# Location-specific iPhone touch screen problems? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321 "2017-04-12T15:02:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Squallous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Squallous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squallous)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/1 "2017-04-12T15:02:57Z")
I have an iPhone 5S. At my workplace - a standard American cookie-cutter office building in a major east coast metropolitan area - the touch sensitivity of the screen is all wacky. Either it doesn’t respond when touched, or responds as if I touched where I didn’t (random apps open, very different letters when texting, very laggy). But at home and elsewhere it doesn’t do this. Fine in the morning, get to work and it’s all kerflutzed, get back home and all’s good again. Is this really a thing? Or am I imagining it? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/2 "2017-04-12T17:29:00Z")
Do you have it plugged into a charger at work? ---
**Author:** ![Squallous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Squallous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squallous)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/3 "2017-04-12T17:41:59Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Do you have it plugged into a charger at work? As a matter of fact I do. Which is plugged into a block plugged into a power strip, i.e. it isn’t connected to the USB port of my computer. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/4 "2017-04-12T17:57:04Z")
> [@Squallous](#): > > As a matter of fact I do. Which is plugged into a block plugged into a power strip, i.e. it isn’t connected to the USB port of my computer. That’s likely the issue. I’ll bet you have a bad ground connection. Try it in a different outlet, or unplugged completely. The iPhone uses a capacitive touch screen, and is sensitive to electrically noise (and bad grounds). ---
**Author:** ![Squallous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Squallous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squallous)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/5 "2017-04-12T17:59:30Z")
You’re right. Unplugging it from the charger solves the problem. THANK YOU!! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/6 "2017-04-12T18:11:38Z")
> [@Squallous](#): > > You’re right. Unplugging it from the charger solves the problem. > > THANK YOU!! De nada. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/7 "2017-04-12T21:13:45Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Do you have it plugged into a charger at work? Awesome guess! ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/8 "2017-04-13T12:44:37Z")
Can I add to the thanks? I just replaced my screen with one from eBay and it’s been doing the same thing. I thought I’d bought a dodgy screen, but your post has made me realise that it only does it when on charge. So it’s more likely to be the dodgy cable I also got off eBay at the same time! Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specific-iphone-touch-screen-problems/784321/9 "2017-04-13T12:54:17Z")
I had this problem when I plugged my phone into a train car outlet, unplugging it solved the problem.