Apple iPhones are widely used by people who desire peak performance from their devices. However, they are not immune to technical problems like screen glitches that can disrupt your experience. So if you’re wondering, “Why is my iPhone glitching,” we’ll assist you in discussing the factors contributing to this issue and provide some proven fixes that would help you get your phone working like before.

Key Takeaways

If your iPhone is glitching, the screen is damaged due to accidental falls or exposure to liquid. Other reasons include an outdated iOS version, a malfunctioning Ambient light sensor, a degrading battery, overburdened RAM or storage, and phone overheating. 

To stop your iPhone from glitching or flickering:

• Wipe your iPhone with a cloth to dry it thoroughly if the water spills over it. 
• Force restart your iPhone and factory reset it afterward.
• Update your iPhone iOS from Settings.
• Close the background apps and uninstall the unnecessary ones.
• Turn off Auto-Brightness to diagnose ambient sensor malfunction. 
• Replace the battery if it is showing below 80% health.
• Replace the damaged screen. 
• Factory Reset your iPhone to eliminate any software bugs.

Why is my iPhone glitching?

Your iPhone can glitch due to a cracked screen, the presence of liquid, apps running in the background and overheating the phone, and a weak battery that cannot provide sufficient power to the display. Some other reasons for your iPhone glitching issue are:

• Your iPhone is running an outdated iOS version.
• Your iPhone has a malfunctioning Ambient light sensor.
• Corrupt third-party applications or bugs in the iOS.

When this happens, your iPhone may exhibit unusual behavior in which the display abnormally turns on and off, becomes unresponsive, and even performs unintended touches, commonly known as “Ghost Touches.”

How to fix a glitched iPhone screen?

If your iPhone screen is glitching, below, we’ll mention the possible causes, why this happens, and how you can fix them yourself. 

I dropped my iPhone and the screen is glitching

Accidental drops or hits can crack your iPhone screen, causing it to start flickering, showing vertical lines, or even becoming unresponsive. 

Why is my iPhone screen glitching after falling?

Your iPhone screen may be glitching after falling due to physical damage, such as cracks in the display. The impact of the fall may also cause the connections between the screen and the motherboard to become loose or detached, leading to malfunctions.

How to fix a glitched iPhone screen after dropping?

One option to fix a glitched iPhone screen after falling is to attempt a force restart. To do this on iPhone 6 series, press and hold the Home and Wake/Sleep buttons concurrently until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 7 series, simultaneously press and hold the volume-  and Power buttons until you see the Apple logo. 

If you have an iPhone 8 series or later, press the Volume+ button and quickly release it; repeat the same approach with the Volume- button. Next, press and hold the Power button until the black screen with the Apple logo appears.

In case the screen is still glitching after force restarting, factory reset your iPhone. For this, go to “Settings” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone” > “Erase All Content and Settings,” and type in your passcode to confirm this action.

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If the above solutions fail to work, the impact likely caused damage to the screen or display connectors. So it is best to ask a professional in your area to replace the cracked iPhone screen. 

iPhone glitching and pressing random things

iPhone glitching and performing actions by itself is the most common issue you may face, leaving you clueless about what causes it.  

Why is my iPhone glitching and pressing random things?

The most probable reason for your iPhone glitching, doing ghost touches, or typing itself is the presence of moisture on top of the screen or inside the phone, causing short circuits. Some other reasons for this issue can be:

• Using a faulty adaptor or lightning cable.
• Outdated iOS.
• Degrading battery.

How do I fix the ghost glitch on my iPhone?

To fix the ghost touches on your iPhone in case of exposure to water, turn it off and unplug any cables immediately. Remove the glass protector and rear protective casing, and thoroughly clean the phone with a microfiber cloth.

Now remove the SIM tray and gently tap your phone against your hand to get rid of the excessive water. Next, jerk the SIM tray opening facing down to remove the remaining liquid. Finally, place the phone in a warm environment for at least five hours to let it dry entirely before turning it on again.   

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Hopefully, your iPhone screen will stop glitching from now on. If not, do these additional steps:

• Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Software Update” and install the latest iOS version.
• Replace the adaptor or Lightning cable. 
• Open “Settings” > “Accessibility” and turn on “Reduce Transparency” to enhance the touch recognition.

