iPad Air (5th gen) touch screen unresponsive and ghost tapping

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Level 1

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iPad Air (5th gen) touch screen unresponsive and ghost tapping

Hello! My iPad has been having issues recently. I like to draw using Ibis Paint X. So one day, I go to make a new drawing. I used a fairly large canvas (4096x3072px) with ≈50 layers, and that’s where my problems began.

I noticed that the screen doesn’t freeze but stops responding to my hands, it’s not like lag, it just stops reacting to touch. When it doesn’t stop responding to touch, it sometimes sporadically taps multiple times when I’m not doing it on purpose, it made typing really difficult. The weirdest thing was that there was little to no effect on my Apple Pencil. Even when I forcefully shut my iPad down, the bug doesn’t go away! I even deleted the file that started the bug, to no avail. The bug happens mostly at night for whatever reason, but sometimes it also occurs in the middle of the day.

By the way, I am using an iPad Air (5th gen) and currently running iPadOS 18.7.2. I won’t be updating to iOS 26 for personal reasons.

Anyone have ideas on how to fix it?

iPad Air (5th generation)

Posted on Mar 6, 2026 2:34 PM

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Answer 1

LotusPilot

Level 10

315,525 points

Mar 6, 2026 3:16 PM in response to fshwoiz

If your iPad is not operating as expected, try a forced-restart - as this will often clear an isolated software issue:

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
Press and hold the top button.
When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

If the problem persists after performing the restart, it may be necessary to reset your iPad settings. While this reset will not cause any loss of data, as a precaution, it is always wise to ensure that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup before performing the reset:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

When you are happy to proceed, you can perform the reset from iPad settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings

If the problem still doesn’t clear, the next step is to reset the iPad to factory settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively and perhaps easier, you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad - and you can explore your available options:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

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iPad Air (5th gen) touch screen unresponsive and ghost tapping

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