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iPhone 12 mini touchscreen issues

Is anyone else having intermittent touchscreen issues with their iPhone 12 mini where it randomly won’t register touch input?

TLDR: my phone screen stops registering touch input randomly only when inside of a case and also with a screen protector on. With just the case on, the screen is fine, and with just the screen protector on the screen works fine. It’s only when they’re combined that my screen goes all janky.

I got my 12 mini today, went to Bestbuy to pick up a screen protector, installed the screen protector, put the phone in the Silicone MagSafe case and set everything up. Everything seemed fine until I noticed that the touchscreen was not responding like it should to touch input. I noticed that the screen would only act up if I had the case on. When I took the case off the screen was responding exactly as it should so I figured it was an issue with the case. However, my sister had also gotten her iPhone 12 mini today and we tested the MagSafe case on her phone but hers didn’t exhibit the same problem.

At this point I decided to pull the screen protector off and test again with and without the case on, and the touch input issues were gone altogether. So I figured, “okay, maybe I got a bad screen protector,” so I went back to bestbuy, returned what I thought to be a faulty screen protector, purchased a Zagg Invisible Shield screen protector, and had them install it for me. But when I powered my phone back on in the car, the screen still wouldn’t register touch input correctly with the new screen protector while in the MagSafe case. I can still take the case off and the screen works fine, but inside the case with a screen protector on, the screen starts acting up.

Finally, I decided to try a different case altogether. We went to Target and I put on a generic non-MagSafe case and the screen issues returned. I’m not sure why but it seems like the issue only pops up when a case is on the phone while also having a screen protector on. If I take one or the other off everything works perfectly. Does it seem like my device might be faulty?

iPhone 12 mini, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 13, 2020 6:36 PM

Top-ranking reply

Rastajafarian Author

Level 1

28 points

Posted on Nov 14, 2020 5:56 AM

Check the link that was posted above. I think they’ve narrowed the problem down to a grounding issue. If you touch any part or the metal chassis of the phone, the lock screen touch input starts working normally again.

For now, I’ve found that touching the camera rings while unlocking fixes the problem. It’s not a great solution but at least it’ll get me by before I can get my phone looked at. There’s no way I’m going without a case or screen protector so this will have to do for the time being. I have an appointment to get it looked at tomorrow so I guess we’ll see.

Hopefully this helps someone

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615 replies

Nov 15, 2020 3:25 PM in response to Rastajafarian

What I really find annoying is that it is difficult to answer an incoming call because the slider does not work or only after 4 tries. I have missed a couple of calls this way. Furthermore you stand in a shop and apple pay does not work as you can not input your code

Nov 15, 2020 3:29 PM in response to rudolf114

What I’ve finally started doing is being really intentional when I touch the Lock Screen. I hold my thumb or finger perpendicular to the screen and use just the tip and it works every time now. It’s a pita but I’m holding out for a fix or a statement

seanb911

Level 1

4 points

Nov 15, 2020 3:29 PM in response to Rastajafarian

I am also having this exact issue with iPhone 12 mini.

With the screen protector and case together, touch screen is intermittent. Mainly stops working when trying to turn on torch from lock screen.

But when the outer shell case is taken off, leaving just the screen protector on, it works?!

No issues when the case and protector are off altogether and the problem occurs on different cases too.

Glad it's not just me - faulty phones or can this be fixed in an update or something?

Nov 15, 2020 3:32 PM in response to rudolf114

I pray they own this flaw. Apple’s return and exchange is very good though I take serious issue with their lack of owning their mistakes. I don’t think they can afford another “Your holding it wrong” iPhone 4 debacle.

Nov 15, 2020 3:43 PM in response to samuel001

I think it has to do with touch rejection on the Lock Screen that’s used to prevent accidental input when it’s in your pocket. It seems to me like the rejection target area is smaller than it should be so the phone thinks that input from people’s fat thumbs are actually accidental presses. It’s like the target areas got scaled down along with the screen size and the screen protector and case alter the conductivity of the touch input just enough to cause issues for people with larger fingers

Nov 15, 2020 3:48 PM in response to Rastajafarian

My wife is tiny....4’11with tiny fingers, she can’t get it to work outside of her index finger. If she uses her index finger to access camera, flashlight, and swipe it works 7 out of 10 times. So I think you have something there, maybe they made it for kids only. 😂

Nov 15, 2020 3:54 PM in response to Benjie324

Lol I think they’d just need to calibrate it to compensate for the smaller screen size. My sister and I both have 12 minis and she has smaller fingers, so both phones give her no problems unless she smashes the screen with the wide part of her thumb, and both phones give me trouble unless I use my pinky or barely touch the screen with just the very tips of my fingers

Nov 15, 2020 4:07 PM in response to Rastajafarian

Same her. tried like 10 cases with different screen protectors. Issue is always there when i use those combines. Its like apple want us to break our phones quicker. UGHH... Every day its one step closer to ditch the iPhone. Its just never right.

APPLE!!! DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS!!!! it gets worse with every generation. We are having issues with devices our of the box!!!!! Don't you hear us?????

Nov 15, 2020 4:13 PM in response to gigas4neil

Update: They said it’s a problem with the case and advised I go back to apple store and exchange it and that they may have a fix. Only problem is they don’t have an open appointment until Saturday. Guess I’ll just deal with it for now.

Nov 15, 2020 4:17 PM in response to gigas4neil

It’s definitely not a problem with the case. I’ve tried a few different cases and they all had that same problem When combined with any screen protector. And I’m not the only one who’s had this issues with other cases. It’s not limited to just Apple cases or any certain type of Screen protector. If it were, then the phone wouldn’t act normally after you got past the lock screen

Nov 15, 2020 4:22 PM in response to Rastajafarian

Absolutely makes sense. Just reporting back on what they told me. I fully do not expect a new case to fix the problem, but am hopeful. Going to go along with what they recommend for now until a fix is out. Or else I’m just going to return it and go back to my XR.

Nov 15, 2020 4:26 PM in response to Benjie324

To each their own. I disagree. Apple isn’t stupid. They keep track of how many units of a particular model, batch, etc. are being returned. If enough of them get returned it will red flag that model and batch and they will look into it.

I agree about the expense of a screen protector being an issue. I just put a return request on Amazon and it accepted it and as long as I send everything back (the used protector, packing materials, etc) they are sending a replacement free of charge. So maybe look into that?

Nov 15, 2020 4:29 PM in response to gigas4neil

I purchased 3 Apple brand cases from Apple with my mini. 2 different color leather ones and a silicone one. I’ve tried all 3 and it makes no difference, the problem persists. So I can’t believe it is the case that’s causing it. Unless it’s MagSafe related (they all have MagSafe).

Nov 15, 2020 4:36 PM in response to samuel001

Yup would love to take advantage of Amazon except they will ban your account for too many returns. On top of that I think its messed up I am returning a perfectly compliant product because my phone, not screen protector, is the issue. Also, I don’t think its fair for screen protector companies, and consumers, to eat the cost for defective Apple phones.

rezzyk

Level 1

4 points

Nov 15, 2020 4:45 PM in response to Rastajafarian

My wife is also having this problem. I thought I was just going crazy when I was setting her phone up on Friday night, but she confirmed she's noticed it and I noticed it again today as well. She has both a case and a screen protector.

iPhone 12 mini touchscreen issues