Why is my iPhone XR touchscreen not working when I set it down?

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Level 1

10 points

Why is my iPhone XR touchscreen not working when I set it down?

I have an iPhone XR that I recently purchased (used from a repair store). No physical flaws or visible damage - 81% battery (max capacity) so in good shape for 6 year old model… (yes?)

I have noticed 2 main issues:

(1) if I hold the phone, touchscreen works fine. If I set phone down on a table, the touchscreen is unresponsive. (?!?!?)

(2) Typing on the phone, using the screen keyboard is rather annoying. Feels sluggish, resulting in lots of typos. Definitely more so than I ever experienced with Android phones.

is this normal??

I have gone through the settings and turned off anything that may impact performance, etc and still both issues exist. help.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: XR odd touchscreen behavior

iPhone XR, iOS 18

Posted on Jun 4, 2025 4:04 AM

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Answer 1

Katana-San

Level 10

81,421 points

Jun 4, 2025 6:40 AM in response to iBooshYou

Hello~ As with any iPhone purchased from outside Apple there may be issues. The first thing that stands out to me is that your battery needs replacement. The next issue may be an actual issue with the screen itself. Take that iPhone back and get it repaired to your satisfaction or get your money back.

~Katana-San~

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Answer 2

Jun 11, 2025 6:44 AM in response to iBooshYou

iBooshYou wrote:

That said, as for the iPhone battery, it's a 6 year old phone that shows 81% Maximum Capacity (Apple defines this as a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new). When I looked online for more information, models earlier than 14 are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. 15 and above increase to 1000 cycles. So for a 6 year old phone, does 81% seem low? It is close to the 80% threshold.

All that matters is that the battery needs to be replaced. The number on the phone itself is an estimate. It's quite possible that it's actually 80% or 79%. As soon as you get that close to the cutoff, you'll start to notice issues. iOS is throttling the phone to help prevent it from suddenly powering off.

Whether or not you want to spend the money replacing a battery on a phone that old is a decision only you can make. I would point out that the phone is approaching end of life and Apple may not be supporting it for much longer. If you want Apple to replace the battery, I'd do it sooner rather than later.

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Answer 3

SravanKrA

Level 10

431,416 points

Jun 4, 2025 6:20 AM in response to iBooshYou

iBooshYou wrote:

(2) Typing on the phone, using the screen keyboard is rather annoying. Feels sluggish, resulting in lots of typos. Definitely more so than I ever experienced with Android phones.

I would get the battery replaced.

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Answer 4

SravanKrA

Level 10

431,416 points

Jun 4, 2025 6:21 AM in response to iBooshYou

iBooshYou wrote:

(1) if I hold the phone, touchscreen works fine. If I set phone down on a table, the touchscreen is unresponsive. (?!?!?)

Go back to the repair shop and ask them to explain the phenomenon.

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Answer 5

iBooshYou Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 10, 2025 9:47 PM in response to SravanKrA

Yes, I had a Google Pixel 3. The charging port on that phone appears to have gone bad and since I was traveling, I tried to see if repair was an option, but it would not be done in time. So I purchased a refurbished iPhone from them for about the price I would have paid for the repair and new battery installed. However typing on that phone did not feel sluggish compared to this iPhone XR.

That said, as for the iPhone battery, it's a 6 year old phone that shows 81% Maximum Capacity (Apple defines this as a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new). When I looked online for more information, models earlier than 14 are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. 15 and above increase to 1000 cycles.

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Answer 6

iBooshYou Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 10, 2025 10:01 PM in response to Katana-San

As stated to the Sravan, I had a Google Pixel 3. The charging port on that phone appeared to have gone bad and since I was traveling, I tried to see if repair was an option, but it would not be done in time. So I purchased a refurbished iPhone from them for about the same price I would have paid for the repair and a new battery installed. Again typing on that android phone did not feel sluggish compared to this iPhone XR.

Why do you think it is related to the battery? I made the comment about making changes that "impact performance" because of something another iPhone user had experienced and shared online, that was similar to the second issue I listed. As with ANY older phone (a lot has changed over 6 years), I would imagine newer IOS would impact older phones in some ways, just as a new OS can impact an older PC. The iPhone XR charges perfectly and everything else does not give me problems and feels responsive - just the 2 weird issues I first mentioned.

That said, as for the iPhone battery, it's a 6 year old phone that shows 81% Maximum Capacity (Apple defines this as a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new). When I looked online for more information, models earlier than 14 are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. 15 and above increase to 1000 cycles. So for a 6 year old phone, does 81% seem low? It is close to the 80% threshold.

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Answer 7

SravanKrA

Level 10

431,416 points

Jun 4, 2025 6:22 AM in response to iBooshYou

iBooshYou wrote:

Definitely more so than I ever experienced with Android phones.

Do you have another 6-year-old Android with so low battery health? Are you comparing it with that device?

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Answer 8

iBooshYou Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 10, 2025 9:36 PM in response to SravanKrA

Not available. In another state. Purchased while traveling because old phone would no longer charge / was unreliable and could not be repaired in time.

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Why is my iPhone XR touchscreen not working when I set it down?

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