The phone does not respond to the sensor after sleep. Why touch buttons on an Android phone do not work: how to solve this problem

If we talk about possible reasons why the touch buttons on an Android phone stopped working, the failure is more often on the physical side than the software side. If there are reasons from the first list, most likely you will have to take the device to a service center.

Physical reasons:

  • A strong blow to a tablet or smartphone, a fall from a height.
  • Prolonged exposure to moisture. Particularly serious damage occurs due to water getting into the area between the screen and the film or under the housing. Contacts are oxidized. After exposure to moisture, action must be taken immediately.
  • Sudden temperature changes. Return the device to room temperature. Sensor performance may improve.
  • Punching the screen. There are no scratches or cracks. The damage is noticeable when pressed - then glare is visible in the damaged parts of the sensor.
  • Replacing the screen with an unsuitable model.
  • Serious contamination. Wipe away dirt, dust, moisture, and fingerprints with special wet wipes from an electronics store or a microfiber cloth.
  • Poorly applied film. In places where air accumulates under the film, parts of the screen will stop working. Remove the film and, if possible, replace it with a new one.

Software reasons:

  1. The OS is overloaded with applications or some of them are not working correctly.
  2. Changes device settings.
  3. Touchscreen problems are possible if the screen does not recognize touch correctly or poorly. Screen calibration will help here (you can actually do it at home).
  4. Inappropriate or unstable firmware version.

Why doesn't part of the sensor work on Android? Most likely, the contact has come loose or oxidized.

For a phone with a removable battery, remove the cover and remove the battery. Insert it back and turn on the device using the mechanical button.
If the sensor does not work partially, but not completely, and you can download the application, install Rebooter from the Play Market. On Xiaomi, Meizu or Digma, after long pressing the on/off button (20 seconds or longer), the phone will reboot or turn off. For Samsung and Sony, press the Power/Lock, Volume Up, and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. Hold for 7-10 seconds. If that doesn't work, try again, but hold down these three keys longer. If your smartphone is from other manufacturers and has a built-in battery, perhaps the above methods will help. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the battery is completely discharged or take the device to a service center, where they will also sort out problems with the screen. It also happens that a reboot is needed just to get the display to respond again. What to do if the sensor on Android does not work after locking the screen?


Most often the problem is with the firmware version. To solve this, update the Android version and, if that doesn’t help, reset the settings. How to do this is in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the instructions in the next paragraph of the article. Why don't touch buttons work on an Android phone? Sometimes the problem is the film. If everything was fine before, try removing it. Sometimes it’s even a matter of new protective glass, which can also be detached yourself. Users say that the bottom touch buttons, which stopped working after calibrating the screen (3rd step of the following instructions), became sensitive again.

Common repair options

These steps will help in many cases of malfunctioning of a phone or tablet running Android OS due to software, so you can apply these tips when you doubt the system is working properly.

  • Reboot your device. Perhaps it was under heavy software load or a minor error occurred. Maybe the application just froze, but the sensor is working?
  • Update the firmware. To do this, go to the following items: “Settings” – “About device” – “System updates” – “Check now”. More often than not, the problem is solved.
  • Reset settings to factory defaults. Save all important data to a memory card, computer or similar storage device. Click “Settings” – “Memory” – “Reset to factory settings” – “Reset settings” – “Erase everything”. If necessary, confirm your choice. Wait a few minutes and the reboot will happen automatically
  • What to do if the screen is glitchy? If it works but is slow, just clean the phone as a whole. Remove unnecessary files and applications and the cache (Settings - Applications - any application from the list - Clear cache). To remove other junk and clean up RAM, use CCleaner, Cleaner Master or another application.

How to fix your device

It is unlikely that you can fix your phone yourself. You will succeed when the problem is in the software. In this case, read the methods below.

