The “Ghost Touch” is what happens when the iPhone Screen moves on its own or starts doing things on its own. The screen appears to react to non-existent taps, which means apps open and start doing things without you having touched anything. Unsurprisingly, such strange actions can be more than a little annoying.
However, while ghosting sometimes requires you to take your iPhone to Apple for repair, you can try several free quick fixes. This ranges from cleaning the iPhone’s touchscreen to doing a factory reset.
Which iPhones are affected by Ghost Touch(iPhone Screen moves on its own?
Ghost touch issues most commonly affect the iPhone X. In November 2018, Apple admitted that it had encountered some issues affecting the iPhone X’s touchscreen. It also announced that it would provide free repairs to affected customers.
However, online reports and complaints have shown that the iPhone Ghost touch issue affects other models as well. This includes not only the iPhone XS and XR, but also older models like the iPhone 8, 7, 6, and 5, as well as newer models like the iPhone 11, 12, or 13. In other words, “ghost touch” is something that can, on rare occasions, affect any iPhone.
How To Fix iPhone Screen Moves On Its Own – Ghost Touch
Whichever model you have, here’s how to fix the iPhone Screen moves on its own (ghost touch) on your iPhone.
1. Clean the touchscreen
It may be simple, but cleaning the iPhone’s touchscreen can be an effective defense against ghosting. Doing so will clean any residue or dust that is interfering with the way the iPhone detects your touches.
To clean your iPhone’s touchscreen, you must first turn it off and disconnect all cables. Next, you should find a soft, clean (ie, lint-free) cloth, such as a glass cleaning cloth. You should lightly dampen this cloth with warm water. Finally, begin cleaning the touchscreen gently but firmly, end to end.
When cleaning, be sure not to get moisture into the openings.
In addition, Apple recommends that you do not use window or household cleaners, or cleaners that contain abrasives or hydrogen peroxide. You can corrode the oil-resistant coating Apple puts on your device if you do.
2. Take off your screensaver
Screen protectors are thin layers of glass or plastic that you can attach to the iPhone’s touchscreen to protect it from scratches or cracks. Although they are often useful, they can get in the way of the touchscreen’s functioning. Therefore, you should try to remove any screensaver as this can easily solve ghost touch issues.
You should remove the screensaver from your iPhone very carefully and slowly. Start in one corner, then gradually remove the iPhone screen protector. If the protector is cracked or damaged, it may be safer to take the phone to a qualified repair shop (or Apple) to avoid cutting yourself on the cracked glass.
You should also contact the screen protector manufacturer. This manufacturer may be in a better position to recommend the best method to remove the protector and may refund you if the screen protector caused Ghost touch issues on your iPhone.
3. Remove the cover from your iPhone
Another possible cause of a Ghost touch on an iPhone is a slightly warped screen. If your iPhone has this screen, you may be able to solve the problem by removing the hardcover you are using. Occasionally it can be this hard case that twists the screen so you should try removing it and see if that fixes anything.
On online forums, some iPhone users noticed that their hard case was deformed after dropping the iPhone. As such, it’s worth trying to remove the hard case if your iPhone has one.
4. Restart your iPhone
It is always a good idea to restart the iPhone when there is a problem. This also applies to Ghost touch issues as you can clear your iPhone’s temporary memory by resetting the crashes that are causing the iPhone Screen to move on its problem.
To reset an iPhone without a Home button, you need to do the following:
- Press and hold the side button and the volume button until the slider turn-off appears.
- Swipe the slider to the right.
- After hanging up, press and hold the side switch until the Apple logo appears.
To reset an iPhone with a Home button, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Top (or Side) button until the power slider appears.
- Swipe the slider to the right.
- After hanging up, press and hold the top (or side) button until the Apple logo appears.
5. Force Restart Your iPhone
Similar to resetting the iPhone, but noticeably more drastic, you can force the iPhone to reset. You can do this if your iPhone ghost touch problem is so severe that you can’t even use it properly. That’s because a hard reset works even if the iPhone doesn’t work.
To force reset on an iPhone 8 or later, follow these steps:
- Quickly press and release the volume up button.
- Quickly press and release the volume down button.
- Hold the side switch.
- Release the side switch when the Apple logo appears.
To force reset an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, the steps are:
- Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Sleep/Wake button.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
To force reset an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus or earlier, you need to do the following:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
6. Update iOS
If the iPhone Screen moves on its own is still an issue, update your iPhone. This is worth considering because the Ghost Touch may have been caused by a software bug that Apple fixed in a recent update.
You need to do the following to update your iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Select General.
- Press Software update.
- Tap Download and Install or Install (if you’ve already downloaded the update).
7. Do a factory reset
If resets and software updates do not prevent the Ghost touch issue on your iPhone, then you should do a factory reset on your iPhone. This is a good way to get rid of underlying software issues that could be causing the iPhone Screen move on its own. Of course, you should back up your iPhone before doing a factory reset as this will erase all your saved data.
To reset your iPhone, you need to do the following:
- Open Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset.
- Press Clear all content and settings.
- Tap Continue and enter your iPhone password.
After performing the Factory Reset, you will need to go through the installation process again. Here you can choose to restore your iPhone from a previously saved backup.
8. Restore your iPhone
If a simple hard reset doesn’t work for you, try putting your iPhone into recovery mode and reinstalling iOS. Again, you should only try this if a Ghost touchtone is preventing you from updating your iPhone normally, or if you can’t reset all settings normally. If you can update or reset the settings normally then you should because it is easier.
To put an iPhone into recovery mode, connect it to a computer running macOS or iTunes and follow the steps above to force reset the iPhone.
Once in recovery mode, your computer will display a message that says, “There is a problem with the iPhone that needs to be updated or restored.” You must click Update (if available) or Restore.
Note: Restoring your iPhone from recovery mode will erase all your data. Therefore, if possible, you should backup your iPhone beforehand.
If recovery mode won’t restore your iPhone, try using DFU mode. This is an even deeper version of recovery mode that will reinstall all of your iPhone’s firmware and software.
9. Bring your iPhone to Apple
If your iPhone still suffers from iPhone Screen moves on its own, make an appointment at the nearest Apple Store for repair. That’s because you’re out of software fixes now, so it must be a hardware issue that’s making your iPhone haunted. For example, some owners have stated that improper screen mounting or placement of the touchscreen could be causing the problem.
You should not disassemble your iPhone and try to fix these causes yourself unless you have a lot of experience with this. As such, it’s much safer to go to Apple Support, where you can make an appointment.
Bad iPhone repairs can cause ghost noises
If your iPhone needs a hardware repair to fix ghosting, make sure to use only Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. This is because poor quality parts or questionable repairs can cause various iPhone screen issues including ghost touch and face ID issues.
If you already got an unauthorized repair on your iPhone, this might be the reason why you are now struggling with iPhone Screen move on its own issues.
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