While iPhones are among the best smartphones money can buy, they aren’t perfect. Like any other electronic device, there are times when iPhones start to malfunction, with a frozen screen being one of the most common issues. If you face the issue too often, here’s a detailed guide on why that might be happening and what you can do to fix it.
Why Is Your iPhone’s Screen Unresponsive?
Your iPhone’s screen could stop responding for a number of reasons. First, the capacitive touchscreen might not pick up inputs due to the presence of dirt, grime, or moisture. The phone could be stuck due to a bug or a glitch in the software that prevents it from registering any touch inputs or freezes it. If the phone starts freezing after you open a particular app, it could be the app that’s causing the problem. Other reasons behind a frozen iPhone screen could be lower available storage, an outdated iOS version, or a hardware issue that isn’t really apparent on the surface.
Whatever the reason is, we’ve compiled a list of five ways to fix the issue and get your iPhone up and working. While these methods can troubleshoot any software-related problems, they won’t be able to fix broken hardware or an internal hardware issue. Since there’s no way of figuring out what’s causing the issue, let’s start by checking the screen for any dirt and moisture and move our way down through the list, looking for the remedy that brings your iPhone back to life.
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Check Whether There’s Moisture Or Dirt On Your iPhone’s Screen
So, if you’ve just come back from a workout and your hands are sweaty, or the phone just fell into a puddle (or a bucket of water), chances are that the screen can’t detect your fingers. This could, in turn, make you feel that something is wrong with the screen.
If your hands are dirty or wet, consider cleaning and drying them before using your iPhone. Next, wipe your iPhone’s screen with a lint-free cloth. If the screen is too dirty, you can use a damp cloth, but ensure that you follow up with the dry end of the cloth. The main goal is to make the iPhone’s screen shine like new. However, you shouldn’t use any soap or detergent on the display. Further, refrain from using hard fabrics, which could leave scratches on the screen.
Sometimes, applying the wrong screen protector can also mess up your phone’s screen. If the problem started emerging after you applied a new tempered glass or had it installed from a shop, consider removing the accessory or having it removed and checking if the screen works fine without it.
Force Restart To Fix A Frozen iPhone Screen
On the off chance that cleaning the screen or removing the screen guard doesn’t work for you, consider moving to the second step: a force restart. Whether it is a bug or a software glitch that’s keeping your iPhone from functioning normally, a force restart closes down all the programs and shuts down the phone immediately. It’s like pressing and holding the power button on a computer when it doesn’t work. Once your iPhone shuts down, it restarts with all the system resources set to their default value, where they function normally.
Follow the steps given below to force restart and fix your frozen iPhone. They involve pressing and quickly releasing the buttons on an iPhone in a particular sequence.
Force Restart An iPhone With Face ID (X And Newer Models), iPhone SE (2nd Gen), Or An iPhone 8
- Press and release the volume up button.
- Press and release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
An iPhone 7 Or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold the volume down and side button together until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
An iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE (1st Gen)
- Press and hold the Home button and the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
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Close (Or Delete) The Problematic App
If your iPhone’s screen freezes after opening a particular app, it could be the app that’s creating a problem. You can check this by using the horizontal navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to switch to another app. Simply swipe on the bar from the left to the right and see, and once you land on another app, see if that app is working. If the second app is working, follow the steps below.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen and pause in the middle of the screen. You’ll see the active apps appear in a grid.
- Now, swipe to the left or right to locate the app that’s creating a fuss, and swipe up on the app’s preview to close it.
- Head to the App Store and check whether there’s an update for the app. If the developers have pushed one, they might have recognized and fixed the issue in the latest version. Hence, consider updating the app before you try to open it again.
- Check to see if the app functions properly. If it does, well and good. If updating the app doesn’t fix the issue, consider deleting the app.
Free Up Some Storage To Get Your Frozen iPhone Working Again
As a rule, you shouldn’t fill up your iPhone’s storage to maintain optimal performance. Although there’s no official word, an iPhone starts slowing down once the available storage goes below 2GB. The signs of sluggishness become apparent upon further filling up the storage, leaving 1GB of free space or less. At this point, apps would take longer to open, perhaps crash, or might not open at all. Further, the iPhone could start freezing more frequently. Hence, if you’re experiencing a frozen screen issue and your iPhone doesn’t have enough free space, shredding off some load could really help your iPhone pick up some speed.
- Use one of the aforementioned methods to bring your iPhone back into a functioning state.
- Head to Settings > General > About, and check the available space. If your iPhone has 2GB or less space, consider deleting some files or transferring them to another device.
- You can open the Photos app and delete any large videos you might not want to store anymore. You can also remove pictures from various sections, like screenshots.
- Uninstall all the unused apps. iPhones also allow you to offload unused apps, which keeps the system data but removes the files that occupy significant storage.
- If you have an iCloud subscription, you can also backup your photos and videos to the cloud and remove them from your device’s storage.
Update Your iPhone To The Latest iOS Version
When it comes to software updates, Apple is one of the most active developers out there. The company keeps floating iOS updates to fix bugs, improve performance, or fix any security issues it might have detected. Hence, if it has been a long time since you’ve updated your iPhone, consider installing the latest iOS version.
- Head over to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Check for software updates and install one if available.
- You can also enable Automatic Updates.
- While we’re at it, consider updating all the apps on your iPhone. Head to the App Store > Your Profile, scroll down, and select “Update All.”
Visit Your Nearest Service Center
If nothing works, it’s time to make an appointment with the nearest Apple service center and get your device diagnosed for potential hardware issues. We would have recommended you reset the iPhone to factory settings, but that would lead to loss of data, something we’d want to avoid if the authorized personnel can fix the issue. If it’s a hardware issue that’s causing your iPhone to freeze, you might have to get it repaired. Software issues, on the other hand, are slightly easier to fix.
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