Dead zones on phone and tablet screens are one of the rarest and irritating issues you can come across on your device. If you’re unable to use your device as usual because of its unresponsive touch screens, there are a handful of fixes you can try at home to resolve the problem. This article sheds light on various solutions on how to fix dead zones on phone & tablet screens.
Whether it’s the middle of the touch screen not working, the right side of the touch screen not working, or anywhere not working on the screen, this article will help you fix it. Sometimes, you won’t even need to visit a repair centre.
Unresponsive touch screens: What is the cause?
There are many reasons your phone may not respond to touch screen requests. Here are some examples.
- You might accidentally drop something that could cause damage to the screen.
- Contacts with oily, dirty or wet fingers.
- Too high or low temperature.
- Malicious apps
- Water damage or raindrops
- Software failures, and many more.
Before You Troubleshoot Dead Zones On A Phone Screen…
Before looking for how to fix dead zones on a phone screen, there are a few things to note. Unresponsive touch screens can often be caused by cracked screens. Cracked screens can cause malfunctions in certain parts of your screen, particularly when they are exposed to water drops and moisture. If that’s the case, we recommend you go for a screen replacement instead.
Even more, remove any screen protectors that are attached to your phone. Poorly fitting screen protectors can sometimes cause dead pixels. You should remove any gloves or other coverings that may be on your fingers.
In short, clean your phone’s screen before trying to repair or troubleshoot dead spots.
How to Fix Dead Zones on phone and tablet screens
If you still experience the problem after rectifying the things above, try the fixes below to resolve dead spots on your touch screen.
1. Restart your device
As simple as it is, restarting your phone can fix the dead zones on screens, as well as other issues. And that’s a quick way to diagnose if it’s a hardware problem or some software glitches hanging around the corner.
We recommend that you turn off your device, then let it sit for a few minutes before turning it on again. Here’s how:
- Long-press the Power button and tap Shutdown in the power menu to turn off your phone.
- Wait for about 5-10 minutes until the phone turns off.
- Long-press the Power button again to boot up your smartphone.
After the device boots, you can check the screen. If the screen is not working, please follow the steps below.
2. Test the affected part of the screen
The next thing to do when experiencing ghost touch or unresponsive touch on your device is to test the part of the screen that is affected. This will help you pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Some people may experience the touch screen’s middle not working while others might notice the right side not working. If that happens, you will need to identify the problem area.
To do that, we’ve chosen a simple app called Touchscreen Test. You can either download it from the Play Store, or you can get an equivalent for your iPhone via the App Store. Next, follow these steps.
- Install Touchscreen Test and launch
- Tap START TEST.
- You’ll see white dots on the screen. You can check which parts of your screen aren’t working by swiping from edges to edges.
- Ghost touch is when the screen’s dots turn green even before you touch it.
It might be easier to fix the problem if you now know which part of your LCD screen is affected. Continue to follow the steps below.
Continue to try the methods below. Boot up in Safe Mode on Android
Ghost touch, dead pixels, and unresponsive touch screens are not always hardware problems on mobile devices. Sometimes it could be an app you had installed before.
To You need to enter Safe Mode to ensure that the problem that caused your device’s unresponsive touch screen is not an app. This mode will limit the apps that your phone loads. Safe Mode will disable any other apps.
Follow these steps to access Safe Mode and your device.
- Long-press the Power button (in an attempt to turn off your phone).
- In the power menu, long-press Power off / Shutdown until a pop-up appears.
- On the “Reboot to Safe mode” pop-up, tap
Note: On many TECNO and Infinix phones, you need to long-press the HiOS or XOS logo on the power menu to reboot to Safe Mode.
If your screen works flawlessly while you’re in Safe mode that indicates that an app you installed earlier caused the problem.
To Start by uninstalling any apps that were recently installed to fix the problem. You can also uninstall an app if it is suspect.
- To Stop Safe mode and restart your Android phone manually.
4. Disable Developer options
Similarly, if you’ve turned on Developer Settings on your phone, you may need to turn it off to fix the dead pixels on the screen – at least on a software level.
Android’s Developer options contain several experimental features that are intended for developers or people who want to test out new features on their phones. You may have to disable the settings that you don’t want.
Follow these steps to disable or check the Developer Options on your Android device.
- Launch the Settings
- Scroll to the bottom and select
- Tap Developer Options.
