Probably hundreds of times a day, you touch the screen of your phone. The fact that touchscreens on smartphones are among the most commonly malfunctioning components is not surprising given their delicate glass composition. However, hardware issues aren’t necessarily to blame for your Android phone’s touchscreen not working. There are some things you can try before calling an expert if your phone’s touchscreen frequently malfunctions or is unresponsive. And in case it is actually broken and doesn’t seem to take inputs anymore, there are a couple of workarounds you can use to make the device useful again. Here’s how to fix Android touchscreen not working.
How to Fix Android Touchscreen Not Working?
If the touch screen on your phone isn’t working, you should first rule out a software fault. To validate this, you can do a few troubleshooting actions.
Reboot
It could seem pointless to reboot in order to resolve such a complex problem. However, it’s frequently one of the best ways to repair an Android touchscreen that isn’t responding. All background processes, which might have crashed and caused the issue, are terminated and refreshed when you restart your phone.
On most devices, you can turn off your smartphone by holding the Power button for a few seconds if you are unable to use the touchscreen to pick the option. You might occasionally need to press and hold both the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously. This depends on the device you’re using. You might want to Google “force restart (your device)” if you don’t know how.
Reboot to Safe Mode
You might be able to reboot your device into safe mode if the touch screen is only occasionally unresponsive. With no loaded services or apps, Android’s safe mode enables you to operate your phone exclusively with the software that came pre-installed. In this case, third-party software is probably at blame if your display functions normally in safe mode.
On the majority of recent Android devices, you can boot into safe mode by opening the Power menu by long-pressing the Power button, and then long press the Power Off icon. This will reveal the “Boot to Safe Mode” option. On some devices, you need to press and hold the Restart icon from the Power menu. Again, Google is your friend.
Diagnose
There is a diagnose menu on every Android. For Samsung, you need to dial *#0*#. The code depends on the manufacturer. If you can’t find the code, there are plenty of apps on Play Store that can do the same.
There are many apps available on the Play Store that may be able to assist you in identifying the cause of your phone’s touchscreen troubles if you’re scratching your head. These are intended to identify precisely what is wrong with the touchscreen on your phone. We advise using the Display Tester.
Go to the Tests tab in Display Tester after launching it. You have the choice to test a wide range of variables here. The program can identify dead pixels, OLED screen burn-in, proper contrast and saturation, multi-touch functionality, and more. If your touch-based testing were successful, you should check any recently downloaded apps.
Remove Screen Protector
As additional protection against drops and scratches, many users install screen protectors on their smartphones. However, that identical piece of glass or plastic can stop the touch inputs from making it to the display panel. Remove the screen protector if the display has been misbehaving lately. Of course, that still doesn’t ensure a solution. On a screen that is already defective, it might, nevertheless, enhance reaction rates.
Improve Screen Latency
With a third-party program, you might be able to improve the screen latency for screens that are only partially functional. A simple program called Touchscreen Repair calibrates the screen to speed up response times. The software requires you to tap the touchscreen in succession on several locations. It then artificially decreases the latency as much as it can be based on the internals of your phone.
What If the Touchscreen Is Actually Broken?
In case the touchscreen is actually unresponsive but the display still functions, you can do a couple of things to make the device still usable. If you do not want to repair the device, or you think it is better to buy a new one, then you can still make use of the broken device. Also, you can use the below workarounds until you have them fixed.
Control Device with Voice or Face
Your phone can be controlled without the need for touch inputs. Voice and facial-based interface techniques for Android have advanced significantly to better serve customers with accessibility needs. You may completely use your voice and facial expressions to browse around your device with the appropriate apps. Naturally, these fixes are only effective if the device’s touchscreen functions well enough to download an app. However, you can continue to download and install the app using the Play Store’s web interface.
For voice control, you can use Google’s Voice Access app. This app listens attentively to your requests and numbers each action you can take on the screen. Simply yell out the given digit in place of touching any app icon or navigation item. Voice Access connects predefined phrases to basic tasks. So, for example, you could say “screen down” to navigate between pages as well as “go back” to go back to the previous screen.
For facial navigation, there’s an app called Facial Mouse Pro. The name of this software accurately describes what it does. On your screen, it displays a cursor that you can control with your face. You only need to turn your head in the right direction to move the pointer. Wait a second or two to input a single tap once the cursor is on the item you would like to select. Additionally, you have the choice to activate a dock for fast access to a few crucial operations.
Connect Keyboard and Mouse
The solution may be as simple as plugging an external mouse and keyboard if screen issues prevent you from installing any apps. However, this is assuming that you are able to see the screen. With an external mouse and keyboard operating an Android phone is fairly simple. All you have to do is connect the accessories with the proper cable. Your phone only has a single USB port; thus, a dongle is required to pair both devices.
