The newly released iPhone 16 Pro has already started facing touchscreen issues just days after its launch. According to reports from 9to5Mac and complaints on Reddit, some iPhone 16 Pro users are noticing that certain taps and swipes are not registering on the display, affecting interactions like scrolling and button presses. This issue seems to be exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro model, with users of the regular iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus not experiencing the problem.
The root cause of this touchscreen problem lies in the thinner bezels of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max displays. The accidental touch rejection algorithm appears to be overly sensitive due to these thinner bezels, resulting in ignored taps and swipes. This is essentially a software bug triggered when unintentional contact is made with the screen edges, leading to the rejection of intended inputs.
The most common trigger for this issue is the finger resting near the edge closest to the Camera Control button, although it can also occur on all four screen edges. When activated, the system ignores all new touches on the display for a short period, primarily due to the exceptionally thin bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro models, increasing the likelihood of accidental skin contact with the screen. This bug is more likely to happen on a naked iPhone 16 Pro as cases provide additional bezels and edges around the phone.
The unresponsive screen issue occurs only when the device is unlocked and active, such as during app navigation or switching between home screens, and not while the iPhone 16 Pro is idle or on the lock screen.
Users have reported this problem on both iOS 18 and iOS 18.1 betas, indicating that it is a software-related issue that Apple can address through a software update. Let’s hope for a quick resolution from Apple, as this bug can be quite frustrating for users.