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• Head to  “Settings” > “Battery” > “Battery Health,” and If you see a "Battery Health Degraded" or "Battery Health Unknown" message, ask an iPhone repair professional in your area to replace the battery.     

iPhone screen flickering colors and dimming

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iPhone screens flashing, showing odd colors, and suddenly dimming while editing videos, streaming movies, or capturing pictures can disrupt your experience.    

Why is my iPhone screen green and glitching?

Your iPhone screen may show green or other odd colors and start glitching due to a malfunctioning ambient light sensor, incorrect display settings, overheating, or bugs in a third-party app. 

What to do if my iPhone screen is flickering and dimming?

If your iPhone screen is flashing, dimming, and turning green, close all the background applications. For this, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, pause in the middle, and swipe up every app’s preview cards individually to find one with bugs causing glitches.

Once you find the culprit app, tap and hold its icon until it starts to jiggle. Next, tap the “Remove” icon in the app's upper-left corner, click Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm. You can reinstall that again with a bug-free version from the App Store.

If this does not resolve the issue, force restarts your iPhone by the methods discussed earlier. Otherwise, open “Settings” >  “Accessibility” > “Display & Text Size, ” and toggle on/off the Auto-Brightness option to verify the Ambient sensor isn't malfunctioning.   

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If the sensor works perfectly, perform a factory Reset using the Transfer and Reset option in the General Settings menu.

iPhone glitching while charging

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You may experience glitching issues with your iPhone while charging it, which can cause ghost touches and screen flickering.

Why does my iPhone glitch when charging?

Your iPhone may glitch when charging because of a faulty charger or charging cable, a damaged charging port, or a degrading battery. Irregular voltages from the power outlet can also cause this issue.

What to do if your iPhone glitches when charging?

If your iPhone glitches when charging, try the following troubleshooting hacks:

• Plug your iPhone into your laptop’s USB port to figure out whether the fault lies with the charger or the phone. If it stops glitching, replace the adaptor or use a stabilizer box with the power outlet.
• Clean your iPhone charging port with a soft brush or SIM ejecting pin to remove any dust or lint causing connection problems leading to glitching.
• Go to  “Settings” > “Battery” > “Battery Health,” and consider replacing the battery if it shows health below 80%.

Why is my phone glitching iPhone 11?

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You may experience screen glitching on your iPhone 11 due to overburdened RAM or storage or bugs in the iOS, making you anxious for a solution. Luckily, the following are a few workarounds to resolve this problem.

• Close all the background apps.
• Update the iOS from Settings, as mentioned above. 
• Head to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and uninstall the apps mentioning  “Never Used” underneath to free up some space and stress the RAM less.

Why is my iPhone XR glitching?

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If your iPhone XR is glitching and the screen is not working correctly, this could be due to a degrading battery, faulty Ambient sensor, overheating, or a bug in an app. To fix this:

• Uninstall the app, especially the one that caused screen glitching afterward.
• Toggle off the Auto-Brightness from the Accessibility menu. 
• Disable the Background App Refresh from Settings to keep suspended apps updating and overheating the iPhone.
• Check the battery health shown above and replace it if needed. 

Why is my phone glitching iPhone X?

You may face glitching problems with your iPhone X if you mistakenly leave some apps open in the background while the software is updating. This may cause the iOS to corrupt or not install correctly. 

The best fix here is to close your open apps and then update the iPhone X; otherwise, a factory reset is your best bet. 

Where to get professional help for iPhone glitching?

If the issue cannot be fixed, take your iPhone to a repair shop nearby to let a professional diagnose and resolve the issue by offering cheaper iPhone repair costs than Apple.

Here's Simply Fixable's average iPhone repair cost:

	Simply Fixable	Apple
Avg iPhone repair cost	$110.88	$261.85

Table. iPhone repair cost

*Data in the given table is based on Simply Fixable's market research and the official Apple website

Conclusion

This article comprehensively covered why your iPhone is glitching, discussed the underlying causes, and the best possible solutions.

We hope one of the solutions in the article has worked for you and resolved screen glitches on your iPhone.