What To Do If Your iPhone Screen Becomes Unresponsive

Written by: CBumeter • Edited by: Simon Hill
Updated Jul 20, 2009 • Related Guides: iPhone | Apple Store

The iPhone isn't perfect and at times the touch screen can have its issues. If it happens, here's some help to get you back on your feet.

Understanding and Preventing the Issue

I just recently came off a fun little experience involving my first generation iPhone where the touch screen became unresponsive on the top and bottom rows. The cause is unknown but I talked to a wide variety of Apple and AT&T representatives to get some guidance with the issue.

Let me first and foremost stress the importance of getting the two year AppleCare Plan when you purchase your iPhone. Even if you already have yours it does not hurt to pick it up. You also want to make sure that at the very first hint of possible problems to notify Apple. There are also several accessories to help protect your iPhone from damages.

Here I'll describe a few procedures to take to try and fix the problem as well as what to do if you need to ship off the phone for repair. If an app has frozen up on your iPhone, it can sometimes be easily cured by using the Home button to unfreeze your iPhone without taking any additional steps.

Restarting Your iPhone

One of the first things that Apple had me do was to restart my phone. This is easily done as you hold down the square button at the bottom of the phone (below the screen) as well as the bottom on the very top right of the phone at the same time. This is the same as pressing the menu and middle button on your iPod. It does a simple restart of the iPhone and that alone may due the trick. If that does not work then you have to go a little deeper with the restart and do a restore of the phone. Fear not, you are able to backup your iPhone in this process so when it is restored you have the backed up file still on your computer with all of your information.

Continue reading onto the second page to find out how to restore your iPhone, send your iPhone to the Apple repair center, and how the Apple Store might be able to help.

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Danialirrfan Feb 8, 2012 3:15 AM

RE: What To Do If Your iPhone Screen Becomes Unresponsive

correction, wait for 1 hour and above

Danialirrfan Feb 8, 2012 3:14 AM

here another ways, press the the button right at the top of your iphone and home button <br>all at once and then wait for 5 minutes and then tadaaaa your iphone now working :)

flutterfly Jan 22, 2012 3:43 AM

really worried because my phone was in my hand and someone spilt alcohol onto my hand and some went onto the phone. the phone worked fine after it when i wiped it and this morning it was working fine. but this afternoon when i got a message i went to unlock my phone and i swiped across the screen but nothing hapened. im still getting texts etc and i can see everything but i cant touch anything and make it unlock or turn off (since i need to swipe across the screen for it to turn off after i push the off button on the top of my iphone) i dont know what to do now. im worried it wont work anymore. please please help me!

Gausuakly Dec 18, 2011 11:08 PM

thanks , i was going to do the same thing "anonymous" did but even with the 6% that i had it took forever to get to 5% but the button combo is way faster.<br><br>it now works!

Glamchicc Nov 19, 2011 10:34 AM

Thanks Its Working

marin Jul 28, 2011 7:57 AM

thank you

thank you, fixed it!!! first time it haoppened in 3 years

billy Jun 20, 2011 11:38 PM

home button not working

every now and then i find my self stuck with an open application and can't go backe,even the left top side doesn't work ,don't wanna use brush to clean it

Mary May 17, 2011 2:57 AM

Big Thanks!

Thank YOU! Phone now working again.

Anonymous Mar 27, 2011 10:58 AM

Thanks for the tip.

I was actually just planning on leaving my iPhone on until the battery drained. The button combination is MUCH faster.

Marie Mar 24, 2011 8:53 PM

It worked!!

Thanks, the restart worked on the first try. You are the man.

Chrys Mar 18, 2011 8:02 PM

Thank you so much

Very informative and extremely helpful. Thanks again. :)

ankit agarwal Mar 15, 2011 1:55 AM

amaze

Ultimate..........u r genius nw my phone is working..............u r the awesome.......thanks for helping,,,,,,,,,

JayJay Mar 14, 2011 10:36 PM

thanks a lot!!

u make my my day more awesome!!
i can't work efficiently about my iphone problem..
now the problem fixed..u're my dude!!!!

MR.Gotti Mar 2, 2011 5:03 PM

thanks man the restar thing fixed my issues with touchscreen.thank you very much

B Mar 2, 2011 1:38 PM

YAY

You made my day!!!!!! YAY! You are the bomb.com!!!!!

Mazarino Feb 15, 2011 6:10 PM

Thanks

Thank you, you made my day :) !!

Cassie Feb 6, 2011 7:39 PM

not working.

i dont know what to do still, my ipod isnt working still .. like it stays on the slide to unlock screen and when i try to slide it wont work at all, and when i try turning it off it doesnt work... and everytime i restore it, or reset it still doesnt work .. is there any advice on that? and i took perfect care of my ipod never damaged it or anything, i only had it for a month.

asma Ali Feb 5, 2011 10:20 AM

great advice - thank u sooo much phewwwwwf!

Lisa Feb 2, 2011 6:15 AM

thanx

i have the same prob the whole screen not responsive. just push both button and still hope it will restart soon!

