How to fix delayed touchscreen response problem on iPad Pro 2018

Every other smartphone and tablet may bump into random performance issues including sluggishness, lags, system crashes, unresponsiveness, and boot loops. Often times, the emerging symptoms are inflicted by minor software errors and so they can be rectified by applying some tweaks at home. Devices that are prone to experiencing such kind of performance problems are those that have been used for several months and years already. But this does not mean that new devices are exempted from having these flaws. In fact, a month-old device can sometimes crash, lag or get stuck due to some software-related culprits. And Apple’s iPad Pro 2018 tablet is no exception. One of the relevant issues encountered by some iPad Pro owners is on delayed touchscreen response. If ever you need help dealing with the same problem on the same iOS device, then this post may be able to help you. Read on to learn what causes your iPad Pro to respond to touch input commands very slowly and what to do in order to speed it up.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our iPad issues questionnaire

Troubleshooting iPad Pro with delayed touchscreen issue

Before you troubleshoot, check how much storage is left on your device. While the iPad Pro comes with high storage capacity, this can still run out of memory, especially if you’re fond of downloading huge apps and multimedia files. To check and manage your iPad’s internal memory, go to Settings-> General-> iPad Storage menu. Navigate to the available storage section and see how much space is left. If the remaining space is less than 1 gigabyte, then it’s an indication that the device memory is running low. And to make sure that it’s not what triggers your device to perform or respond sluggishly, free up some space by deleting old and unwanted contents. To rule out other software-related factors that might have slowed down your iPad Pro, try these subsequent solutions.

First solution: End all background apps then soft reset your iPad.

Apps that you’ve opened or used on your iPad will stay suspended or running in the background until you close them. Keeping apps running in the background can benefit when it comes to multitasking or reloading to similar apps. However, random issues can also be triggered when any of these apps crashes or gets corrupted. Sluggishness or delayed touchscreen response is one of the possible symptoms. To rule this out, end or force close all background apps on your iPad Pro using the following steps:

  1. Head on to the Home screen, to get started.
  2. Then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen.
  3. Swipe right or left to navigate through app previews.
  4. Then, swipe up on the app’s preview to close it. 

Follow the same steps to close or end all the rest of the background apps and then try and see if that speeds up your iPad touchscreen response.

ALSO READ: How to fix an iPad Pro that keeps restarting on its own, stuck in bootloops

Second solution: Force restart your iPad.

Apps and services that were stuck or corrupted can also inflict troubles to other apps and iOS functions. Your iPad could slow down or respond to input commands very slowly because it takes longer time for pertinent services to load. To fix the problem, performing a forced restart on the iPad is recommended. Doing so forcibly closes and restarts apps and system functions including those that were stuck and have stopped working. To force restart your iPad Pro (2018) tablet, simply follow these steps:

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Then, press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

Allow your iPad to finish booting up and then try to see if it is now responding faster as expected.

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

Another potential solution to clear out rogue apps that have slowed down your iPad system, is to install available updates for apps and iOS. This however can only be carried out if your iPad still managed to respond and execute commands. Here’s how to check for pending app updates and iOS updates on your iPad Pro:

  1. Tap App Store from the Home screen. Doing so launches the App Store app on your iPad Pro.
  2. Then scroll down to the bottom of the App Store screen and tap on Updates. A list of apps with pending updates will show up on the next screen.
  3. Tap the Update button next to the name of the app.
  4. Tap the Update All button on the upper-right side of the screen to update all apps at once.

To check for iOS update available, proceed to these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. Then tap the option to Download and Install if an update is available for your iPad Pro.

Aside from being able to respond, a stable Internet connection, sufficient memory and battery life are also needed to implement new updates on your iPad Pro. The update process could take longer than usual given that your iPad is responding too slow.

If you’ve managed to update your device, reboot it after installing updates and then see if that fixes the problem.

ALSO READ: How to fix an iPad Pro 2018 that keeps losing cellular signal

Fourth solution: Free up memory space.

As mentioned earlier, insufficient storage space is among of the common reasons as to why a device is slowing down. If you think you need to free up some space, then follow these steps to delete bad apps or apps that you no longer used on your iPad:

  1. Tap and hold any app icon from the Home screen until all app icons are wiggling.
  2. Tap the X on the upper-left corner of the app that you want to delete.
  3. Then tap Delete if prompted to confirm that you want to delete the app

Another way to remove apps is to uninstall it from the storage menu. And here’s how to get there:

  1. Tap Settings to launch the settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap [Device] Storage.
  4. Select the app from the list.
  5. Then tap Delete App to proceed.
  6. If prompted, tap Delete to confirm app deletion.

