8 Reasons Why Your iPhone Won’t Let You Click Anything! [With Fixes]

Did your iPhone screen stop responding to touch? Or did it freeze during or after a software update? 

Some of the factors I discovered when my iPhone wouldn’t let me click anything include water damage, physical damage, memory issues, outdated iOS version. Also, faulty screen protector, dirt buildup, virus attack, and app glitches can freeze your iPhone and be unresponsive to touch.

Typically, the ‘unresponsive iPhone screen’ issue happens when your iPhone’s digitizer (the iPhone part that allows touch) stops functioning. Rebooting the iPhone can be a simple but effective way to fix most unresponsive screen issues.

However, there are other advanced fixes to solve the problem. I will discuss some possible causes of the unresponsive screen and provide a detailed guide to resolve the issues quickly. 

Unresponsive iPhone Touch Screen? Here’s What Went Wrong!

One of the common challenges iPhone users face is an “unresponsive iPhone screen.” Technically, it occurs when the iPhone reaches its final days. It can be a frustrating experience when your screen suddenly becomes unresponsive during an important event.

If the iPhone’s digitizer (the touch feature) is compromised, it can disrupt how the user interacts with the device. This issue was rampant with iPhone 5 models before Apple resolved it.

At some point, all iPhone 8 models that had their screens fixed by a third-party repair facility developed a similar issue. This time, it was traced to the iOS 11.3 update that disabled the touch screen. Apple released iOS 11.3.1 to solve this problem.

After a while, iPhone X users complained about their screens not responding due to rapid temperature changes. Apple devised a cooling feature to resolve the issue.

If your iPhone falls under these categories, you may need to report the issue on Apple’s official customer support site. Meanwhile, here could be the culprits behind your iPhone not clicking.

Common Reasons Why Your iPhone Won’t Let You Click Anything

From memory issues to water damage, iPhone screens stop responding for several reasons. Let’s check them out!

• Memory Issues

Problems like an unresponsive touchscreen can indicate memory issues. Crashed apps and damaged system files can also affect your iPhone screen.

When your iPhone runs many programs at a time, the memory might be affected negatively, causing your screen to stop responding.  

• Water Damage

If your iPhone drops in water or liquid, it may result in an unresponsive screen. Most times, air drying the iPhone quickly may prevent potential issues, but a frozen screen issue is likely to occur.

• Grease Accumulation & Faulty Screen Protector

Dirt or grease can stop an iPhone’s screen from responding, including screen protectors. Cleaning the screen and removing those accessories may resolve the issues, but something else is behind it if it doesn’t.

• Dry Soldering Touchscreen Connectors

If your iPhone screen touch connectors are dry-soldered, your iPhone may experience an unresponsive screen. If using an ESD-safe brush with flux on the PCB doesn’t work, virus attacks could be the suspects. 

• Virus Attack & App Glitches

Viruses or app glitches, most times, can make the iPhone screen unresponsive. This is due to malfunctioning operating iOS system, corrupted & outdated updates, and damaged screen files. Downloading an elite anti-virus tool can protect your phone and resolve the issue. If the problem persists, check the control IC.

• Faulty Primary or Secondary Touchscreen Control IC

If your iPhone primary and secondary touchscreen control IC is defective, your iPhone screen will automatically stop responding.

• Physical Damage to Touch Screen

A lot of users accidentally drop their devices off their hands. This accident can deal intense physical damage to the device and can result in unresponsiveness. You might notice discolored areas, black spots, or blur sections on your screen. 

• Aftermarket Screen Replacement

Replacing the iPhone screen with a non-Apple screen may be one of the reasons for the unresponsive display. 

These screens don’t feature the LCDs that the original Apple screen has. Third party companies manufacture them, and they may cause unresponsiveness due to incompatibility. 

This is besides having low brightness, vibrancy, and contrast. Moreover, the screens are usually coarser and have lower resolution. 

How To Fix Unresponsive iPhone Screen? 

Don’t be perturbed when your iPhone screen stop clicking. Below are some quick fixes to get your iPhone working again. 

Force Restart iPhone

Restarting an unresponsive iPhone is one of the effective methods. It has been tested and proven by many iPhone users. 

Force Restart tends to resolve most memory issues. So, consider this tip if you think your iPhone won’t respond because of memory lapses. The process differs on different iPhones. 

For iPhone 14 and 14 pro

iPhone 14 or 14pro are designed with face ID, which makes it possible for users to restart phones with face ID. 

1. Press the side and volume buttons until you see the power-off slider.
2. Drag the slider to the right
3. After 30secs, your iPhone will be completely off
4. Press the side button and hold it until the apple logo comes up
5. Your gadget will boot and return to the lock screen
6. Enter your passcode if your screen touch is responding

For iPhone X, 11, 11+, 12, 12+ or 13

• Hold the side and volume buttons together and press until you see the power-off slider.

• Drag the slider to shut the system off. When the system is off, most programs automatically close.

• Once your iPhone is completely off, press-hold the side button to turn your device back on.

