Is your smartphone screen glitchy or acting up? Try these tips

Since Apple CEO Steven Jobs announced the company’s first mobile phone with a touchscreen in 2007, many knew but did not want to admit that the world of smartphones would never be the same again.

Blackberry, Nokia and others watched in awe as Jobs glided his fingers across the screen.

Touchscreen

However, with the touchscreen, problems were always going to emerge.

The touchscreen is the main way you interact with your smartphone. As such, an unresponsive screen or ‘ghost touch’ (apps opening by themselves or icons acting as if you’re touching them) can render your device unusable.

Causes of these issues may include glitchy apps, overheating, faulty chargers, a dirty or wet screen, and damage or faults in the screen.

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If you experience any of these issues, there are possible fixes for a smartphone screen that is misbehaving.

Tech company TCL has shared the following tips:

Restart

A simple restart is a good place to start troubleshooting your faulty screen. In many cases, a forced restart or switching the phone off and on again will fix the problem.

Clean display

Moisture or accumulated dirt can cause your screen to stop working. Using a soft, moist cloth to wipe your touchscreen and then gently drying it often resolves the issue.

Shutdown apps

Occasionally, a glitchy app is the cause of your smartphone’s weird behaviour. Close apps down one by one to eliminate the possibility that one of them is causing the issue.

Taps

When a touchscreen stops working after a phone is dropped, an internal connection might be loose. Gently tapping on each corner of the phone may cause it to reconnect.

Charger

If you experience screen problems using your phone while it’s plugged in, a low-quality or unofficial cable or charger might be the cause. Try a different charger to see what happens.

Malware

It doesn’t happen that often, but in rare instances, a malware infection can cause ghost touch. Use Google Play Protect or an antivirus app to check for potentially harmful apps on your phone. You can also go to Settings, Storage, Cleanup to remove unused apps, app data, and files from your phone.

Case and screen protector

Dust or moisture can get between the protector and the screen. Remove the case and protector, then wipe the screen to test. When you get a new screen protector, get a high-quality one and ensure it’s fitted properly.

Reset

Very occasionally, your problems could be due to a software glitch. Resetting your device to its factory settings and downloading the latest version of Android may fix the problem.

Repairs

When all else fails, find a reputable service centre and ask them to take a look. They’ll be able to tell you what the issue is and, if necessary, repair or replace your screen.

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