Erik Jan 11, 2011 9:40 AM

thaaaanksss

THANK YOU!!!!!!! finally it was so annoying that i couldnt even turn it off because the touch wasnt working at all! weeeeee :D

jonathan Dec 25, 2010 6:00 PM

You are a Genius thanks A Lot i thought that i was done for.finally so internet advice that works.!!!!

Victoria Dec 18, 2010 8:33 PM

U ROCK

you are a life saver .. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!

Mike K. Dec 13, 2010 10:53 AM

Thank you!!!!

Was in a full on panic, no I can calm down.

Ode Dec 2, 2010 10:23 AM

Thank a lot

Now my Itouch work :)

sebastian Nov 30, 2010 9:44 AM

even after a reboot, touch screen wont work. i might get a replacement of the touch screen. maybe this will get me back on my feet.

Mike Cojosiel Nov 26, 2010 5:58 PM

Thanks!!! Very Helpful

Article is simple to read and follow.
Thanks for the help

Mans Nov 4, 2010 4:35 AM

thanks

Advice helped and my iphone4 worked,

Bob Nov 3, 2010 8:57 PM

Try this

I tried resetting, firmware update and did not work. I was about to give up, it dropped accidently 2ft onto carpet and it started working again!!!

Changz_boii Nov 1, 2010 12:40 PM

after water damage

My phone was recently damaged due to contact with water and after i had it in rice for about three weeks it turns on and seems to be working fine the problem is that i have a password and the number 1, 2, and 3 are unresponsive... all others work but since my password has the a number 2 in it i cannot get it to pass the password screen.. any help?? Thanks in advance!

Sam Oct 28, 2010 7:11 PM

thank you SO MUCH!

Your restart tip helped me fix my "dead looking" iphone4. the screen went blank all of a sudden and wouldn't come up. but pressing the top and the bottom buttons together worked like a magic.

THANKS AGAIN!

Guhan Oct 3, 2010 11:11 PM

Professional With good solution

Great i recover my iphone back,
thanks a lot.Nice work done

ROBIN Sep 17, 2010 4:51 PM

YOUR BEST!

I LOVE YOU! UR BEEESSSTT

Becky Lewis Sep 3, 2010 10:38 AM

no good for me

ahh not so great if phone over a year old. apple and O2 don't want to know. And it doesn't recognise phone if i plug it in to itunes. so now what...?

Heather Aug 28, 2010 8:40 AM

screen

Thank you so much!!! That was the longest I've been without my iphone and I was going crazy. You're a genius and my hero

Brittany Aug 19, 2010 4:47 PM

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

YAYY it worked! Thank you so much! You made my day :)

miley Aug 14, 2010 10:53 PM

iphone touch screen not working

cant restart the iphone as well and my iphone warrenty just expired .i am not sure wht to do..please help me out...

isaac Jul 26, 2010 12:12 AM

Thanx
U are ah HERO in my book

Marc Jul 21, 2010 7:32 AM

frozen screen at bottom

when I try to reply to a txt message the space bar doesnt work and I can't toggle between words and 123...i.e the 123 button doesn't work...any ideas?

Azelia Jun 30, 2010 5:16 AM

Tantrum in Tennessee

You are truly a blessing. My iphone became unresponsive with a 2:30 AM wake up preset alarm on it. The alarm kept going off and I was unable to turn it off for 1 1/2 hours. It disrupted my entire household. I tried everything, but nothing worked. My husband suggested we search the internet for advice. We did, your advice was perfect and precise. I held the two buttons down and the phone rebooted. I am going to the retailer and check on the applecare plan, for future support. All is calm again. God Bless You and Goodnight. zzzzzzz

John Jun 16, 2010 2:36 AM

You DA MAN

I was so pissed off since I woke up and found that the screen is unresponsive. Tried your restart and TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Thank you for making my day.

Tatty May 23, 2010 9:05 AM

wonderful

It was great workaround for non responsive touch screen. It did work!!!!

adam Apr 22, 2010 5:44 PM

thanks alot man i thought my phone was donezooo

Adrian Mar 20, 2010 5:02 AM

thank you so much you're a life saver

thanks for the tip to restart the phone. i've been waiting for so long for the battery to drain.thank you so much

Somya Gupta Mar 9, 2010 4:39 AM

I m in love wid u too~

Thank u soooooo very much. I had no idea that holding both the buttons down i cud restart n this made my touchscreen work!!!
UR MY HERO! :D

john cyril Feb 12, 2010 6:08 PM

Hey you saved my life.. Thanksso much... You made me happy.,..

J Huitson Oct 7, 2009 5:00 PM

I love you

THANKS SO MUCH!!!! My Ipod touchscreen became unresponsive!!! I love you!!!

Joe Jul 2, 2009 9:53 AM

Thanks you, but not all stores are alike

Just a note, there is a tech support note at Apple regarding this issue (TS1827) however it doesn't say what the issue is either. The replacement of your phone at a store without the warranty still in effect and without Applle Care is hit and miss, (For example: the store in Fashion Valley, CA while the store in Escodido, CA will - they're 20 minutes apart). Go figure.

What To Do If Your iPhone Screen Becomes Unresponsive

Understanding and Preventing the Issue

Restarting Your iPhone

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