- At the top of the, switch off the ON/OFF switch to disable Developer options.
- Restart your device.
If there are no Developer options, it is likely that the problem was not caused by that. The next solution is available.
5. Pull out your SIM and SD cards
Another method of fixing an unresponsive touch screen on your phone is to power it off and remove all the peripherals connected to it – your SIM cards, micro SD card, earphones, and others.
Your SIM card and SD cards may malfunction and cause problems with some functions of your phone, although this is rare. The majority of the time, the problems seem to disappear after you pull out the SIM and SD cards. You can use it to fix any dead pixels on your screen.
Here’s how:
- Shut down your device.
- You can then remove the SIM cards or memory.
- Restart your phone to verify that the screen is still working.
After confirming the issue, you can re-insert cards.
6. Unplug/change your charger
If you experience ghost touch (the screen pressing itself), or an unresponsive touch screen only while charging your phone, the culprit might be that charger you’re using.
In such cases, you should first unplug the charger. If your screen behaves normal after you have removed the charger, then you will need to replace the cable or get a new one. It can also affect your screen if the charger is larger than the battery capacity of your phone.
7. (DIY) How to fix dead zones on phone & tablet screen at home
If none of the methods above could fix the dead pixels on your phone screen, you might want to try a more technical solution at home. You will need to use an igniter, which is typically found inside an electronic lighter at your home, to create static electricity to fix the dead pixels.
Warning: though this method has a high chance of fixing dead spots on touch screens, it will void your warranty, and it can damage your display irreversibly. Also, it’s just a temporary fix most times – dead zones may reappear after a few hours, days, or months. You take full responsibility for your actions. It’s better to call a repair center.
An expired electronic lighter can be dismantled at home to extract the igniter. It is available in black. It features a push button and a small metal wire. Take the wire out so that you can reach it easily. The rubber shield that covers the tip of your wire may be removed.
You can revive your screen by following the steps below.
- The igniter can be taken out of your electronic lighter.
- Confirm the dead zones on your screen with the Touchscreen Test app mentioned in the second solution above.
- Point the wire from the igniter at any dead areas on your screen.
- To create static electricity, click the button on your igniter.
- Continue the process several times, all over the screen until you are satisfied with the results. Lucky you!
This will invalidate your warranty and could cause permanent damage to your screen, as we mentioned earlier. You are free to try this at your own risk. If it works, keep the igniter close at hand in case any dead spots return. You can also remove ghost touch from your screen using this method.
8. Visit the repair center
The last resort if none of the above fixes work, or if you don’t want to lose your warranty to an igniter, is to look for how to repair the touch screen of a mobile phone.
To fix dead areas on your screen, you will need to go to a repair centre. If your brand has one, we recommend that you visit it. They can help diagnose and resolve the issue quickly. You can also have your screen replaced by them.
You can visit any Carlcare center in your area if your smartphone is TECNO, Infinix or itel. We’re the official after-sales service provider for these brands, and we ensure you top-notch repair service at your convenience.
Meanwhile, if you’re TECNO, Infinix, or itel device is still under warranty and you don’t have a broken screen, we’ll fix the dead zones on your screen for free!
FAQ:
Q: What are dead spots on touch screen?
A: Dead spots on touch screen are areas of the screen that do not respond to touch input. They can affect the functionality and usability of the device.
Q: What causes dead spots on touch screen?
A: Physical damage to the screen, such as cracks, scratches, or dents.
Dirt, dust, moisture, or oil on the screen can interfere with the touch sensors.
Software glitches include frozen apps, corrupted files, or outdated drivers.
Q: How to fix dead spots on touch screen using simple methods?
A: Restart the device to refresh the system and resolve minor software problems.
Clean the screen, using a dry cloth or a screen cleaner, to remove any debris or smudges that may affect the touch functionality.
Calibrate the screen, using the settings or an app, to adjust the sensitivity and accuracy of the touch input.
Q: How to fix dead spots on touch screen using advanced methods?
A: Reset the device, using the settings or a computer, to restore the device to its factory settings and erase any potential software errors.
Replace the screen, using a DIY kit or a professional service, to install a new screen free of any physical damage or defects.
Q: How to prevent dead spots on touch screen from happening again?
A: Use a screen protector and a case, to protect the screen from scratches, cracks, and impacts.
Avoid exposing the device to extreme temperatures, humidity, or water, which can damage the screen and the internal components.
