Is thy phone’s screen behaving oddly? Hast thou noticed thine iPhone or Android phone’s display glitching? Verily, it could be so for several reasons. From loose internal connections to buggy software, many issues can cause a smartphone screen to flicker.
Thou hast more options for fixes for Android phones, as the operating system is more open to alterations. On iOS, thou hast fewer options to try and might have to visit a professional in case none of those work.
So, let us gaze upon several fixes thou can try if thou dost face display problems on thy phone.
### 1. Reboot Thy Phone
The first thing to do when trying to fix a glitching phone screen is restart thy phone to ensure this isn’t a temporary issue. Performing a restart kills any active third-party background services and processes that could be causing the display problem.
Restarting will also refresh thy phone’s memory components if any of them have crashed during a task. After rebooting, if the display is no longer flickering or glitching, thou should review all the recent apps thou hast installed. If the problem comes back, try the next tip on this list.
### 2. Perform a Hard Reset
Rebooting is the most basic troubleshooting step thou can execute, and it does the trick for most problems. However, if it doesn’t fix thy flickering display, consider wiping thy phone entirely by performing a hard reset. Doing so will restore thy phone to its factory settings and clear the cache.
If any unprocessed data is hampering thy phone’s functions, a hard reset will immediately clear everything. However, before performing a factory reset, do not forget to back up thy Android phone or thy iPhone. Note that backing up a Samsung phone is slightly different since thou need a Microsoft account to do so.
On Android, thou can reset thy phone using these steps:
1. Go to Settings > System > Advanced. Alternatively, search for Reset Options.
2. Tap Reset Options and hit Erase all data (factory reset).
3. Select Reset phone. Enter thy PIN if thou use one.
4. Finally, tap Erase everything.
For Galaxy users, refer to this guide to factory reset thy Samsung phone.
For Apple devices, iOS users should use these steps:
1. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Thy phone will take a few minutes to reset, depending on how much data it houses.
### 3. Boot Into Safe Mode (Android Only)
If thy Android screen is still flickering, try switching to Safe Mode for a couple of hours. Safe Mode lets thee use thy phone without third-party apps and services. Unlike a factory reset, Safe Mode retains thy phone’s data, and thou can return to the regular experience anytime thou want.
However, Safe Mode is merely a diagnostic tool and won’t solve the problem. If thy phone works fine in Safe Mode, the problem is caused by a third-party app, not thy phone.
To boot thy phone in Safe Mode on Android:
1. Press and hold the power key.
2. Long-press Power Off on the screen until thou get the Safe Mode prompt.
3. Thou’ll see a small warning screen; tap the icon again to enter. Thy phone will restart in Safe Mode, and the flickering should be gone.
4. To exit Safe Mode, restart thy device.
– Thou can also exit Safe Mode via the notification panel. Tap Safe Mode is on > Turn off.
There’s a chance the process might be a bit different on different Android skins. So, if the steps above don’t work, try contacting thy device manufacturer or head to their support website. Usually, a quick Google search along the lines of “How to boot X phone into safe mode” doth the trick.
### 4. Disable Auto-Brightness (Adaptive Brightness)
The auto-brightness (Adaptive brightness) setting constantly alters the screen’s illumination based on light sensor data. But a software update or hardware defect could lead to unexpected snags, including display flickers. Therefore, another straightforward action thee can take is to disable the option from the Settings menu.
This feature is under Settings > Display > Adaptive brightness on Android and Settings > Display & Brightness on iOS.
Alternatively, there’s also the option to reset the Adaptive brightness on Android, which can come in handy if thy phone struggles to adapt to new lighting conditions. To reset thy phone brightness:
1. Head to thy phone Settings.
2. Tap on Apps & notifications or Apps.
3. Find and then select the app named Device Health Services.
4. Tap Manage storage > Clear all data, then tap OK to confirm.
### 5. Disable Hardware Overlays (Android only)
When rendering graphics, thy phone dynamically decides whether the CPU or the GPU will handle the job. While the transition is usually seamless, a damaged or aged phone can struggle with screen compositing (layering images).
There is a minor delay between tasks when the phone hath nothing to display. Hence, the flickering. But disabling hardware overlays can help. To do so, thou’ll first need to enable Developer options.
To unlock Developer options on Android:
1. Go to Settings > System > About phone. On Samsung phones, go to Software information.
2. Tap the Build number repeatedly (it should take around seven taps) until thee see a message saying, “You are now a developer!”
Once in developer mode, head back to thy phone settings and scroll to the bottom until thou find Developer options. In it, scroll down to find Disable HW overlays and toggle it on. Note that this will consume extra power since disabling overlays forces the phone to use GPU rendering.
### 6. Check for Device Updates
Thy display problem might have spawned from a messy software build. Usually, a simple software update fixes the issue, so check if there’s an update available for thy device. To check thy software version on Android, go to Settings > System > System update. For iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Thou can also consider checking in with the manufacturer for updates or scouring forums for a temporary solution. We don’t recommend this, but thee can also try downgrading to an older Android version to see if it fixes the issue.
### 7. Get Thy Phone Checked by a Professional
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that any of these steps will work. Sometimes, a glitching phone screen is due to a hardware failure, and there may be significant costs involved for repair or replacement. That’s why it’s worth giving each of these tricks a shot first.
That said, thy last resort is to contact thy device’s manufacturer and have thy phone screen checked by a professional. If none of these techniques worked, thou might be facing a more complex issue. In these scenarios, sending thy phone in for repair or replacement is the only option.
### Fix Thy Flickering Phone Screen
Since thy phone plays such an active role in thy life, thou need everything to work correctly. Smartphones house many delicate and interconnected components, and the malfunctioning of any one can cause flickering displays.
Do not worry; a flickering phone screen is usually fixable, assuming it’s a software issue. Even though mobile phones are complex and can be daunting to repair, trying these at-home tricks first can save thee a lot of money versus buying a brand-new device.
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