iPhone 13 could have major touchscreen issue — what you need to know

iphone 13 pro display on laying on desk
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The iPhone 13 may be suffering from yet another problem, this time its touch screen being the unfortunate focus of attention.

Reports from social media and forums (via MacRumors) have shown that several users are having difficulty getting their new iPhones to respond to their taps. Obviously, that's a big issue, but fortunately this may be a software problem rather than one based on the hardware.

While it seems like the iPhone 13 is generally still usable, it may take several taps for an input to be registered by the phone, with tap-to-wake, the lock screen and general OS-wide incidents being reported. In some cases the phone may need a restart to work properly again. One user, with an iPhone 13 Pro, mentions that they particularly struggle with touch sensitivity in the upper corners of the display.

While there are lots of reports from iPhone 13 users, this problem may in fact be iOS 15 based on some similar accounts from users with iPhone 12 or older devices running the newer software. Although it's cold comfort to affected users, it should mean that Apple will be able to fix the problem easily with an over-the-air update.

This isn't the only problem facing the new iPhone. The iPhone 13 has also had trouble unlocking with Apple Watch, an issue that now seems to be on the way out thanks to a fix found within iOS 15.1 beta 2. Other iPhone 13 issues thus far include the ProMotion display not always supporting 120Hz mode on the Pro models and a automatic camera switching issue that Apple is addressing in an update.

We didn't run into big problems while reviewing the iPhone 13 series. In fact, we found them to be worthy of the top spots on our best phones guide. Hopefully, Apple deals with this issue (and all the rest) quickly.

TOPICS
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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  • Ahole4sure
    I'm almost sure this is IOS 15 related! Iphone 12 pro max has exact issue on 15. My issue is that the 12 is practically unstable outdoors due to dim screen! Hopefully 13 will be better
    Reply
  • varase
    Don't know about the other problems - I never experienced them - but iOS 15.0.1 fixed my Apple Watch unlock issue on my iPhone 13 Pro Max.
    Reply