Sluggishness or responding slowly to touch input is one of the performance issues and tagged among other symptoms of memory problems in mobile devices. This along with other symptoms usually manifests after months or years of constant use and therefore deemed part of the wear-and-tear process. But this does not denote that these symptoms won’t occur earlier. In fact, many people including those who owned the highest-tiered smartphones bumped into different types of performance problems at a very early stage.
In most cases, the emerging symptoms are software-related while others from any sort of physical or liquid damage. If ever you will get to encounter a similar issue on your new iPhone XS handset, I’ve outlined some helpful solutions as troubleshooting reference. Feel free to refer to this guide and determine what workarounds to apply when suddenly your new iPhone XS is responding very slowly to touchscreen input commands. Keep reading for more detailed solutions.
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 iPhone issues questionnaire.
How to fix iPhone XS that suddenly become slow in responding to touches?
If your device is slowing down as you multitasked with heavy apps, consider closing background apps that are not in use. While the new iPhone XS is totally capable of multitasking, time will come that the processor gets exhausted. And this is when adverse symptoms begin to emerge. Move on and try any of the following solutions, if necessary.
First solution: Force restart your iPhone XS.
Errant applications, particularly background apps are usually among the common factors that can cause a device to slow down suddenly. This usually happens when any of the background apps become corrupted and go rogue. The fact that everything in your phone system is interrelated makes it possible for other functions to become adversely affected whenever an application is acting up. In this case, it’s possible that the rogue app is interfering with the phone’s touchscreen system. Should this be problem, performing a force restart can fix it. A force restart is an alternative way to reboot a device that is frozen or not responding to touches. Doing so will likewise clear all background apps including those that have been corrupted and inflicting troubles on the phone. And here’s how it’s done:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Finally, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
Wait for your iPhone to finish booting up then test to see if the problem is fixed. If not, then move on and try other applicable solutions.
Second solution: Install pending app updates.
Apps that aren’t updated can also be considered among the possible triggers. Like background apps, outdated applications are prone to glitching and when this happens, pertinent symptoms can happen. To deal with such problems, updating apps can help. Apps also receive periodic updates from their respective developers for maintenance purposes and security enhancements. Updates also contain some fix patches to clear apps from random bugs that trigger them to act up. If you haven’t set your apps to auto-update, then you’ve probably missed some app updates to install. In that case, check for and installing app updates manually would be necessary. Here’s how to check for and install pending app updates on your iPhone XS:
- Tap the App Store icon from the Home screen.
- Select the Updates tab at the bottom right. A list of apps with pending updates then populates.
- Tap the Update button next to your browser app to install pending update for that app.
- Alternatively, you can tap on the Update All button to update all apps simultaneously.
Wait until all apps are finished updating then reboot/soft reset your iPhone XS to apply the new app changes.
Third solution: Update software to the latest version available.
Aside from app updates, installing the latest iOS version available for your iPhone can also be considered among the possible solutions especially if software bugs are to blame. Like app updates, iOS updates also offer fix patches to address existing issues from random bugs and intricate system errors. You can manually check for over-the-air updates on your iPhone XS and if a new iOS version is available, download and install it on your device. An active Wi-Fi internet connection, ample battery life, and memory space are the key requisites to download and install over-the-air updates on your phone.
- To check for new updates on your iPhone XS, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update section.
Wait for the phone to finish scanning for new iOS version and prompts you to download and install new update. If you don’t see any update prompts, then your device software is up-to-date.
Fourth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XS.
Unlike a master reset, resetting all settings does not affect any saved data on your iPhone’s internal memory. In short, you won’t lose any personal information from doing so. What is does is to wipe out all customized settings and restore the default values. This is often needed when your iPhone is experiencing some problems or showing unusual behaviors due to invalid system configuration. Here’s how it’s done:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select Reset all settings from the given options.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.
Your iPhone will then start erasing all customized settings and then restores the default or original values. Any invalid settings are therefore voided out and the corresponding symptoms gone.
Allow your device to reboot and apply the new changes. Afterwards, configure individual options and enable necessary features you want to use on your iPhone.
Fifth solution: Factory reset/master reset your iPhone XS.
If your iPhone XS is still showing the same delayed touchscreen response symptom after exhausting all applicable workarounds on your end, then you may have to consider resorting to a full system wipe out. What you’re dealing with could be a major system problem that usually requires more advanced solutions including a factory reset/master reset. Should you wish to continue, back up all your important data beforehand for they will also be wiped out in the process. And once you’re all set, follow these steps to perform a master reset through your iPhone XS settings menu:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select Erase all content and settings from the given options.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm master reset.
Your iPhone will then start wiping out all data, downloads, and other files from the internal storage and then reverts its factory default settings. After the reset, your device will reboot by itself. As soon as it’s finished booting up, you can continue with the initial setup process and enable all features that you want to use.
If a master reset through settings isn’t possible, like when your iPhone touchscreen becomes totally unresponsive, a factory reset using iTunes must be considered an option. To make this happen, you will need to secure a Windows or Mac computer that runs on a platform that’s compatible with iOS 12 and has the latest iTunes software installed.
Is your iPhone XS touchscreen still responding very slowly?
A last-ditch solution to more complicated system issues on an iPhone is an iOS restore. Thus you may likewise consider a recovery mode restore or DFU mode restore among the final options should you wish to troubleshoot further.
Otherwise, you may either escalate the problem to your device carrier for further recommendations or take your device to an Apple-authorized service center for hardware assessment. Should your iPhone XS requires service, be sure to avail for service warranty. Otherwise, request for a new unit replacement.
Connect with us
If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XS 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 XS. 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.