Apple Inc is well-known for its collection of high-quality, innovative gadgets. In addition, many people also love Apple devices due to their ability to experience very few technical issues.
However, every good thing has a flaw. So, Whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they will most likely experience issues.
Apple iPad is great for Apple users who want to use both the features of the iPhone and MacBook. Unfortunately, due to the high-quality operating system and sleek design, the iPad is a huge investment. But that doesn’t mean it will not face any software or hardware problem.
And one of the most annoying issues most Apple users face is the iPad not responding to the touch screen. The frozen screen makes it impossible to use the iPad.
Whether it’s an iPad Mini or iPad Pro, every iPad model relies on its touchscreen for use and control. So, if the iPad’s screen is not working or responding to your touch, you are in a huge disaster.
Luckily, there are some reasons why your iPad screen is not working, and most times, you can solve it on your own without reaching out to Apple support for professional assistance.
Table of Contents
Why is My iPad Screen Not Responding?
With an iPad screen not responding, you are limited from doing any activity on the device. So before you start trying different ways to resolve touchscreen issues, it is essential to know why.
Addressing the reason behind the touch screen not working correctly helps you save time and lets you test only a few methods. Multiple reasons exist, and some common reasons for touch screens not working are;
- Ill-Fitting Case
- Software issues, like unresponsive apps, installation crashes, etc
- Pending software update
- Hardware problems, such as broken screen protector, cracked touch screen, etc
- Excessive use leads to a hot screen
Most Apple users report that there are some conditions under which the iPad screen becomes unresponsive to touch. These conditions include;
Unresponsive Touch Screen During Charging
A common condition is when you charge the iPad; its touch screen stops responding to touch. Or it becomes slow. It is primarily because if your iPad has a low battery or is heated during the charge, it will automatically go into safe mode, which includes a slow iPad touch screen.
iPad Touch Screen Slows Down
If more than two apps are running on your iPad or if it has an older operating system, both can result in the screen not responding to touch. In addition, operating too many activities on your iPad can slow its responsive time.
Unresponsive Screen After Update
Some iPad users have reported that unsuccessful software or application updates due to slow wi-fi or low charging lead to a frozen screen.
iPad Screen Not Working After Screen Placement
If you have changed your iPad touch screen from an unauthorized Apple store with a non-official and incompatible screen protector, it will not respond.
Thick Plastic Case
iPad is a delicate device, and you must use a thick silicon or plastic case to protect it from any practical damage. However, the majority of the time, the reason behind an unresponsive touch screen is a thick-layered case.
The cases don’t always offer precise patterns and cutouts for the touch screen of an iPad. Therefore, it’s essential to remove the case of your device to see if it’s touching the screen.
Essential Methods to Solve the iPad Touch Screen Not Working
Not having your iPad’s touchscreen respond is a big worry. Jumping onto big and technical solutions before performing basic ways to solve the touch screen not working can be a mistake. Here are some basic and simple methods to fix the iPad touch screen not working;
- Dry Out Your iPad Device
Spilling some drinks on your iPad or mistakenly dropping them in water is common. If your device recently had contact with water or got wet somehow, it could be why your iPad’s touch screen gets unresponsive randomly.
At that time, drying your iPad is the best fix. Here are some ways to dry out your iPad;
- Remove the iPad case.
- Shake the iPad to remove the water from the headphone jack and microphone grill.
- Wipe it down with a dry and soft cloth
- Remove the SIM card
- Please leave it in a warm place (silica gel packet or rice packet)
- Tap the Screen Edges
If the touch screen of your iPad stops working after it is dropped, maybe there is a hardware problem with the digitizer. For example, the digitizer could be misplaced, losing connection with the sensor.
In that situation, gently tap each corner of your screen. And if you have a mirror screen protector, take it out gently and tap the screen.
- Remove Memory or SIM Cards and Other Peripherals
While this rarely happens, your responsive screen may stop working because of a problem with the SIM card, peripherals like USB cables, etc. Make sure to shut down your iPad entirely before removing the SIM or memory card. Unplug any USB cable as well.
Actual Methods to Fix the iPad’s Screen Not Responding to Touch
If the above-described basic methods do not fix your iPad touchscreen problem, then it is time to try the advanced and practice techniques. They are explained below;
Force Restart iPad
The common, simple, and safest way to follow if your iPad screen does not respond to touch is to force restart the iPad. Remember that this method won’t lead to any data loss.
It will simply refresh your device and try to prevent what’s causing the screen not to respond. Here is how to restart your iPad;
iPad with Home Button
If you have any entry-level iPad Pro touch screen problem, the easy way to restart is to press the home button and power button simultaneously until the iPad pro screen blacks out completely.
iPad Without Home Button
If you have iPad Air or an onwards model with an unresponsive screen, press the volume up button for a second and quickly release it. Then, press the volume-down button and release it. Now, hold and press the power button until the screen blacks out.
Once your iPad screen is black, press the power button and release it once the Apple logo appears. The Apple logo on the restore screen indicates that the restart process has started and the issue has been resolved.
Turn On Touch Accommodations
A practical method to fix the iPad touch screen not working is to enable the touch accommodations. An Apple user with the same problem with their iPad Pro touchscreen suggested that this method works best.
“Touch accommodations” change how the iPad’s screen responds to your touch gestures, such as taps, double-clicks, swipes, slides, etc. Refer to the steps below to turn on touch accommodations;
- Open the Settings
- Go to the “Accessibility” tab
- Scroll down to the bottom and click on the “Touch” option
- Toggle the switch next to “Touch Accommodations”
Install the Latest Version of the Software Update
Every OS update of your iPad is released to resolve existing software issues and improve performance. An outdated software version is one reason for the ‘your touch screen not working’ issue. So, update your iPad to the latest version by following these steps;
- Go to the Settings app
- Open the “General” tab
- Scroll down and select the “Software Updates” option
- Your screen will show if there is the latest update available; click on “Download” and wait for it to complete the installation
Depending on the model of your iPad, it may take a couple of minutes or even hours to install the latest version of the software. Once downloaded, you can check if your touch screen is working.
Do a Hard Reset
The primary force restart process doesn’t always work. Sometimes, an iPad touch screen doesn’t work, the slider doesn’t come on, and the screen doesn’t respond to slides and taps. In that situation, you should do a hard reset.
The hard reset will clear all the memory the operating system and apps use (there won’t be personal data loss) if it brings back the operating system of your device to its factory defaults. To perform a factory reset:
With the Home Button;
- Hold the home and on/off volume buttons together
Without a Home Button;
- Tap on the Volume-down button, quickly tap the Volume-Up button and press the Power button.
Keep pressing the buttons even after a slider appears. Then wait for the Apple logo or the screen to go black.
Wrap Up
It’s pretty frustrating to have an iPad with an unresponsive touch screen. But, unfortunately, every device uses a screen, and you can’t do anything with an unresponsive one.
So before you spend money on the Apple service center, it’s better to use this article as a guide to fix the problematic screen of your iPad. But, if you cannot resolve touchscreen issues, contact Apple.
