As an iPhone owner, I know how frustrating it can be when the screen starts displaying a blurry square. Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon problem and I recently faced this situation myself. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the problem, as well as other solutions I discovered. In this blog post, I’ll explain the causes of the blurry square and how to fix it.
The good news is that this doesn’t mean your phone isn’t broken. It simply means your iPhone just needs a bit of tweaking.
| Cause | Details | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Light and Dark Mode Settings | Blurry square due to issues with light and dark mode settings | Switch between light and dark mode, then turn off automatic mode setting |
| Zoom Settings | Accidental activation of the Zoom Accessibility feature | 1. Disable Zoom in Accessibility settings |
| 2. Double-tap three fingers on the screen | ||
| 3. Tap the home button thrice | ||
| 4. Zoom out the blurry square | ||
| Larger Text Settings | Larger Accessibility Text Size causing the blurry square | Disable Larger Text in Display and Text Size settings |
| Outdated Software | iPhone software not updated | 1. Update iPhone software |
| 2. Manually update via iTunes |
Table of Contents
Causes of a Blurry Square on an iPhone Screen
Some common reasons include the unintentional activation of unknown phone settings, an ongoing software bug, or outdated software.
So, before going to your local repair center, check out these troubleshooting tips first.
Light and Dark Mode Settings
Since 2020, many iPhone users have been trying to get an answer and a fix for blurry screen issues. Meanwhile, an iPhone 13 Pro user recently reported the same issue on the MacRumors forum while running iOS 15.5, which proves the problem hasn’t been fixed despite countless software updates.
Alternatively, one way to confirm a software issue is by taking a screenshot. If you can still see the blurred spot in the picture, then your phone is suffering from a problem with the phone’s light and dark modes. Luckily, it’s an easy fix.
While restarting your phone can fix some software issues, fixing the light and dark mode setting issue doesn’t require rebooting.
So, start by finding the Settings menu on your phone. Next, tap ‘Display & Brightness,’ and switch the settings to light mode if you’re currently in dark mode, and vice versa.
You’ll instantly notice that your screen is no longer blurry. Note that you can change it to your preferred mode afterward while turning off the automatic mode setting.
Zoom Settings
Zoom feature is possibly one of the least noticed settings in an iPhone. Still, many iPhone users accidentally activate the Zoom Accessibility function. Unfortunately, this harmless feature could be one reason your screen has a blurry square.
With this in mind, to make the blurred section disappear, you’ll need to disable the Zoom feature in the Accessibility Settings. Simply go to Settings, then head to the Accessibility menu.
Next, under VISION, tap Zoom to toggle between on/off. Toggling this feature should fix the blurry square from your iPhone’s screen. If this doesn’t work, try the following:
Double-Tap Three Fingers to Zoom
If you can still see the blurry square after rebooting your phone and toggling off the Zoom feature, it’s time to try the three-finger tap.
To do that, double tap the screen with three fingers. If that fails, tap faster while ensuring your fingers aren’t touching each other.
Tapping Home Button Thrice
This is possibly the fastest way to fix the blurry screen. First, tap the home screen three times. That should automatically shut down the accessibility setting causing the blurry square on your iPhone screen.
Zoom Out the Blurry Square
This is one of the most common issues iPhone users face, especially those with visual impairments.
Here’s how to fix it: tap on the blurry part on your screen, locate the Zoom slider, then select Zoom out. Hopefully, the blurred spot will disappear when the screen returns to its normal size.
Read more: Black spot on iPhone screen
Disable the Larger Text Settings
The Larger Accessibility Text Size feature allows you to modify the text size for a more comfortable viewing. However, this could also be a culprit in the blurry screen issues.
To fix it, go to Settings, then Accessibility. Next, tap Display and Text Size. Finally, choose the Larger Text to disable it.
Update iPhone Software
In general, updating to the latest software provides significant enhancements and bug fixes for your iPhone. Typically, iPhone software is automatically updated.
Although, you can customize automatic updates by going to Settings and then select ‘General.’ Next, tap on Automatic Updates, followed by Download iOS Updates. Then, depending on your preference, toggle it on or off.
On the other hand, if no update shows up, connect your device to a computer and manually update it via iTunes.
Conclusion
Read more: Can an iPhone be hacked via wifi?
Hopefully, we answered your query about what causes the blurry square on iPhone screens and how to fix it.
The good news is that fixing the problem is simple and straightforward. Yet, you must first determine the root cause, which could be any of the Accessibility features to the light and dark modes. It could also be an outdated iOS version.
Overall, this seems to be a bizarre issue that’s been recurring for several years. Unfortunately, despite numerous iOS updates, it’s still unclear whether we’ll continue to experience this on iOS 16 or whether Apple is aware of if they plan on fixing it anytime soon.
Good luck!