iPhone 16 Owners Report Issues With Touchscreen Response

A growing number of iPhone 16 owners are reporting issues regarding the touchscreen functionality and responsiveness of their new devices. Users are taking to online forums to report issues such as tap responsiveness, swipe sensitivity and other intermittent problems.

A thread was posted on the r/iPhone subreddit this weekend titled ‘iPhone 16 Touch Unresponsive Issue’. The poster reports issues if someone “accidentally touches the area next to the new Camera Control button.” The poster goes on to claim that “the whole screen becomes unresponsive until released” except the home bar. The poster goes on to speculate that the issue could stem from iOS 18 or the introduction of the Camera Control button.

Other users have begun to chime in and corroborate the claim. With similar issues sparking when the user holds their phone next to the Camera Control button. One user even states that the issue arises even if using the silicon case.

Based on the responses, the responsiveness issue seems to be common across all models. Users report similar problems across the base iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. `

It’s likely that iOS 18, which was designed to help support the new Camera Control button on iPhone 16 is suffering a bug. The sensitivity could be caused by the touch rejection algorithm, as noted by 9to5Mac. This could be causing user inputs to be ignored or unresponsive at times. Taps, swipes, and other gestures to be intermittently interrupted.

Unfortunately, this problem will likely affect those primarily using their iPhone 16 with their right hand. As the natural way of holding, it will likely touch the affected area. As of now, there’s no way to solve the issue. If it is an OS problem, Apple will have to release an update to address this. For now, users are suggested to avoid touching the area around the Camera Control button by using their left hand to hold the device.