iPhone ghost touch is when your phone starts responding to something that you didn’t do. For instance, it may open or close apps without you tapping them, sometimes it might even open the ‘Settings’ screen and do something that you don’t want, etc.
When this happens, many users believe that the hardware of the smartphone is the culprit. However, the fact is, this is not the case all the time. Here you will learn some quick solutions to fix the iPhone ghost touch issue. In one of the sections, you will also get to know what to do if ghost touch occurs on an iPhone X which is a different case.
- How to Fix iPhone Ghost Touch
- How to Fix iPhone Ghost Touch After iOS 16 Update
- How to Fix iPhone X Ghost Touch
How to Fix iPhone Ghost Touch
A couple of troubleshooting measures that are proven to be helpful to fix the iPhone ghost touch problems are explained below in detail.
1. Force Restart iPhone
When you force restart an iOS device which also includes iPhones, the current in the motherboard is pulled off for a short while and then released back. This removes all the junk and unnecessary information that the phone’s memory has, thus rebooting it afresh, which might fix iPhone ghost touch caused by the cache.
Because iPhone come in various models and their physical architecture is different as well, the process of force restarting different models of the phones varies too. For the iPhone with face ID, you need to press the volume up button and then the volume down button. Finally keep holding the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo. You can learn the procedures to force restart other iPhone types from this guide.
2. Remove All iPhone Accessories
Sometimes faulty accessories may inject unnecessary current or send automatic and unintended touches to your phone which causes iPhone ghost touch. Because there’s no way to check which external element is the culprit, you must rely on the hit-and-trial method and remove all such additional objects from your device. The items that you should remove include:
- Lightning Cable.
- Headphones (connected via Bluetooth or Lightning Connector).
- Protection case.
- Screen protector.
After getting rid of these parts, try using your iPhone for a while and see if the issue is gone.
3. Reset All Settings
If any setting is causing an iPhone ghost touch and you don’t know which one it is, the best way to fix the problem is by resetting all the settings to factory defaults. With this approach, your iPhone removes all your custom configurations without deleting any personal data, thus keeping your content safe while giving the device a fresh reboot. To reset all settings,
- Go to the Settings screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- From the bottom of the next screen, tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings from the menu that appears.
- Enter your iPhone’s passcode.
- Tap Reset All Settings on the information box.
- Tap Reset All Settings on the confirmation box.
- Wait while all settings are reset to factory defaults and your iPhone restarts.
- Use your phone for some time and see if the issue is fixed.
4. Update iOS
If you are using an older version of iOS, your phone’s performance may deteriorate, and the iPhone ghost touch could be one of those glitches. Therefore, you must regularly check for operating system updates, and install them on your smartphone as soon as they become available. To do so, you need to:
- Ensure that the battery of your iPhone is at least 50% charged.
- Connect the phone to a stable and high-speed Wi-Fi network.
- Go to the Settings screen.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Wait while your iPhone contacts the Apple server to seek any available updates.
- If an update is available, tap Download and Install from the bottom of the description.
- Wait while your phone downloads and installs the update, and automatically restarts.
- Upon successful reboot, try using your iPhone for a while and see if the problem is resolved.
5. Fix Hardware Problems
Except for the above factors related to software that can cause iPhone ghost touch, it can also happen due to a hardware problem which is usually a faulty screen. It has been inspected by a specialist. We don’t recommend that you do it yourself because you may make things even worse. It is better to contact Apple support to book a repair service or go to an Apple store near your location to have your iPhone detected by the support team.
How to Fix iPhone Ghost Touch After iOS 16 Update
If you are experiencing an iPhone ghost touch after upgrading to iOS 16, then the software is usually the cause. Some conflicting settings, files, or data could be the culprit. To fix this, you can try the following solution.
1. Restore iPhone and then Restore from Backup
Restoring iPhone to factory settings and then restoring the latest backup to the device get rid of the software problem and then put your data back thus eliminating the iPhone ghost touch issue. To restore your iPhone, you can follow the procedure given below.
Restore iPhone to Factory Settings
- Grab a Windows PC with iTunes or a Mac. (A Windows 11 computer is used here for reference.)
- Launch iTunes.
- Use the Lightning Cable to connect your troublesome iPhone to the PC.
- Wait while iTunes detects your phone.
- Click the Phone icon from the top of the iTunes’ interface.
- Click Restore iPhone from the upper section of the right window.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install a fresh and error-free instance of iOS on your iPhone.
Restore iPhone from Backup
- Grab a Windows PC with iTunes or a Mac. (A Windows 11 computer is used here for reference.)
- Launch iTunes.
- Use the Lightning Cable to connect your troublesome iPhone to the PC.
- Wait while iTunes detects your phone.
- Click the Phone icon from the top of the iTunes’ interface.
- On the next window, ensure that the Summary option from the Settings category in the left pane is selected.
- Under the Backups section on the right, click Restore Backup from the Manually Back Up and Restore column.
- On the Restore From Backup box, choose the latest backup instance from the iPhone Name drop-down list.
- Click Restore.
- Wait while iTunes restores the backup to your iPhone.
- After the process completes, check if the iPhone ghost touch problem is gone.
Note: If the issue persists, you should avoid restoring your phone from the backup.
2. Use a Tool to Fix Your iPhone
Since iPhone ghost touch happens after iOS 16 update, the problem is more likely to be with the iOS 16. If you think the above solution is too complicated and time-consuming, you can also use a third-party tool to fix the system problems. There are many choices over the internet, for example, AnyFix developed by iMobie.
AnyFix is can fix 130+ system issues because they have a professional team with 7-year experience. It has 3 repair modes, and one of them called Standard repair can fix iOS problems without erasing your data. It is perfect for those who want to fix ghost touch without losing data.
It is easy to use the program. You need to download AnyFix on your computer and then follow the on-screen instruction which is easy to fix your device. You can also check their guide.
How to Fix iPhone X Ghost Touch
If you have an iPhone X ghost touch issue and you already tried all the fixes suggested above, as a last resort, you may want to go for the display module replacement program because Apple has an individual policy for iPhone X. You are entitled to the free display module replacement program only for 36 months after purchasing your iPhone X.
You need to go through a specific procedure before the support team can help you with the problem.
Scheduling the Service
- Locate the nearest authorized Apple Service Center.
- Schedule an appointment with the nearest Apple Retail Store.
- Talk to the Apple Support team to fix a mail-in service with the Apple Repair Center.
Preparing iPhone X for Service
- Back up your iPhone.
- Turn off Find My iPhone by following the steps given here.
- Ensure that the phone’s battery is 30% or less charged (if your iPhone requires a battery service as well).
- Recheck your appointment schedule with the Apple Repair Center.
- Visit the repair center on time.
- Hand over the device to a professional technician at the repair center.
Post Service Process
- Check if your iPhone’s screen is working as expected.
- Request for and collect the Sales Receipt from the Apple Repair Center.
- Use the method explained above to restore your iPhone from backup.
Note: If the Apple Repair Center charged you for the service while you are entitled to the free replacement program, you must contact Apple Support and claim a refund.
Conclusion
Many people face the iPhone ghost touch issue. Although there are some easy-to-operate solutions, if your iPhone has encountered something that the regular troubleshooting methods failed to resolve, you may try a third-party program that has been designed and developed particularly for the purpose. In the case of iPhone X, you may go for display module replacement if none of the Apple recommended remedies work.
