Ghost touch and other issues since the July update

[annie__]

11/01/2022 UPDATE:

I gave in and did a factory reset on my phone. The combination of the factory reset and the dialing of *#2663# (SP FW Update) helped in eradicating the issue. However, a month later: the issue returned and manifested in an even worse manner. The screen sometimes stop working and the home screen is flickering. Multiple touch screen tests have shown that the top right corner of the screen (near where the ghost touch has been happening) has stopped working and is no longer registering touches. The issue is now a hardware one and would entail a screen replacement and further tech diagnosis to solve.

Device: Galaxy S21+ 5G (Exynos)

One UI 4.1

I. Glitches and Issues

After receiving the July, August and September updates, I started to encounter the following:

- Ghost touch (across several apps) - usually at the top right corner

- Double tap to wake sometimes does not work

Since yesterday, there are instances when: 

- The screen freezes

- Gestures stop working

- Keyboard is laggy/haptics are gone

These never happened before.

II. Solutions That Were Tried

I already sent error reports for these issues but I still have not received any responses yet.

Tried the following:

- Wipe cache partition didn't work.

- Dialing *#2663# (SP FW Update) kinda helps lessen the issue although it still comes back.

III. Notes

- Phone is just about to hit the 1-year mark and has been virtually flawless and blazing fast prior to these issues.

- Never dropped this phone nor had an instance where the screen/phone was pressed/compressed.

- Factory reset may not be an option for me as this is also my work phone (I WFH)

- The ghost touch issue appears even in Safe Mode.

Thank you very much in advance!

[dulber]

I may be experiencing some on the S22 Ultra although not so much to affect usage. Only detecting some touch issues now. Can't say if it includes earlier updates. The worst I had was radio failure on mobile 5G 4G kn the S21 Ultra. It was mitigated by staying in 2G. Then eventually addressed by an update like nothing happened.

[annie__]

Thanks for your insight. Hopefully a future update can help with my issue as well.

[SamsungRightCare]

Hello annie__,

We appreciate you sharing your Samsung Galaxy S21's touch screen issues with us.

We truly comprehend what you are going through and how frustrating it must be to try a number of DIY troubleshooting methods and still not resolve the issue.

Don't worry; we're here to assist, offer quick fixes, and resolve issues with your device.

Certain factors may affect how well the touchscreen on your device performs. Please keep the following in mind when using the touchscreen:

• If a third-party screen protector or accessory is attached, the touchscreen may not work properly. In particular, it may not work well if there is dust or air under the protector, if two or more protective films are attached to the screen, or if the protective film is peeling near the edge of the screen.
• The touchscreen may not work properly if you wear gloves, have dust on your finger, or touch the screen with fingernails or a ballpoint pen. It may also not work if a conductive object, such as a coin or key, is close to the screen.
• If the screen is wet, the touch sensor may not work properly. Even for waterproof models, some touch functions may not work if the product is used in water.

Following are basic steps we need you to try in order to find out what's behind the problem and come up with the possible solutions.

A) Ensure that your device is up-to-date with the latest Software updates.

Settings > About Phone > Software Updates > Download and Install > Follow On-screen Notifications

B) Run the Self-Diagnostics under Samsung Members app.

https://www.samsung.com/ph/apps/samsung-members/ 

Step 1. Run Samsung Members and select Get help on the lower half of the screen. 

Step 2. Tap View tests located under Diagnostics.

Step 3. If you would like to run Camera of the Diagnostics checks, tap Touch Screen.

Step 4. Your Galaxy phone will then run through the checks.

Step 5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the check.

Step 6. When necessary, you may need to manually run or interact with the corresponding function.

Step 7. If preferred, you may check specific Diagnostics and tap them directly to begin.

Step 8. For individual diagnostic checks, you can view your results after the check is complete. 

C) Restart your device.

If the touchscreen isn’t not working at all, you can restart your device by pressing and holding the Volume down key and the Power key/Side key simultaneously for 10 seconds. Once it turns off, you can turn your device back on by pressing the Power key or Side key again.

D) Check your charger.

If your charger is damaged, it may not supply power to your device, which may cause the touch screen to malfunction. In this case, use a different, undamaged charger to prevent this issue. It’s also a good idea to avoid using the touchscreen when the device is charging.

E) Disable gestures.

When using the full screen gesture function, touch input may not be possible because the touch is recognized as a gesture. To stop this from happening, disable the full screen gesture function. Open Settings, tap Display and then tap Navigation bar. Tap Buttons to disable full screen gestures.

F) Disable Touch sensitivity.

If the Touch sensitivity setting is turned on when no protective film is used, the touchscreen may respond too sensitively and therefore malfunction. To disable the Touch sensitivity feature, navigate to Settings, tap Display, and then tap the switch next to Touch sensitivity to turn it off.

 G) For further assistance, you may contact us on the below online support channel links.

https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/contact/#onlinesupport 

https://samsung-livechat.sprinklr.com/seao/ph/index.html 

H) And/ or contact our Samsung hotline numbers below.

#GALAXY or #425299 [Mobile Phones & Tablets]

Available 24/7

1-800-10-7267864 [All Product, Toll Free, PLDT]

1-800-8-7267864 [All Product, Toll Free, Globe]

84222111 [All Product, Landline]

Daily (8:00AM to 8:00PM)

I) If the problem persists, you may bring your device to nearest Samsung Authorized Service Center.

https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/service-center/

Hope this content is helpful and your problem gets solved.

[annie__]

Thank you very much for the detailed response. I will be looking into these methods.