  1. Calibrate your screen. Depending on the manufacturer, there may be a built-in utility for this, or you may have to download the application yourself. There are several ways. For HTC models: “Settings” – “Language and keyboard” – “HTC Sense Input”. On other smartphones: “Settings” – “Display” – “Display” – “Screen calibration”. If desired, you can calibrate the screen through the engineering menu. It is used by developers to test and change system components. We do not recommend this method as it can cause problems and takes longer than other methods. A third-party screen calibration application from the Play Market can improve the display's response. For example, Touchscreen Calibration or SGS Touchscreen Booster (you can set parameters manually in it).
  2. The bottom touch buttons on an Android phone do not work, what should I do? You can install an application to create soft buttons with the same functions, but in a different location. We recommend Back Button - it does not require root rights.
  3. Contact the service center. There they will more accurately determine the cause and repair the device.

Locking your phone means increasing security, but sometimes you can end up in the opposite situation - one of these is if the sensor does not work.

You can find a lot of descriptions about how to bypass the Android phone screen lock, and what to do if at the same time the sensor does not work. And if it’s also an iPhone or iPad.

There is a fairly simple way out, and not even one. With the iPhone, the truth is a little more complicated - it is superior to Android in terms of security.

Below I will give 2 ways to unlock an Android phone if the sensor does not work, and as for the iPhone, the second method will not work for it, but with Android it’s “Hurray”.

The first way to unlock your phone if the sensor does not work is to use a computer mouse

All you need is a mouse from your computer and OTG (not expensive). Maybe bluetooth - that’s what I’m using now as an example.

We connect the mouse via a cable to the phone and if a cursor appears, then everything is OK. Move the cursor to the drawing, hold down the key on the left side and move along the points.

You can do the same with the keyboard, if it supports a cursor, today there are such ones - it won’t work with a regular one.

This method is very simple, but it will only work if only the touch layer of the screen is damaged.

Unfortunately, this method will not work with all smartphone models - the device must support OTG host mode.

There is another way, but it involves data loss, and I’m almost sure that data plays the main role for you in such a situation.

The second way to unlock the phone if the sensor does not work is a hard reset

A hard reset means getting a clean smartphone with zero settings, as if it had just been purchased and everything is done with just physical buttons - no sensor is needed.

It’s just done differently for everyone; more precisely, it depends on the manufacturer. I won’t describe it - the website has descriptions for all models.


You can find it by searching for how to reset the graphic key on Samsung / Sony / Huawei / Meiza / Honor / ZTE and so on.

That's all. If you don’t succeed on your own, then a good service will definitely help you with both Android and iPhone. Good luck.

Modern touchscreen mobile phones are a generally accepted attribute of our lives. Their rich functionality and broad capabilities allow them to be used to solve many problems that are not limited to classic phone calls. The wealth of options for using such devices leads to their gradual failure, and one of the common failure options is the dysfunction of the sensor on the phone, when the latter simply stops responding to presses (or reacts extremely poorly). In this article I will tell you what the reasons for this dysfunction are and what to do if the sensor on your phone does not work.

Let's look at common reasons why a phone's sensor fails. They may be as follows:

The sensor on the phone does not respond, what should I do?

To restore normal functionality of your phone's sensor, do the following:


*#7353# - for most Android phones, especially Samsung;

*#*#3424#*#* - for most HTC phones;

*#*#7378423#*#* - for most Sony Xperia phones;

*#0*# - for most Motorola phones.

In the menu that appears, select, for example, “TSP Dot Mode”, and by clicking in different areas of the screen, see which parts of the sensor are not polled, this can help fix the problem in which the touchscreen does not work.


Restoring the sensor through safe mode

To boot into safe mode, turn off the phone completely (including by removing the battery). Then, long press the Power button to turn on the gadget. When the Samsung, Nexus, LG, etc. logo appears on the screen, press the Power button and then hold down the Volume Down button. Press this button when your device boots up, and you will see the inscription “Safe mode” at the bottom left of the screen.

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