As an iPhone owner, I know the frustration of discovering horizontal lines on the screen. It’s enough to make you want to throw your phone across the room! After experiencing this issue myself, I did some research and testing to try to find a solution.
In this blog post, I’ll share my experience of how I solved this problem and other solutions I discovered. Hopefully, this will help anyone else out there who is dealing with this issue and can’t seem to find a fix.
Seeing horizontal lines on your iPhone screen can mean either a software or hardware problem. There are a few ways you can identify the cause and even fix it without contacting your Apple service provider.
Here’s a guide for what you should do to remedy this situation.
| Cause | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Software Issue | Horizontal lines on the screen may be caused by a software or iOS bug. | Force reboot your iPhone, update your iOS, or set your iPhone to DFU mode. |
| Cracked Screen Protector | A scratched screen protector may cause lines on your screen. | Remove the screen protector and check if the issue persists. |
| Damaged LCD Screen | Water damage or physical force can cause the liquid in your LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) to be displaced. | Replace the screen or device. |
| Damaged IC Connector | A damaged integrated circuit (IC) connector can cause dark lines in the upper left and right corners of your iPhone. | Seek professional repair. |
| Loose LCD Connection | Loose wiring, particularly the LCD cable, could have gone loose from the digitizer or logic board. | Seek professional repair or press hard on your screen to see if it fixes the issue (although professional repair is recommended). |
Table of Contents
Identify the Issue
Below are some ways to pinpoint if it’s a software or hardware issue.
- Take a Screenshot
A quick and easy way to determine what’s affected is by taking a screenshot from your iPhone. If the horizontal lines can be seen in the photo, it means that a software or iOS bug is affecting your screen and nothing’s wrong with your phone.
You can further identify the issue by checking if the lines are only apparent on certain applications or if they are white lines. It could be an app-specific glitch bothering you in which case you can simply uninstall the troublesome app.
If the lines do not appear in your screen capture, then it’s likely your phone system is working smoothly but something has gone wrong in your hardware.
- Restart Your iPhone
If you’re still unsure about the reason, it doesn’t hurt to try and restart your phone.
Restarting your iPhone is an uncomplicated trick that resets all your applications and programs. This can sort out any sort of simple glitch. If the lines remain, it can indicate that you’re experiencing a deeper or hardware issue.
Solving Your Software Issues
Here are some solutions if it’s an iOS malfunction.
- Force Reboot Your iPhone
Although it varies based on your iPhone model, a hard reset is the simplest answer to sort out any software bugs and glitches.
A hard reset differs from a normal restart by abruptly shutting off all the applications and systems in your phone and turning it on once again.
For older models such as iPhone 6 and below, press your home and on/off buttons at the same time. For new models, you can press both the power and volume buttons simultaneously.
- Update Your iOS
Apple releases constant software updates to solve bugs like unwanted lines on the iPhone screen. You may be experiencing a temporary problem that can be patched up in the latest iOS update.
- Set Your iPhone to DFU Mode
Before you set your phone on DFU or Device Firmware Update restore, you should back up all your data via iTunes or iCloud. The DFU deletes all data on your iPhone and restores it to factory settings. This is a solution used for especially critical situations.
Hardware Causes and Solutions
Read more: half of my iPhone screen is black
There are a variety of reasons why you may have encountered a hardware issue. A lot of it can boil down to either a faulty device or one that you’ve put through too many accidents.
- You Have a Cracked Screen Protector
The problem may not be in your internal hardware but can instead be surface-level. If your screen protector is scratched, it can dig into your LCD screen and cause some lines to appear out of force.
Once you’ve removed the screen protector, check your phone again for any marks of damage. If the problem persists, it’s probably another hardware issue.
- The LCD Screen Is Damaged From Too Many Knocks
A common cause for horizontal lines on your screen is water damage. Water and other liquids can damage the internal components of your iPhone.
Another possibility is physical force or trauma causing the liquid in your LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) to be displaced. At this point, there’s nothing else you can do but replace your screen or device.
- Damaged IC Connector
IC stands for integrated circuit and is just one of the many possible problems in your internal hardware. You can identify this problem by checking if the lines are much darker in the upper left and right corners of your iPhone
- A Loose LCD Connection
It may not be your screen at all, but instead, loose wiring. In
particular, the LCD cable could have gone loose from the digitizer or logic board.
Although a hard press on your screen might solve it (the LCD cable is underneath your screen) or some independent tinkering, we recommend that you get your device professionally repaired to ensure its safety.
Get Your Device Checked
Read more: How accurate is the iPhone GPS?
If you’ve gone through this entire article but haven’t found the proper solution, you should leave your phone to the experts. Contact Apple Support or an authorized Apple service center to get a proper check-up of your iPhone.
These are but a few reasons and solutions behind the horizontal lines appearing on your iPhone screen. Hope it helped!
