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This is a weird touch screen issue as only part (2 blocks) of the screen is not working. I tested the touch functionality via "Touch Test" and observed that 2 red zones are not responding to finger tap (see screenshot). Where there are 2 thin gaps (actually 2 lines) are responsive. This happened after an app update (15 apps). I didn't drop the phone during this period. So I am suspecting this might due to a software issue. What could cause this issue?

enter image description here

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  • Try rebooting. I used to have this problem in my old phone...part of the touch screen wouldn't work. Those times i would pull down the notification bar and close it. After that the whole screen would become responsive again.
    – Karthik
    Commented Nov 2, 2011 at 9:48
  • No luck after rebooting. I am going to reset the phone to factory setting (or upgrade the firmware and wipe the phone) to see if it's a hardware issue. This is the last thing I want to do before any possible way to identify the issue.
    – Stan
    Commented Nov 2, 2011 at 17:34
  • Was there any water exposure? Was it dropped at any stage, before or after installing apps, despite I didn't drop the phone during this period? 15 apps would not do that... just saying :)
    – t0mm13b
    Commented Jan 21, 2013 at 17:27
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    There is an option in Settings->Developer options->Show touches which when enabled will show a blip on the places where you touch. Try enabling to see whether you could see the blips in the area that you reported not working.
    – Narayanan
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 7:46

8 Answers 8

Reset to default
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I might be late, or maybe not. I confirmed (here) this issue being adressed into a firmware where the asigned screen size was bigger than it was supposed to be. In my case, a 7" tablet flashed with a 10" screen size tablet, downloaded straight from the tablet's company support page, for my specific tablet.

The guy from the link applied a solution by himself, using pieces from another firmware so the screen size matched the desired one. You can either do this or try another firmware, if it exists.

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+50

some basic general troubleshooting steps that you can try to get a touchscreen working again.

Step 1

More RAM consumption

Turn the device off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on again. This process will clear out any software errors that are causing the touchscreen to malfunction. If the touchscreen still doesn't work, remove the device's battery, if possible, wait ten seconds and then put it back in.

Step 2

Malfunctioning Card(SD or SIM)

Remove both the SIM and memory cards from the device, if the device accepts such cards, and then turn the device off and back on again. Sometimes errors in these cards can cause devices to malfunction.

Step 3

Recalibration

Check your device's documentation to see if there is a way to manually recalibrate the screen. This process will either be done through the "Settings" or "Tools" menus, for those devices that have an alternative method of input, or by holding a combination of buttons while you turn the device on, for those devices that only have the touchscreen for input.

Step 4

OS Mafunctioning

Upgrade the device's software to the latest version, if possible. Many devices come with software for your computer that will allow you to connect the device and update the software. Often, this process will resolve existing software errors that may be causing the touchscreen to stop responding.

Step 5

No Connection between Screen and device's contact

Clean the device's contacts and screen using isopropyl alcohol and a small brush. Turn the device off before you clean it.

Step 6

Perform a hard reset as a last resort. This reset will erase everything you have added to the device and return its software and settings to their factory defaults. Even with an unresponsive touchscreen, most devices will have a way to perform this reset either through PC software or by holding a combination of buttons while turning the device on. Consult your device documentation to determine the exact process for performing a hard reset on your device.

Step 7

Contact the manufacturer for your device if the touchscreen is still unresponsive after your troubleshooting attempts. The manufacturer may have additional steps to take that are specific to your device, and if your device is still under warranty you should be able to get a replacement through their customer service division.

I got this from here

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    Your answer is cool, but the question What could cause this issue? is what made me curious about what specific situation could have caused such strange damage: was it dropped?, exposed to some substance?, to extreme temperatures?, a surge in current/voltage levels? etc.
    – Francisco Alvarado
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 7:57
  • In my answer i have tried to describe these too. More RAM consumption, OS malfunctioning, errors in SDCard or simcard or may be dust particles has blocked connection of screen with contact.
    – surhidamatya
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 8:01
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    Until now, your answer has been the only one which (despite not being based on your own experience in a similar case) shows some effort to query credible and/or official sources, rather than make guesses or repeating what already has been said. So, take your well deserved +50 bounty!
    – Francisco Alvarado
    Commented Dec 24, 2013 at 6:11
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Uninstall or disable Facebook; it doesn't play nicely. And I'm not joking. It really works. I knew my issue wasn't hardware, because when I rotated my phone, it was still unresponsive at the top left, so it was software issue. Someone mentioned FB or Messenger being the issue. So far, I've disabled FB on my Galaxy Note 4 and poof! No more top left issues. Can't uninstall since it's apparently been baked into the phone, though.

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I think the reason might be moisture or water inside the panel if that is the case just open the front panel and keep it under the sunlight for a while it might work.

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    If it's moisture, drying by sunlight is not the recommended way. Better using one of the other methods then, like putting it in a box of rice for a few (2-3) days.
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 10:26
  • if it is water would putting it in box of rice make it worse @Izzy ?
    – Adhithya Rajasekaran
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 11:39
  • I never tried (no reason), but common arguing is exposing it to heat is not the healthy method to dry electronics. Rice is drawing the water. Slow, but reportedly save.
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:47
  • Rice works OK, silica gel packets too. On the other hand, heat sources are a big DON'T!. hacknmod.com/hack/diy-save-a-wet-cell-phone-using-rice
    – Francisco Alvarado
    Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 22:07
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I have the same problem. Try charging your phone via USB in one night without using it. I have this problem since a bought this second hand nexus 4.last night I charged it through USB and my screen is fully functional now. I will test this for a couple of days to see if the problem reappears.

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This may, or may not, fix your problem. I found this thread trying to fix my problem. Now that I have fixed it, I wanted to share this in case someone else finds this thread.

Short answer: Disable the "Block Status bar" feature in Cerberus.

Long answer: When trying to investigate the dead area I went into dev options and turned on "Show touches". Touches registered just fine. I saw a rectangle the exact size of the dead area when I turned on "Show surface updates". I first thought it was the heads up feature. After doing some tests, I came up with the same problem. It wasn't until I did a factory reset and reinstalled Cerberus that it came back. I looked through the settings and it does it when the "Block Status bar" feature is turned on. Disabling this fixed it.

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  • This is exactly the answer I was looking for to resolve the issue I've been having on various Android devices I run using Cerbarus. Thank you!
    – Psiren
    Commented Sep 17, 2015 at 16:00
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Go to Settings->Developer options->show and test it with touching the screen.If it works fine switch off and work else try to repair(Check where you bought it).There is no chance hanging the touch because of apps.

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  • Are you talking about the option Settings->Developer options->Show touches? Yeah, @Narayanan suggested it before...
    – Francisco Alvarado
    Commented Dec 24, 2013 at 5:33
  • Did You try that?
    – ManNi PandiT
    Commented Dec 24, 2013 at 6:02
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I'm typing this on a device that I'm facing the very same problem on. I've found that squeezing the part of the screen is a temporary fix. For me it's the lower part. For the long run gotta live with auto rotate. Until its fixed. Sigh.

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