How to fix delayed or slow touch screen response on your iPhone 8 [Troubleshooting Guide]

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Want to know how to fix a delayed or slow touch screen response on iPhone 8? Feel free to read further.

Smartphones, both high-end and mid-range variants can give into many different issues either software or hardware-related. Some issues are common while others are rare. One of the less transpiring issues in high-end devices particularly with Apple’s new iPhone 8 handset is on a delayed touchscreen response. This problem seemed to start manifesting after the iOS 11 rollout on many iPhone variants from the iPhone 5s and later models. Apparently the problem is associated with the software rather than the hardware. It’s either isolated to certain apps or iOS itself. But it may likewise be tied to a faulty hardware. If it’s occurring in older devices, then most likely it can be tagged among other symptoms of performance degradation due to insufficient memory space. Nevertheless this isn’t likely the case with the new iPhone 8. Aside from the fact that it’s a new device, the iPhone 8 also comes with huge storage capacity and powerful processor. So if it’s not a memory issue, what else could have caused the iPhone 8 to show respond slowly to touchscreen commands? This is the main question that this post will attempt to address. Read on to find out the answer and potential solutions to try on if ever you too would bump into this same issue on the same iPhone.

Before we move any further, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, them drop by our iPhone 8 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problem. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need more help, fill up our iPhone issues questionnaire and we’ll help you with you problem.

First solution: Reboot or soft reset.

Soft reset or a simple reboot on your iPhone can do a lot of good things when it dealing with minor software glitches. In fact, it’s the very first recommended procedure to fix random device issues. Aside from yielding positive outcomes, a soft reset doesn’t affect any of your data so creating a backup won’t be necessary. If you haven’t already, then do so with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button for a few seconds or until the Slide to Power Off menu appears.
  2. Drag the slider to the right to turn your phone completely off.
  3. After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button again until  the Apple logo appears.

In case your iPhone screen is responding very slowly to the point that it seems frozen, you can do the alternate restart called a forced restart on your iPhone 8. This is how it’s done:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button for a few seconds or until the Apple logo appears.

Wait for your device to boot up completely then see how it responds to touchscreen inputs this time. If what you get is still a delayed touchscreen response, then move on and try the next applicable solutions.

Second solution: Quit all background apps.

While keeping your apps running in the background offers an advantage when it comes to multitasking and reloading of the same apps, time always comes when any of these background apps gets corrupted and crashed. If this happens, there’s a tendency that your other apps or system functions will likewise be affected. And that’s when apps go rogue or your iPhone misbehaves. To make sure this isn’t the root cause of the problem, try to end all your background apps. Doing so will likewise clear up some space of your iPhone’s internal memory thus can help improve speed and overall performance. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Quickly press the Home button twice (double-tap). Doing so will show up the apps viewer screen with a lost of recently used apps.
  2. Swipe your finger up on each app previews to clear/close them.

After clearing and ending all your recent apps, reboot your iPhone to complete this workaround. See if that helps. If not, then move on to the next procedure.

Third solution: Update apps and iOS to the latest version available.

Software updates are designed to keep a device system optimize or keep apps performing at their best. Aside from new features, updates also contain bug fixes to address existing bugs affecting certain apps or the device itself. Many people were able to resolve software issues by installing software updates so it won’t hurt to give it a shot. In order to get started, check for any available updates to install, either for your apps or iOS.

To check for apps updates, head over to the App Store then go to Updates section. If available, tap the Update button next to an app to install individual app update or Update All to install multiple apps updates at once.

After installing new apps updates, reboot your phone to apply the new changes.

To check for available software update for your iPhone 8, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu.

You will be prompted with an update notification if a new iOS version is available to install. Before you download and install any update, back up your iPhone data for safekeeping.

Fourth solution: Remove faulty apps and unwanted files.

If the problem started after downloading a new content or adding a new app, then most likely the recent add-on is the culprit. In this case, you may opt to disable the new app or remove the new content from your device. Otherwise, just uninstall the suspected app with these steps:

  1. Go to the Home screen then locate the suspected app you want to remove or uninstall from your device.
  2. Tap and hold on the app icon.
  3. When the icons starts jiggling, tap the X on the corner of the app you want to remove.
  4. Tap Delete to confirm action.

Restart your iPhone and see if that fixes the problem.

Fifth solution: Reset or restore your iPhone.

As your last resort, you may go for a full system restore or restore to a previous iOS backup. Now you have to note though that both these methods will result to data loss so creating a backup of your important files and personal information would be necessary. After you’ve secured your iPhone backup, follow these steps to reset your iPhone 8 to its factory defaults and remove any system errors and bugs that might have caused your device to respond very slowly to touchscreen inputs:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. Enter the correct passcode for your device, if prompted.
  6. Then confirm iPhone reset.

Meanwhile, if you opt for an iOS restore or restore your iPhone to a previous iOS backup, you will need to use iTunes on a computer to do so. This can be a better option if the problem you’re dealing with is a post-update issue or instigated after installing the latest iOS update on your iPhone. You may refer to  our post that highlights a step-by-step walkthrough on how to restore an iPhone 8 via iTunes. Just visit our Troubleshooting page for more details.

Seek more help

If none of the aforementioned solutions is able to fix the problem and your iPhone 8 is still responding very slowly to touchscreen input commands, then you better have it checked by a technician for any possible indications of hardware damage. This can be a better option if you happened to drop your phone or got it wet before the onset of the problem. Alternatively, you may escalate the problem to Apple Support especially if it started to occur after installing a new iOS version. In that case, it’s likely due to a software bug, which requires a fix patch. Contact your carrier’s help desk or Apple Support for more help on this matter. But that is if you’ve already exhausted all possible means to fix the problem on your end.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 8 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page or our Youtube channel. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 8. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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