Screen Defect

Touch screen test

Fixable

A touch screen test checks whether every part of the screen registers your finger.

Test it now

Open the touch test below: the screen fills with squares; drag your finger slowly over all of them. Squares you touch turn green. Any square that stays grey after you have covered it is a dead zone. Try with the screen protector removed if you have one.

What it is

A touch screen test checks whether every part of the screen registers your finger. Dead zones — strips or corners where taps do nothing — come from a damaged digitizer (the touch layer bonded to the glass), from a cracked screen, from moisture under the glass, or from a screen protector that is lifting. A whole screen that stops responding is more often software or a stuck app than the digitizer.

Can it be fixed?

Software: yes — restart, remove the protector, dry the phone, update. A dead strip or corner that stays after that: no, the display and digitizer are replaced together on almost every modern phone.

What to do

  1. Restart the phone and run the test again.
  2. Remove the screen protector and re-test.
  3. If the phone got wet, leave it dry for 24 hours and re-test.
  4. Persistent dead zone: display replacement quote.

What a repair costs

United States$80–200 for a display on most Android phones; $200–380 at Apple for an iPhone screen out of warranty ($29–99 with AppleCare+)
India₹2,000–6,000 for a display on budget and mid-range Android phones at an independent shop, ₹6,000–20,000 for flagship OLED screens at the brand service centre; iPhone screens ₹12,000–35,000 at Apple-authorised service

Typical ranges from repair-shop and manufacturer price lists, 2026-09-06. Get two quotes; prices vary by model and city.

Warranty

Most makers replace a panel under warranty for physical panel faults that are not accidental damage; pressure marks, cracks and liquid damage are treated as accidental and are not covered. For dead pixels, each brand has a threshold (typically 3–5 bright or 5–8 dark pixels on a laptop; Dell's premium-panel guarantee replaces at one bright pixel).

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