside an app persist even after you close it and reopen it, you may be using a buggy or outdated app on your iPhone. You can fix this by checking the App Store for updates for the app in question and installing it.

Fix 7: Check for New iOS Updates

Bugs present in the current version of iOS on your device may cause ghost touches and if this issue is widespread, Apple may acknowledge it by releasing an update to fix the problem. If your device started behaving erratically after the latest update, you can update it to the latest iOS version and check if this resolves ghost touches.

Fix 8: Remove Screen Protector or Third-Party Accessories

Screen protectors are thin layers of glass or plastic that can be applied to protect the screen from getting scratched or damaged. If the screen protector on your iPhone is of low quality or has been extensively used over time, it may hinder electrical interactivity with the touchscreen and cause problems.

Phantom touches may also occur if there are cracks on the screen protector or if air bubbles and debris are stuck between the screen and the screen protector. To resolve this, use a thin business card or credit card to slide between the screen and protector and remove the latter gently off the screen.

In case the screen protector is stuck firmly on the surface or is cracked, you can take your device to an authorized service center or Apple to remove the protector professionally.

Similarly, third-party accessories like phone cases or battery charging cases may also cause screen issues when connected. You can check if they are causing ghost touches on your iPhone simply by removing such cases and leaving them off for a while.

Fix 9: Look Closely for Signs of Damage

Damages to your phone’s display can be an obvious cause for ghost touch. If your device was dropped or bumped on multiple occasions, it may not function the way it was intended to. The first thing to do when checking for display failures is to see if there are anyvisible signs of damageon your iPhone.

This could be anything likedents, cracks, or gapsbetween the display unit and the phone any of which could disrupt electrical interactivity with the screen. If there are no visible signs of damage, you canuse a screen tester app(likePhone Doctor PlusandPhone Diagnostics) to check if your display hasdead pixels or non-responsive portions.

In such cases, the only way you can resolve ghost touches is by visiting an Apple Authorized Service Provider and letting trained personnel take a look at your iPhone. The service provider will then recommend the best solution for your iPhone based on the underlying problem.

Fix 10: Reset Your iPhone Settings

If you think the changes you made to your iPhone’s settings are what has led to ghost touches, you can restore your device to factory settings. Here’s how:

If none of the aforementioned fixes come in handy and your iPhone continues to register ghost touches, the only way out is to contact Apple Support for help.

You can reach out to Apple’sGet Supportpage and elaborate on your problem or go to the nearest Apple Store or Authorized Service Center to fix your iPhone immediately.

Tips to Avoid Getting Ghost Touch on iPhone

If you managed to resolve the ghost touch issue or are fortunate to not have encountered it yet, it’s always good to safeguard your iPhone from such issues beforehand. The following tips will ensure your device doesn’t start logging erratic touches in the future:

Let us know in the comments whether the fixes above helped resolve the ghost touch issue on your iPhone.

Ajaay Srinivasan

Ajaay’s love affair with technology started young, with the Nokia N-Gage piquing his interest. Since 2016, he’s channeled his passion for tech into crafting explainers and guides on iOS, macOS, Android, social media, privacy & cybersecurity, and AI. When it’s time to unplug, Ajaay enjoys playing EAFC, unwinding to music on a pair of open-backs, building his dream audiophile gear, or watching Arsenal struggle to keep a clean sheet.

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