11 Easy Tips to Fix iPhone Ghost Touch Problem in 2024

User Concern

“Recently, after updating to iOS 16.4, my iPhone XR has been having frequent ghost touches. These make the phone almost unusable and seem to get worse the longer I leave my phone on.”

Many users reported that the iPhone screen is responding to itself even though they do not touch the screen. The apps are opening on their own or the icons are moving erratically. This phenomenon is called iPhone Ghost Touch.

The good news is that most ghost touch problems are easy to fix. This guide will help you understand what ghost touch is, what is causing ghost touch on iPhone, and how to fix iPhone ghost touch so that you can regain full control of your touch screen.

What Is Ghost Touch and How It Affects iPhone?

A lot of users may not be familiar with what iPhone ghost touch is. As introduced above, the iPhone performs tasks by itself without any touching on the screen is called ghost touch.

When your iPhone has the ghost touch issue, it can perform all the actions as a user, such as sending text messages, changing iPhone settings, opening any apps, etc. Sometimes, it can even restore your iPhone to factory settings, which can cause serious problems.

Which iPhones Are Affected by Ghost Touch?

Ghost touch issues are most common with the iPhone X, which Apple acknowledged and offered free repairs for affected users in 2018. However, this problem can also affect newer models like the iPhone 11, 12, and 13, as well as older models like the iPhone 8, 7, 6, and 5. Essentially, ghost touch can impact any iPhone, though it's rare.

What Is Causing Ghost Touch on iPhone?

There are many issues that can cause ghost touch on your iPhone, including:

• Changes to accessibility or other settings can make the iPhone behave differently.
• Software glitches within the iOS system or apps can cause the iPhone screen to malfunction.
• Using non-certified chargers, adapters, cables, third-party cases, or battery packs can cause phantom touches on the iPhone screen.
• Cracks, dirt, or air bubbles on the screen protector can also make your iPhone behave erratically.
• Repeated drops or bumps may cause physical damage to the screen. In such cases, you should get your iPhone checked and repaired by a professional.

How Do I Get Rid Of The Ghost Touch on My iPhone?

Tip 1. Switch USB Cable

Any charger or accessory not developed by Apple may lead to malfunctions on the iPhone. If your iPhone is connected to a 3rd-party charger, pull it off and switch to an original charger. Now click any side of the iPhone screen to see if your iPhone will still ghost touch.

Tip 2. Clean iPhone Touch Screen

The 2nd measure to try is to clean your iPhone's touchscreen to get rid of the ghost touch problem. The safest and most effective way to clean the screen is to use a microfiber cloth.

You can also wet the microfiber cloth with distilled water and wipe the screen. Remember to turn off your iPhone before the cleaning process.

Tip 3. Remove iPhone Case

The twisted screen on your iPhone can always result in the problem of ghost touch. For this reason, you might have to remove the iPhone case to resolve this problem. Check whether the screen responds as normal after removing the case.

Tip 4. Take Off Screen Protector

In case the screen is scratched, most users prefer to attach the screen protector to the home screen. However, the screen protector may sometimes cause errors like iPhone ghost touch, etc. In this situation, you’d better take off the screen protector.

Tip 5. Force Close Background Apps

Malware could also be the main reason for the issue of the phantom touches on your iPhone. To accurately locate this problem, you can quit all the apps running in the background.

• Swipe your finger up and pause in the center of the home screen.
• Then, swipe from left to right to close all background apps.

Tip 6. Restart Your iPhone

If your iPhone stills suffers from ghost touch after switching to an original cable, trying to reset and restart the device is another great chance to fix it.

For iPhone models with a home button:

• Hold down the power button and home button to turn off the device.
• Release the home button and keep holding the power button to turn it on.
• Now check whether the screen touch is back to normal.

For iPhone models without a home button:

• Hold down the side button and either the volume button until you can see the "slide to power off" option on the home screen.
• Drag the slide to turn off the device. Then, keep holding the side button until the device is turned on.

Tip 7. Force Restart Your iPhone

You can force restart your iPhone if the ghost touch issue is still so severe and you cannot use the device properly.

For iPhone 8 and newer models:

• Quickly press and release the Volume + button, then the Volume - button.
• Hold the Side (Power) button and release the button when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus:

• Hold the Volume - button and the Power button.
• Release the two buttons when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

For iPhone 6 and earlier models:

• Hold the Power button and the Home button.
• Release the two buttons when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Tip 8. Update to the Newest iOS 17

If you are certain that there is a software glitch, it's time to update the iPhone to the newest version of iOS 17 if the phone still ghost touch. Here's how to do it:

• On Settings of your iPhone, click on General > Software Update.
• Click on Install Now if a newer version is available.

Note: You can neglect this method if your iPhone has already installed iOS 17 version.

Tip 9. Factory Reset Your iPhone

If force restarting doesn't help, resetting your iPhone to default settings is also worth trying. To reset iPhone settings:

1. Go to Settings on the iPhone's home screen and click the General option.
2. Click Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
3. You need to enter the passcode to initiate the process. And your iPhone will be restored to its original settings.

Advanced Solutions to Fix Ghost Touch on iPhone

Tip 10. Fix iOS System Bugs without Data Loss

In such a situation, most users with no technique knowledge will prefer to use a professional 3rd-party tool to avoid more issues. As such, an excellent repair tool to fix any iOS issues on iPhone/iPad/iPod touch without data loss is FoneGeek iOS System Recovery. This program has become very popular in recent years and obtained many good reviews from Mobile Mall, GetDroidTips, Inspirationfeed, Techjury, Pakainfo, etc.

FoneGeek iOS System Recovery - Fix All iOS Issues without Losing Data!

• A better tool than iTunes to fix looping on start, iPhone touch screen not working, iPhone black screen, and other iOS issues with ease.
• iTunes errors could also be settled in one click, such as iTunes error 27. iTunes error 50, 4005, etc.
• FoneGeek guarantees the 100% secure of your device data. Most iOS issues can be fixed without losing data.
• Fully compatible with iOS 17 and all iPhone and iPad models, such as iPhone 15/14/13.
• It offers the most straightforward instructions to perform the fixing process within only minutes.

Follow these simple steps to fix the iPhone ghost touch issue without data loss:

Step 1. FoneGeek iOS System Recovery should be downloaded on your computer first. After the launch, plug your iPhone into the computer using a USB cable and select "Standard Mode."

Step 2. Once your device is recognized by the program, click "Download" to download the firmware package.

Step 3. Click on "Fix Now," and then the program will begin to fix the ghost touch bug on your iPhone.

Tip 11. Replace the Screen from Apple Store

There might be a hardware issue with your iPhone if the ghost touch problem still hasn't been fixed via the methods mentioned above. You can take the iPhone to the local Apple Store to replace a new screen if it is still under warranty.

Conclusion

You now have 11 tips to repair this annoying problem of ghost touch on your iPhone. We hope to hear good news from you after trying these tips. And, of course, FoneGeek iOS System Recovery is worth trying to solve iPhone ghost touching and any other iOS-related issues without data loss.