Your iPhone can take a lot, but if it falls down just wrong, it can damage the screen considerably. So bad, in fact, that the touchscreen stops working in some places. Still, this does not necessarily mean that your iPhone is completely unusable. OMT editor Sabine likes to tell you why.
If the bottom of your iPhone is damaged, it can become difficult to unlock the device. You can no longer swipe from bottom to top. If you have a device with Touch ID, this login method may also no longer work. Closing apps and switching between open apps then also becomes difficult.
Continue to use damaged iPhone screen
Apple has fortunately created a handy feature, which is actually meant to be an accessibility feature for users who have difficulty operating the screen. This is because AssistiveTouch allows you to easily reach important functions on your iPhone when, for example, the top or bottom of your screen stops working.
You can enable AssistiveTouch through Settings by going to Accessibility and then pressing Touch. Press AssistiveTouch and make sure the slider is green. In case the bottom half of your screen is damaged (or Touch ID stops working), you may not even be able to unlock your device.
Smartphone screen broken (Image: Rene Asmussen)
Let Siri take care of it for you
To still turn on the feature, enlist Siri’s help. So hold down the side button on your device or (if you have this option enabled) say ‘Hey Siri’ to summon the smart assistant. Then say “Activate voice control.
When you enable the feature, Voice Control appears at the top of the screen. It may take a while for your iPhone to download all the necessary files in the background. The language is probably set to English, so it is necessary to adjust the commands accordingly. Next, say “Turn on AssistiveTouch” to your iPhone to enable the feature.
Siri your lifesaver (Image: Apple)
Here’s what you can do with AssistiveTouch
A ball now appears on the screen, which you drag to a desired location. Pressing it will give you easy access to Notification Center and the Control Panel. You can also easily call Siri, adjust the volume, take a screenshot or return to the home screen.
This way you can still do a lot with your iPhone, although it probably won’t be as pleasant to use as you’re used to. By the way, you can always enlist Siri’s help if you can’t get it done with AssistiveTouch. Of course, AssistiveTouch is only a temporary solution, but that way you can look around for a new device at your leisure.
