tbriggs6
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: touch screen erratic only after initial wake

I am observing erratic behavior with two of the three iPhone 5C's in my house.  After a "sufficient" length of sleep time, the pressing the wake button brings the screen on.   You can use slide gestures, so the "slide to unlock" action is OK, as is the slide to bring down notifications or bring up the control center.  Tapping works only in the bottom part of the screen, so we can tap to bring up the camera app.   Tapping doesn't work any where else.

 

If we slide to unlock, we cannot tap in the code.

 

If we bring up control center, camera, or notifications, we cannot tap on anything above the bottom quarter of the screen.

 

If we press the sleep/wake button again to put the phone to sleep, and immediately wake it up, everything is fine, and we can use both phones as usual.

 

 

So far, we have:

  • Restored the phone to "factory" settings with itunes
  • Cleaned the outside of the phone, removing screen protectors and cases

 

I've seen a few posts on the net with similar problems.  The suggestions seem to be replace the screen - but the digitizer/screen works fine all other times, so I'm kind of at a loss. Based on the behavior, it seems like it would be more like a software problem rather than a hardware problem -- maybe ios9 will fix it up?

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 9:49 AM

Close
tbriggs6

Q: touch screen erratic only after initial wake

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Brett L,

    Brett L Brett L Aug 31, 2015 12:18 PM in response to tbriggs6
    Community Specialists
    Aug 31, 2015 12:18 PM in response to tbriggs6

    Good day tbriggs6,

     

    If you are having an issue with your iPhone's touchscreen intermittently not reacting to taps, I would suggest that you troubleshoot using the steps in this article - If the screen on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch doesn't respond to touch.

     

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

     

    Safe computing.

  • by PPRubens1,

    PPRubens1 PPRubens1 Sep 2, 2015 2:21 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2015 2:21 AM in response to Brett L

    Hello Brett,

    That troubleshooting guide is too general to be of help in this case.  I also suddenly have the exact same problem.  When you wake the phone (in my case iPhone5) up, you can use the slider, but you cannot enter the passcode, at least for a minute or two.  You can keep tapping and tapping.  Eventually after a while it will work you can get one number and then several seconds later another number and so on.  So I disabled the passcode.  Still after you wake the phone up after a prolonged sleep (several seconds, minutes), you cannot select any app.  Only after I put the phone back to sleep with the top button and immediately re-wake it, then it will work great.  It is the same every time.  It is not a hardware problem that I can see, and therefore is not going to be solved by the general troubleshooting guide.

  • by tbriggs6,

    tbriggs6 tbriggs6 Sep 3, 2015 6:20 PM in response to PPRubens1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 3, 2015 6:20 PM in response to PPRubens1

    I have to agree with PPRubens1.  I've seen the troubleshooting guide that Brett posted, but its too general.  I just cannot see how this could be hardware when the digitizer works flawlessly after the wakeup issue. 

  • by Brett L,

    Brett L Brett L Sep 6, 2015 6:03 AM in response to tbriggs6
    Community Specialists
    Sep 6, 2015 6:03 AM in response to tbriggs6

    Hi tbriggs6,
     
    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Due to the nature of the issue you described you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.