How to fix an iPhone X that is responding to touch inputs very slowly, delayed touchscreen responses [Troubleshooting Guide]

Sluggish performance as depicted by a delayed touchscreen responses is usually tied to a memory issue like when the device memory space is shrinking. While this is often occurring on older devices and those with low storage capacity, new devices can also give into this issue at some point. Just like what has occurred to some iPhone X variants that are responding to touch input commands very slowly. In most cases, a system error is to blame. It could be due to some rogue apps, software bugs, or random system crashes.

There are also other cases where third-party accessories are to blame like incompatible or non-Apple screen protectors and other accessories. Grime and dust on the iPhone screen can also hinder contact between the touch sensor and your finger. The same thing can happen when the phone is overheating as the processor gets overloaded. More often than not the problem is attributed to the software thus can be resolved by end users at home. You may consider the following solutions among your options as you troubleshoot your iPhone X that is responding very slowly.

Before we move on, if you have other issues with your iPhone, visit our iPhone X troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most commonly reported issues with the device. Browse through the page to find issues similar with yours. If you still need our assistance after that, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire to contact us.

How to troubleshoot iPhone X with touchscreen issues

Before you begin troubleshooting, remove any casing or screen protector from your iPhone. If you see some grimes on your iPhone screen, clean it up first with some wet wipes and a microfiber cloth. After doing so, proceed and try these methods.

First solution: Reboot your iPhone X (soft reset).

If it just occur suddenly on your iPhone to respond sluggishly, it could be just a minor glitch that can be resolved by a reboot or soft reset. For starters, here’s how a soft reset is done on your iPhone X:

Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
Release both buttons when you see the Slide to Power Off prompt.
Drag the slider to the right to turn your iPhone off.
After 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears.

This won’t affect your iPhone data so there’s no need to create backups beforehand.

Second solution: Quit all background apps.

Background apps can crash at some point and when this happens, the entire system can be affected and the delayed touchscreen response on your iPhone X can be the symptom. To fix the problem, you can try quitting all background apps. Aside from rectifying errors, closing background apps can also help extend your iPhone’s battery life. Here’s how it’s done:

From the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom and then pause.
Firmly touch and hold the app then tap the minus (-) icon on the upper-left of the app’s preview.
Alternatively, you can also swipe up to close the app as soon as you see the minus (-) icon.

Reboot your iPhone X after closing all background apps and see if your iPhone X is already performing as expected.

Third solution: Update apps.

Some outdated apps can also inflict instability on the device. The same thing can happen if any of your apps are infiltrated by some bugs and malware. A potential solution to this is installing an app update. Aside from bringing in enhanced features, updates also contain bug fixes that might be necessary to clear some buggy apps that caused your device to become sluggish. So here’s what you should do then:

Tap the App Store icon from the Home screen.
Tap the Updates icon at the bottom right side of the screen.
Tap the Update button next to the app to update individual app.
If you see other apps updates, tap the Update All button to install all apps updates at once.

Reboot your iPhone X or do a soft reset when all the updates are successfully installed. Doing so will apply all the recent changes you’ve made to your apps.

Fourth solution: Update to the latest iOS version.

Aside from apps updates, installing the latest iOS version can also help resolve software-related issues on your iPhone X. System bugs can be the main reason why your device is not performing as its best and the best possible way to get rid of these bugs is by implementing a new update. Software updates also contain fix patches designed to deal with existing bugs and system glitches. To get started, check for available updates on your iPhone X with these steps:

Navigate to the Home screen then tap Settings.
Tap General.
Tap Software Update.
Wait for your device to scan for available software updates. If an update is available, backup your iPhone data for safekeeping then tap Download to instigate downloading of the update file. Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi to get this done.
When the download is finished, tap Install to implement that new update on your device.

Reboot your iPhone X to apply the recent changes made on to the system and then test to see if your device is now able to respond quickly to touchscreen inputs as intended.

Fifth solution: Perform a factory reset/master reset on your iPhone X.

A full system reset might be needed if your iPhone is still performing very slowly after performing all prior methods. It could be a more complex error on the iPhone X system that’s causing the device to slow down thus showing delayed responses. Just be sure to back up your critical data and personal information beforehand as they will all be wiped out in the process. Whenever you’re all set, follow these steps to reset your iPhone X to factory defaults through settings:

Tap Settings from the Home screen.
Tap General.
Scroll to and tap Reset.
Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
If prompted, enter your device passcode.
Then tap the option to confirm reset.

Wait for your iPhone X to complete the system reset and restore to factory defaults. By then you can proceed with the initial device setup.

Other options

If your iPhone X started to respond to touch inputs sluggishly after installing a new app or software update and the problem persisted, then the recently added app or installed update is likely the trigger. You can try removing the suspect app from your device. As for the faulty update, you can resort to performing a DFU mode restore and downgrade iOS. Otherwise, ask your carrier or Apple Support for other options and recommendations.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone X 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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