Phone Screen Touching by Itself? How to Fix Ghost Touch

Common causes

• A cracked screen or damage from a recent drop
• A screen protector with bubbles, dust or a lifted edge
• Moisture or sweat on the screen
• A cheap or faulty charger causing electrical noise while charging
• A low-quality replacement screen from a previous repair
• A software bug or misbehaving app, which is less common

Fixes to try first

1. Remove the screen protector and case, then clean the screen with a dry microfiber cloth.
2. Unplug the charger. If ghost touch stops, try a different charger and cable.
3. Restart the phone.
4. Update the software.
5. On Android, start in Safe Mode. If ghost touch stops, an app is the cause.

If it only happens while charging

Ghost touch that only appears when plugged in is usually caused by the charger, not the screen. Use a known-good charger, ideally from the phone's manufacturer or a reputable brand.

When the screen is the problem

If ghost touch continues without a case, protector or charger, and especially if the screen has cracks or was replaced before, the touch layer is failing. It usually gets worse over time, and the only real fix is a new screen. If your phone was repaired before with a low-quality screen, that's a very common cause.

Protect your phone in the meantime

Turn on a passcode with a short auto-lock time so random touches can't reach your apps, and back up your data in case the screen fails completely.

Get it fixed

We test touch response across the whole screen at the free diagnostic. See iPhone screen repair, Samsung screen repair or screen repair for other brands and tablets. Also see our guide on using a cracked screen.