For iPhone SE, 8, 7, 7+, 6 or 6+

1. Press the side button until you see the power-off slider
2. Drag down the power-off slider for the device to turn off
3. Turn the device back on by pressing the side button till you see the apple logo

For the iPhone 6s and others before it 

1. Press-hold the home and top-corner buttons together until the  logo appears

2. Release buttons and wait for some time until your device is completely off
3. Press and hold your side button to turn on iPhone

4. Swipe up and input your password.

This might solve your “iPhone not responding” issue, so try it before attempting others. 

Check the Screen Protector and Clean the Screen

Nowadays, screen protectors are designed thinner to work well with modernized smartphones. However, in a few cases, they can be the culprit to unresponsive screens. 

You should check if your screen protector is faulty or not well placed on the touch screen. You can try clicking on your iPhone after removing the screen guide to determine if it’s getting in your way. 

If you remove the screen guard and your iPhone starts responding, consider purchasing a new thinner protector from a trustworthy brand.

Also, moisture, dust, or dirt could affect how the iPhone screen works, especially when using screen protectors that let tiny particles get stuck between the main screen and the protector.  

You can remove the protector and clean the screen with dry microfiber materials until it becomes spotless. Ensure your iPhone screen is clean and free of debris or water. 

When the screen starts working properly, reinstall the screen protector and try again.

Disconnect Lightning or USB-C Accessories 

As uncommon as it may seem, connected electrical accessories may affect your touchscreen interactions. So if your iPhone stops responding to touch, disconnect the cable from the power supply and see if it works. 

If not, try replacing the lightning cable with a new one and check if the problem persists. If yes, it could be a software or hardware issue.

Update Your iPhone

An outdated iOS version can make the phone hang due to a lack of the latest features, drivers, and services. So, updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version can solve your unresponsive screen issue. 

You can follow these steps to check if your iPhone has a newer version for update:

1. Click on General in the iPhone’s Settings app
2. Find software updates. If there’s a new version, click on download and install. If not, your device is up to date.

This method is fast and easy to do. But since your iPhone is not responding, you can check for updates on iTunes using a Mac or PC. The following steps will guide you:

1. Connect iPhone to PC with a USB cable

2. If your iPhone runs macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, install and launch the Finder app. But you can access iTunes on Windows for iPhones running macOS Mojave 10.14 or below.
3. Unlock your iPhone to get to the home screen if you can. It’s easier if Face ID or Touch ID is enabled earlier.
4. Click on the Update icon, download the latest iOS update, and then install it. (Note: this works with previously connected devices)

If your iPhone isn’t connected to your PC, a notification will pop up, telling you to “trust” the PC. If you can click on the ‘confirm’ icon, you can achieve the updating process.

However, in certain cases where the screen is completely frozen and doesn’t allow you to confirm your Mac or PC, you’ll need to set your device on Recovery mode first.

 Follow these steps:

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB 
2. Run iTunes on your Windows or macOS

3. Then you force restart your device using the steps mentioned earlier
4. You wouldn’t see the apple logo. Instead, recovery mode will appear.

5. Your computer will detect your iPhone’s recovery mode, which you will notice when a window pops up.

6. From the list of icons, select ‘Update’ on your PC.

7. The latest iOS version will start downloading and installing

Alternatively, you can consider some third-party tools to repair your iOS quickly.

Repair iOS with Reiboot

ReiBoot is a 3^rd party tool that deals with all iOS-related issues. It can come in handy to resolve your issues. 

Here are the steps:

1. Launch ReiBoot on your PC.
2. Then you connect your iPhone to your PC using a USB cable.

3. Click on the start icon. 

4. Choose the standard repair to avoid losing data.

5. Follow the instruction to enter recovery mode.  
6. Reiboot will match the latest iOS firmware to your device.

7. After downloading, start repairing. 

8. Voila! Repair completed

Factory Reset iPhone 

After updating and repairing, if the problem remains persistent, you should try ‘factory reset’ on the device. Factory reset formats everything on your device, leaving the iPhone empty. This is the best method to figure out if the issue is software or hardware related. 

If you have a backup on your iPhone, you can recover your document after a factory reset, and if you don’t, you can try creating a new one.

Unfortunately, you wouldn’t be able to create a new backup or confirm ‘trust’ if your touchscreen is entirely unresponsive. 

However, you can go ahead and reset the factory, even if you can’t create a backup. Your important data might already be in your iCloud thanks to its 24-hour auto backup.

Nevertheless, creating backups earlier is advisable to avoid losing important data when technical issues arise.

Contact Apple Support 

It’s best to contact Apple if you’ve tried the above solutions and your iPhone screen is still not responding to touch. The problem may be hardware related or too deep a software problem. 

Just contact Apple for their assistance or book an appointment with them. They might even swipe your iPhone with a better one if the problem is too deep.

Conclusion

If your iPhone isn’t responding without physical or water damage, a software issue is a culprit. From hard rebooting to factory resetting, you can try any of the fixes above to see which one will work on your iPhone.

If these fixes don’t work for you, consider visiting a trusted Apple-products repairer. Also, you can contact the Apple support team on another device to report your issue.

Now you know all I did when my iPhone didn’t let me click anything. You can share this article with other iPhone users facing unresponsive screen problems. 

Leave a comment in the comment section below!