My screen keeps tapping things by itself, how do I fix this?

[tannery18]

Phone:  Samsung Galaxy S5

For the last two months or so I've been dealing with this problem. 

I noticed it when I was trying to send a text message; I'd be typing things and then my keyboard would spazz out and start typing other letters really fast--or it would tap and hold another key that I wasn't pressing.

Now I also see it on my lock screen (which is where I enter my PIN code) and sometimes I won't even need to touch the screen and it would start randomly tapping the same number over and over and over really fast (or several numbers) and I'm just staring at my screen wondering what on earth is going on...

It's quite annoying.  It also happens when I'm surfing the web or in an app and I'm trying to scroll, but sometimes it won't let me scroll because my screen thinks I'm placing my finger somewhere else (therefore my screen won't move, or it's a little jerky).

It's similar to when you get water on your screen, like water from your fingers if they're sweaty or if you were holding a wet drink and you try and tap some things, but your screen is confused because it can't sense where you are.  Except, this isn't it because my hands and screen are dry.

Help please, I'm ready to get a new phone but really don't wanna spend the money

[alwhitbeck · Accepted solution]

There could be a lot of causes for this. Do you have a screen protector and/or a case on your phone? Tempered glass screen covers are great, but if they get a bit of dust between them and the phone's screen, it can cause the screen to randomly touch things or press icons.

It could also be that your screen needs calibrated which can be done under settings > display. There is usually a way to calibrate it there.

It could be that there is an app on your phone that is causing it to go wonky. Have you tried putting your phone into safe mode and see if your screen still has this issue? Safe mode allows your phone to function at it's most basic level and only functions with the factory installed abilities and apps. To go into safe mode:

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. When 'Samsung Galaxy S5' appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

If it still has this issue even with safe mode on, you probably need to contact tech support. There could be something more involved going on. A lot of times a factory reset will fix it - if it is a software issue. If there is any damage to the phone or the screen, it may not be fixable.

Good luck!