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You are here: Home / Not working? / iPhone 11 Touch Screen Not Working? Here Are The Fixes

iPhone 11 Touch Screen Not Working? Here Are The Fixes

Last Updated: February 7, 2022 by Moses Gitari

Here’s how to fix an iPhone 11 screen that doesn’t respond to your touches, swipes and gestures, and generally isn’t working the way it should.

Touch screen is great when it work, but when a touch screen stops working, all that ease of use goes out the window and frustration sets in very quickly. The biggest problem is that with the iPhone 11, the touch screen is the only way you have of interacting with your phone. When that suddenly goes away, it can feel like you’re totally locked out of your device altogether.

While there are cases where an unresponsive touch screen calls for professional repairs, there are a number of steps, from easy to advanced, that you can take to get things working again.

In this article we walk you through a few simple solutions to this problem, and help you get an unresponsive iPhone 11 screen doing your bidding once more.

Note: These troubleshooting steps apply to iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

See also: How to fix iPhone 11 Black Screen of Death

Why Is My iPhone 11 Not Responding to Touch?

If your iPhone 11 won’t respond to your touch, here’s what to try before resorting to sending it off for repair.

  • Your fingers are dirty or covered. If you’re wearing gloves or your fingers are covered in some other way, your iPhone 11 might not be able to recognize your touch. Check that your fingers are clean and not obscured in any way before trying again.
  • The iPhone 11 screen is dirty. If your iPhone screen is oily, dirty or wet, this can also affect its responsiveness. Use a cloth to clean the screen gently.
  • A screen protector is affecting use. If you’ve applied a new screen protector to your iPhone 11, it may not be fitted correctly. Re-apply it and see if the issue is solved.
  • Your iPhone 11 has frozen. If your iPhone 11 has frozen, it won’t be able to respond to your touch. Quickly press and release the volume up button, quickly press release the volume down button, press and side button until you see the Apple logo to force a restart.

How Do I Fix an Unresponsive iPhone 11 Screen?

1. Update iOS

If your touch screen is responding at all, the first thing you should try when your iPhone 11 touch screen is not working fully is to update to the latest iOS version. You can check for an iOS update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

If your iPhone touch screen won’t work at all, you used to be able to update your iOS via iTunes, but now you need to unlock your phone and allow connection with your computer using the touch screen, so that method won’t work for most.

2. Restart Your iPhone

If you’re scratching your head wondering ‘why is my iPhone 11 touchscreen not working?’, restarting your phone might be the only solution you need. This may sound like a cliché fix, however, it’s often one of the most successful ways to fix an unresponsive touch screen on iPhone 11. Restarting your phone shuts down and refreshes all background services, which could have crashed and led to your issue. Again, this method will only work if your touch screen is responding at least minimally. You can restart your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Shut Down.

See also: My iPhone 11 Won’t Turn Off! Here’s The Fix.

3. Force Restart Your iPhone

Nine times out of ten, restarting the iPhone will fix this problem. But if The touch screen is not responding at all,the usual restarting method won’t work. This is because, after holding down the side button, you need to be able to swipe across the display where it says SLIDE TO POWER OFF.

So we’ll do a force-restart instead. To do this:

  1. Press and quickly release the volume up button.
  2. Press and quickly release the volume down button.
  3. Press and hold the Side button.
  4. When the Apple logo appears, release the Side button.

Your iPhone 11 should now shut down and restart. When the phone is powered on again, see if the touchscreen is working properly. If not, we may have to move on to more drastic measures.

See also: iPhone 11 Not Turning On? Here’s The Fix.

4. Remove the Screen Protector

Many people apply a screen guard on their iPhones as an added safety against drops and scratches. But that same sheet of plastic or glass could prevent your touch signals from reaching the display panel.

If you only noticed your iPhone 11 touch screen not working after installing a new screen protector, try removing the protector. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee a fix. However, it could increase the response rate on an already weak screen.

5. Water Accident? Let It Dry

It’s important to understand the difference between water-resistant and waterproof. A water accident can permanently damage your iPhone’s internals if you leave it on. Thus, in such scenarios, your best course of action is to shut down the device and wait for it to dry.

You might be surprised to know that putting your iPhone in rice is one of the best ways to dry it out if it has been accidentally dropped in water.

6. Factory Reset

If nothing else has fixed your iPhone 11 touch screen not working, it may be time to try a factory reset. This will restore your iPhone 11 to its original, factory settings, and your data and settings will be erased. Before you factory reset your device, make sure to back it up to iCloud or your computer so you can get your data and settings back. You will need at least some touch screen functionality to complete a factory reset.

To factory reset your iPhone:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Here, select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Erase All Content and Settings and follow the onscreen instructions.

Once you have reset your iPhone 11 to factory settings, you can restore your device from a backup.

7. If All Else Fails, Visit an Apple Store

If none of these fixes have worked, there may be a hardware issue with your touchscreen so it’ll need to be sent away for repair.

You’re best off contacting Apple and/or the retailer who supplied the phone and asking their advice, particularly if it’s still in warranty. Here’s how to make a Genius Bar reservation.

Editors' Recommendations:

  1. iPhone 15 Pro not locking the screen automatically, How to Fix

About Moses Gitari

Moses Gitari is the Editorial Director of iPhoneArena and has been writing about iPhones, iPads, Macs, accessories, and software for over 10 years.

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