iPhone SE (2020) right side of screen not responding to touch

I had the exact same problem. An year back i started seeing red and blue lines on the right side of the screen and after than the screen became un responsive to touch about 1 cms to the right edge. i cleaned, updated the OS, changed the keyboard, few general haptic keys settings changed but nothing happened. After a day it magically set this right and the screen started working. i forgot about the problem.

Fast forward 1 year, the issue re occured, this time all the above steps and nothing got sorted. i checked this forum, the only solution that seemed to have worked is go to apple support center change the screen. i wanted atleast another 1 year of usage since i spent a good amount to buy the phone, i decided to shell out Rs.13800.00 in india to get the screen replaced yesterday. Yes, it solved the problem and it is to be seen if i can use it for another year !

The work around we found for my wife's SE was to set the Display Zoom setting to Larger Text - as described below. This allowed her to send texts and type ok etc again.

1. Go to Settings  > Display & Brightness.
2. Tap Display Zoom, then tap Larger Text.
3. Tap Done, then tap Use Zoomed

I have been experiencing the exact same issue on and off for the past 2 years. The first time it happened, I tried to reset my iPhone to factory defaults but that didn’t work. I then updated the iOS and that did fix it! But only temporarily… weird…. About 1 year later (Today), the p and backspace button on the right stopped working. I went to the notes app and scribbled around and indeed the right 1cm of my screen was not working. I ended up taking my iPhone to a local repair shop, they swapped out the screen, and Walla! The screen works great now, no issues.

So it could be software related, but on my iPhone SE 2nd gen, replacing the screen worked!

Hopefully this helps others as well.

My fix was to charge my 2nd gen SE phone to 100%. I was struggling with right side screen problems (“p”, backspace and enter not working and slow iphone, sometimes even whole screen froze) for around 5 days. Once i fully charged my iphone, the problem resolved itself. As for me, the problem might be battery related, as my capacity is at 75%. Or maybe the 5 day span is enough time for most people to go repair their phone or buy a new one. 🤣 any other solutions did not work, but try mine, it costs little to nothing and for me it worked.

I ended up getting a screen replacement and now the phone is functioning as normal again, so at least in my case it was likely a hardware issue.

I ended up just replacing the screen and now it works fine again. So I suppose it was a hardware issue after all.

Hello~ Make an appointment to have your iPhone checked out ad you likely have a hardware issue…

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

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~Katana-San~

I had just gotten the same model (SE 2nd gen) as a "renewed" iPhone from Amazon, and right out of the box it had the same problem, a 7 mm strip down the right side that was not responsive to touch. It's a hardware issue.

My solution was to file a refund request the same day and sent it back to Amazon. Then I immediately bought another one of the same model and colour, also from Amazon. That one works fine. I got lucky.

The main problem of this issue is the touch ic, though that is fixable but it’s quite expensive. Or some tech usually replace the touch glass (idk the exact name of that part) of the iphone that are responsible for the touch response. Basically, there is nothing wrong with the software, don’t try to update it because nothing will happen.

I'm having the exact same issue, also on the right side. The phone hasn't been dropped or exposed to water. There are many people who have had this exact same issue in exactly the same spot on the phones.

The problem seems more pronounced when using the keyboard (impossible to type "p") or the notes app, but doesn't seem to impede my opening apps on the home screen (but that may be due to varying sensitivity based on the context; I don't have the requisite knowledge base to know).

I have restarted, changed the screen zoom... I don't see anywhere on message boards that someone has fixed this problem other than by replacement.

Hi there, I have the same issue on my iPhone SE 2nd gen, but I think I have a solution of my own, I can’t promise that it will work continuously and effectively, it works when I use the note app and just scribble on the dead zone until it gets laggy and unresponsive, I waited several minutes and it is working again, once I charge my phone or not using it for a few minutes the dead zone is back. If you do this method, just don’t turn your phone off if it gets laggy or unresponsive.

Fixed by putting on a wireless charger (don't ask me how). Had exact same bug, couldn't use 1cm of right hand screen like the image in the post whilst in certain apps. In some apps like notes, I could still click the new button note which is within the margin so at least i knew the screen wasn't broken. A very very weird bug. Well done apple -.-

Hello mr_yeo,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. Since your display is partially unresponsive, we'd recommend using the following guidance from If the screen isn't working on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support.

"If your screen is too sensitive or responds intermittently to touch

1. Restart your iPhone or iPad.
2. Make sure that your screen is clean and free of any debris or water.
3. Disconnect any Lightning or USB-C accessories. If your screen works after removing an accessory, try using a different outlet, cable, or charger.
4. Remove any cases or screen protectors."

If the same happens after those steps, reach out to Apple Support for further assistance. Inspection may be needed.

Take care.

okay, so the dead zone is back but I think it’s a bit smaller, and I think I’m catching on to what’s going on.

both times, the issue began after the phone screen locked up while manipulating Safari tabs, especially when there’s lot of them open. The phone lags and becomes briefly unresponsive such that you have to force safari to quit. After that, most of the screen works again, but the last centimeter or so on the right side of the phone doesn’t come back (though interestingly, the very very edge of the phone still will do swipe stuff that is triggered by the very edge).

I’m going to keep posting in case it’s helpful for others. But if you’re having this issue, you’re not crazy. It IS a software issue.