Touch Screen Test
Draw across your phone, tablet or laptop touchscreen to find dead zones, ghost touches and multi-touch problems. Free, nothing to install.
How to test
- 01Remove a loose screen protector if you can, and dry your fingers.
- 02Press Start, then slide a finger across every part of the screen until it's filled in.
- 03Gaps where lines break or squares won't light are dead zones.
- 04Try several fingers at once to check multi-touch.
What it checks
A touchscreen senses your finger through a grid of fine conductive lines under the glass, called the digitizer. A fault in one line makes a strip that won't respond; damage in one spot makes a patch.
Sliding a finger across the whole screen lights every square you reach and draws your path, so a dead strip shows as squares that stay blank and lines that break as they cross it. Putting several fingers down at once checks multi-touch.
When to run it
- Before buying a second-hand phone or tablet.
- After a drop, even if the glass isn't cracked.
- After a screen replacement: replacement screens vary in quality.
- When typing keeps missing letters in the same area, or the screen taps by itself.
Tips
- Draw slowly. Fast swipes can skip squares and look like gaps.
- Test with and without the case and screen protector: both can press on the edges.
- Unplug the charger while testing: some chargers cause ghost touches.
Testing an iPhone?
This test works in any phone browser. For a deeper check on an iPhone (ghost touches, edge dead zones and a full diagnostic report), Phone Touch Test is our app for exactly that.
What your result means
Every square lights and lines are unbroken
The touchscreen responds everywhere.
Your touchscreen passes.
A strip or patch that won't light
A dead zone in the digitizer.
Try the quick fixes below; if it persists, it's a hardware repair.
Touches appear where you didn't touch
Ghost touches: often moisture, a charger, or a damaged screen.
Unplug the charger, dry the screen, and test again.
Fewer fingers detected than you used
A multi-touch limit or fault.
Compare with the maximum your device reports (shown during the test).
How to fix it
Phone or tablet
- Restart the device.
- Remove the screen protector or case if it presses on the edges.
- Unplug the charger: cheap chargers can cause ghost touches.
- Update the system software.
- If a zone stays dead, the screen or digitizer needs repair.
Windows touch laptop
- Search 'Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input' and run Calibrate.
- Update the touchscreen driver from the laptop maker's site.
Questions
What is a touchscreen dead zone?
An area of the screen that doesn't register touches, usually from damage to the digitizer layer. Lines you draw break as they cross it.
What causes ghost touches?
Moisture, a faulty charger, a pressing case or protector, or a damaged screen. Unplug, clean, and test again to narrow it down.
How many fingers should multi-touch detect?
Most phones and tablets detect 5 or 10. The test shows the maximum your browser reports for your device.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The test runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you see, say or film is sent to us or stored anywhere.