Follow the same steps to delete other rogue apps.

Fifth solution: Reset all settings on your iPad Pro.

If the symptoms started after installing an update either for apps or iOS, then that could be due to some auto-update overrides that have caused conflicts to system settings. This is when resetting all settings is recommended. Through this reset, all customized settings are deleted and the original values are restored. Any associated errors to recent settings changes will also be removed in the process. This doesn’t affect any saved information on the internal memory and therefore backing up wouldn’t be necessary. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
  4. Choose Reset all settings from the given options.
  5. Enter your passcode when asked to proceed.
  6. Finally, tap the option to confirm all settings reset.

Wait until the reset is finished and your iPad restarts on its own. By then you can start re-enabling individual features that you want to use again on your iPad including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

ALSO READ: How to fix Siri that’s not working on your iPad Air 3 after updating iOS

Last resort: Erase your iPad Pro and restore in iTunes.

Among the last options you’ve got if the problem continues after applying the previous solutions would be a master reset. With that said, you can use iTunes to manually erase your iPad Pro and then restore its factory defaults. All you need to get started is a Windows or Mac computer that has the latest version of iTunes app with a stable Internet connection to access the Apple server. If you wish to proceed, back up all your critical data through iTunes and then proceed to these steps whenever you’re all set:

  1. Start or open iTunes on your computer.
  2. Connect your iPad to your computer with the USB cable or Lightning cable that came with it.
  3. Wait for your iPad Pro to show up in iTunes and then click on its icon.
  4. Go to the Summary section on the left side then click the Restore [device] button.
  5. If prompted, read the warning message and then click Restore again to confirm.
  6. This will then trigger iTunes to start erasing your device and then installs the latest iOS version available.
  7. After the device restores to its factory default settings, you can use the start-up wizard to set it up as new.

You can also opt to carry out a recovery mode restore or DFU mode restore to repair a corrupt operating system of your device. These methods are usually used to fix major system issues that cause stubborn or recurring symptoms. Be sure to back up all critical data saved on the iPad storage to evade from permanent data loss.

To carry out a recovery mode restore on your iPad Pro, just follow these steps:

  1. Connect your iPad Pro to the computer using the USB/Lightning cable.
  2. When your iPad is connected, open iTunes on your computer.
  3. Then on your iPad Pro, quick-press and release the Volume Up button.
  4. Now, quick-press and release the Volume Up button. 
  5. Finally, press and hold the Power button until the Recovery Mode screen (Connect to iTunes screen) appears.

To carry out a DFU mode restore on your iPad Pro, refer to these steps instead:

  1. Connect your iPad to the computer using the original USB cable.
  2. Open iTunes on your computer.
  3. Quick-press and release the Volume Up button.
  4. Then quick-press and release the Volume Down button.
  5. Now, press and hold the Power button until the iPad screen turns black. 
  6. After 10 seconds, press and hold the Volume Down button while still holding down the Power button for another 5 seconds.
  7. After 5 seconds, release the Power button but keep holding the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds.

At this point, iTunes will display an alert message saying that it has detected an iPad in recovery mode and that you must restore this iPad before it can be used with iTunes. This will be your clue that the device is already running in DFU mode and all set for major system clean-up, repair and restore.

The use of third-party software to repair damaged or corrupted iOS can also be considered among the very last options if iTunes restores failed to fix the problem. There are actually a lot of credible iOS repair and recovery software you can download to a compatible computer. Like iTunes, these tools are programmed to fix major iOS problems including software-inflicted symptoms of sluggishness or delayed touchscreen response.

Still experiencing delayed touchscreen response on your iPad Pro?

What you’re dealing with is more likely a hardware issue. At this point, your next option is to get a professional aid. You can take your problematic iPad to the nearest Apple-authorized service center in your area and have it scrutinized by a technician. There might be some damaged components that need to be replaced or repaired.

For other suggestions, you may escalate the problem to your iPad provider or carrier so they can make further assessments and offer ultimate solutions.

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