Touch Screen Test
Check that every part of your touch screen responds, see how many fingers it can track at once, and catch ghost touches on a phone, tablet, or touch laptop.
Each test fills your screen. Tap Exit or press Esc to stop. Touches that start on the controls do not count, so tap Move to test the part of the screen under them.
What the touch screen test does
A touch screen has a thin touch layer over the display that senses where your fingers are. When part of that layer fails, taps in one area do nothing, some fingers get ignored, or the screen reacts to touches nobody made.
This test shows exactly what the screen reports. Every touch is drawn where the screen thinks it happened, so a missing line, a dark square, or a mark you did not make points straight to the problem.
Why use our touch screen test
- ·Three tests in one. Multi-touch, dead zones, and ghost touches, each with its own full screen test.
- ·A color for each finger. Every finger gets its own color and number, so you can see which one dropped out.
- ·Covers the whole screen. Move the controls to the top or bottom to test the area under them too.
- ·Any touch screen. Works in the browser on phones, tablets, touch laptops, and touch monitors.
- ·Free and private. No signup, no app to install, and nothing leaves your browser.
How to test a touch screen
- 1
Clean and dry the screen
Wipe the screen with a soft, dry cloth and take off any gloves. Water and dirt on the glass can cause touches you did not make.
- 2
Count your fingers with the draw test
Tap Start draw test, then put your fingers down one at a time and drag them around. The controls show how many fingers the screen sees right now and the most it saw at once.
- 3
Find dead zones with the grid test
Tap Start grid test and swipe over every square, including the edges and corners. Tap Move to test the squares under the controls. A square that will not turn green is a dead zone.
- 4
Watch for ghost touches
Tap Start ghost touch test, put the device down, and leave it for a few minutes. Any mark that appears on its own is a ghost touch. Tap Exit or press Esc when you are done.
Which touch screen test to run for your problem
Start with the test that matches what is going wrong, and look for the sign in the last column:
| Problem | Test | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Pinch to zoom or some fingers do not work | Draw test | Most at once stays lower than the number of fingers you put down. |
| Taps do nothing in one part of the screen | Grid test | Squares in that area stay dark however you swipe. |
| Lines break or the screen drops a swipe | Draw test | Gaps in a line you drew without lifting your finger. |
| Taps land a little away from your finger | Draw test | The crosshair is not centered under your fingertip. |
| The phone taps, types, or opens apps by itself | Ghost touch test | Marks that appear while nobody is touching the screen. |
The grid test starts over if you rotate the screen, because the squares are sized to fit it. Pick portrait or landscape before you begin.
How to fix ghost touches and touch screen dead zones
Many touch problems come from something on or around the screen, not the screen itself. Try these in order and run the test again after each one:
- Clean and dry the screen. Water, sweat, and grease are read as touches or block real ones.
- Unplug the charger. A cheap or damaged charger can add electrical noise that shows up as ghost touches. If the problem stops when unplugged, replace the charger or cable.
- Take off the case and screen protector. A case that presses on the edges, or a protector with bubbles, cracks, or lifting corners, can cause both dead zones and ghost touches.
- Restart and update the device. A restart clears software glitches that can make the screen ignore touches or react on its own.
- Plan a repair if nothing helps. If the same area stays dead, or ghost touches keep coming with nothing on the screen, the touch layer is likely damaged. On most phones it is replaced together with the display.
Why a multi-touch test can show fewer fingers than expected
The tool shows the number of touch points your browser reports for the screen. The draw test shows how many it actually tracks. A lower result in the draw test does not always mean the screen is faulty:
- ·System gestures. Some three, four, and five finger swipes switch apps, take screenshots, or go home. When the system takes over, the lines stop and the count drops. Turn those gestures off in settings to test every finger.
- ·Fingers too close together. Two fingertips pressed against each other can be read as one touch. Spread your fingers out.
- ·Edges of the screen. Swipes that start at the very edge can be taken as back or home gestures. Start a little inside the screen.
Who uses a touch screen test
- ·Buyers of used phones and tablets. Check every part of the screen before paying, since a dead zone is easy to miss in a quick look.
- ·Repair shops and their customers. Confirm a replacement screen responds edge to edge and tracks multiple fingers before handing the device back.
- ·Anyone whose screen acts up. Find out whether a phone that types by itself or ignores taps has a hardware problem.
- ·Owners of touch laptops and monitors. Check a new screen while it can still be returned, or test a kiosk or point of sale screen.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I test my touch screen?
- Clean the screen, then run the three tests above. The draw test shows each finger as its own colored line and counts how many fingers the screen sees at once. The grid test turns a square green wherever you touch, so any square that stays dark is a dead zone. The ghost touch test counts touches while you leave the screen alone.
- How many fingers can my touch screen detect?
- The number under the tests is what your browser reports for this screen. To see what you actually get, start the draw test and put down one finger at a time until Most at once stops going up. The real number can be lower than the reported one, because the system can take some multi-finger touches for its own gestures.
- Why does the test see fewer fingers than I used?
- Phones, tablets, and Windows use some three, four, and five finger swipes as system gestures, and the test loses any touches the system takes over. Turn those gestures off in your settings to test every finger. Fingers pressed tightly together can also be read as one touch, so spread them out.
- What causes ghost touches?
- Common causes are water or dirt on the screen, a cracked or lifting screen protector, a case that presses on the edge of the screen, and electrical noise from a cheap or damaged charger. A cracked screen or a failing touch layer can also cause them. If ghost touches only happen while charging, try a different charger and cable.
- How do I fix a dead zone on a touch screen?
- Clean the screen, take off the screen protector and case, and restart the device, then run the grid test again. If the same squares stay dark, the touch layer is probably damaged in that spot. Software cannot fix that, so the screen or its touch layer needs a repair.
- Why can I not fill the squares at the very edge?
- Phones and tablets use swipes from the edges for going back, going home, and opening menus, and a web page cannot block them. Start your swipe a little inside the screen and move it slowly outward onto the edge square. If the square still will not turn green after several tries, the edge may be a dead zone.
- Why does my touch land in the wrong spot?
- Start the draw test and put one finger down. If the crosshair is clearly off to one side of your fingertip, the screen is reading touches in the wrong place. On Windows you can recalibrate it in Control Panel under Tablet PC Settings, using Calibrate. A screen protector that is too thick or has bubbles can also shift touches.
- Can I test a touch screen laptop or monitor?
- Yes. Open this page in the browser on the touch screen laptop, or move the browser window onto the touch monitor, and start a test there. The tests read touches the same way on a computer as on a phone or tablet.
- Does the touch screen test work with a stylus?
- Yes. A stylus or pen draws and fills squares just like a finger, and each pen touch counts as one touch. You can also use a mouse by holding the button down, which helps to try the tests on a computer without a touch screen.
- Why does the test not go full screen on my iPhone?
- Browsers on iPhone do not let web pages switch to full screen. The test still covers the browser window, but the strips behind the address bar and toolbar are not part of it. On iPad, Android, and computers the test goes fully full screen.
- Is this touch screen test free and private?
- Yes. There is no signup and nothing to install. The test runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you draw or touch is sent anywhere.