iPhone 6 Touch Screen Not Working? Here's The Real Fix!

David Lynch

JANUARY 2, 2019

Your iPhone 6 touch screen is unresponsive and you don't know why. No matter how many times you tap on the screen, nothing happens! In this article, I'll explain what to do when your iPhone 6 touch screen is not working.

Why Isn't My iPhone 6 Touch Screen Working?

There are three main reasons why an iPhone 6 touch screen could be unresponsive:

  1. A specific app is crashing your iPhone 6 and making it unresponsive.
  2. Your iPhone 6 is experiencing a software problem.
  3. There's a problem with your iPhone's digitizer, the physical component responsible for processing taps, touches, swipes, and any other interaction between your fingertips and the touch screen.

Our goal is to figure out which of these three problems is making your iPhone 6 touch screen unresponsive. The first two steps will help you diagnose and fix a potential problem with one of your apps.

After that, I'll walk you through two steps that will fix a more significant software problem. Finally, I'll show you three ways to fix a potential hardware problem with the digitizer if the software troubleshooting steps don't fix your iPhone 6 touch screen that's not working.

How To Fix An Unresponsive iPhone 6 Touch Screen

7 Steps Total
1.

Close And Reopen The App That's Not Working

Closing an app is much like turning an iPhone off and back on again. The app that you close gets a fresh start, which can sometimes resolve minor technical issues.

How Do I Close And Reopen The App That's Not Working?

  1. Double-tap the Home button.
  2. Use your finger to swipe up the app that you want to close.
  3. Once you swipe the app away, it has been closed.
  4. Tap the app to reopen it.
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2.

Delete The App Making Your iPhone 6 Unresponsive

Unfortunately, not all apps are created equal. A poorly coded app can cause a lot of different software problems on your iPhone 6.

When an app continues to cause software problems on your iPhone, it's sometimes a better idea to just delete the app and find an alternative.

  1. Lightly press and hold the icon of the app you want to delete.
  2. Let go of the app icon when your apps begin to wiggle and a small "X" appears in the upper left-hand corner of the icon.
  3. Tap the "X" on the icon of the app you want to delete.
  4. Tap Delete to confirm the deletion of the app.
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3.

Back Up Your iPhone

It's important to back up your iPhone before doing any major restores (such as a DFU restore). If something goes wrong while you're trying to fix your iPhone, having a back up means you won't lose any of your data (such as contacts, photos, apps, and more). Restoring from a back up is a lot more convenient than having to go and reenter all the information that was saved on your iPhone.

How Do I Back Up My iPhone?

There are a few different ways to back up your iPhone:

Backup Your iPhone Using iCloud

  1. If you have a WiFi connection, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap on Your Name at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap iCloud.
  5. Scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup.
  6. Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on. You'll know the switch is on when the switch is green.
  7. Tap Back Up Now.
  8. A status bar will appear to tell you how much time is remaining.

Backup Your iPhone Using iTunes

  1. Plug the Lightning connector on your Lightning cable (charging cable) into the Lightning port on your iPhone.
  2. Plug the other end of your Lightning cable into a USB port on your computer.
  3. Open iTunes on your computer.
  4. Click on the iPhone icon in the upper left hand corner of iTunes.
  5. Click the circle next to "iCloud" or "This computer" to select whether you want to backup your iPhone to iCloud or your computer.
  6. Click Back Up Now to backup your iPhone.
  7. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.

Backup Your iPhone Using Finder (Macs Running Catalina 10.15 or newer)

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on your iPhone under Locations.
  4. Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  5. Click Back Up Now.
  6. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.
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4.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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5.

Press Down On The iPhone 6 Logic Board

Sometimes when you drop your iPhone, the small, thin cables connected to its logic board can be jarred loose. When this happens, the touch screen can stop working, the display can stop functioning, and much more.

By pressing down on the logic board of your iPhone 6, there's a chance you could reconnect the cables and get your iPhone functioning properly again.

  1. Firmly press down on the display of the iPhone 6 where the logic board is located. The iPhone 6 logic board is located in the upper right-hand corner of the display (see the image above for a guide).
  2. Be careful not to press too hard, as you could crack your iPhone's display.
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6.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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7.

Repair Your iPhone Through Amazon Home Services

Amazon Home Services sends a vetted technician directly to you, whether you're at home or the office. They'll fix your iPhone directly on the spot. Amazon Home Services repairs typically take between 30–60 minutes.

  1. Go to Amazon's Home Service web page.
  2. Select your iPhone model.
  3. Choose the address you'd like the technician to come to.
  4. Select a date and time to schedule your appointment.
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Touchdown!

You've fixed your iPhone's touch screen and it's working normally again. Next time your iPhone 6 touch screen is not working, you'll know exactly what to do! Feel free to leave me a comment down below if you have any other questions about your iPhone 6.

  1. Close And Reopen The App That's Not Working
  2. Delete The App Making Your iPhone 6 Unresponsive
  3. Back Up Your iPhone
  4. DFU Restore Your iPhone
  5. Press Down On The iPhone 6 Logic Board
  6. Repair Your iPhone With Apple
  7. Repair Your iPhone Through Amazon Home Services

Applies To: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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A man a myth a legend
A man a myth a legend
8 months ago

The solution that seems to have worked for me is to remove the screen protector and wipe the screen clean with a lens cleaning tissue. I’m guessing after having been on for years dust had built up between the the screen and the screen protector

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N P Patel
N P Patel
1 year ago

Hello? my iPhone 6 Plus touch screen is not responsive and sometimes it opens apps on its own. I am unable to tap to close or perform any function.

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David Lynch
Author
David Lynch
1 year ago
Reply to  N P Patel

If the steps in this article didn’t work, there may be a hardware problem with your iPhone screen. I suggest reaching out to Apple support.

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Alex =)
Alex =)
1 year ago

My phone will only sometimes respond when I use the touch screen, sometimes it repeatedly freezes and when I press the home button I can’t swipe up to close the app. My phone screen will also do random things on its own such as liking random videos.

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Papiki Majagoba
Papiki Majagoba
2 years ago

Hi David my iPhone 6 Plus touch screen is not responsive and sometimes it opens apps on its own. I am unable to tap to close or perform any function.

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Unknown
Unknown
3 years ago

isn’t it kinda funny that all of these ways involve touching the screen and the screen responding? i thought this was about fixing the screen not working.

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Lucy L
Lucy L
3 years ago

Didnt work i restared my phone for ntohing and lost all my photos ?:(

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Andrew Boulter
Andrew Boulter
3 years ago

screen not working how am i supossed to delete aps when i cant even get in my phone

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