How to Calibrate the Touchscreen on Your Android

Get your screen working properly again

by
Luis Chavez
Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Writer
Luis Chavez is a former Lifewire writer and a System Administrator with 5+ years' experience writing about technology for end users.
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Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Updated on December 31, 2020
reviewed by
Michael Heine headshot
Michael Barton Heine Jr
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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Article reviewed on Jul 10, 2020
Michael Barton Heine Jr

What to Know

  • Android 5 and up: Install and open the Touchscreen Calibration app. Tap Calibrate. Follow the app instructions to perform specific actions.
  • Android 4: Go to Menu > Settings > Language & keyboard > Touch Input > Text Input. Tap either Calibration tool or Reset calibration.

This article explains how to calibrate the touchscreen on your Android 5.0 or later. It includes information for calibrating the touchscreen on Android 4.0 and earlier.

How to Calibrate Your Android Touchscreen on Android 5.0 and Later

If you've ever noticed your Android's touchscreen not reacting properly when you tap it, it might be time to learn how Android screen calibration works.

Newer Android 5.0 and up devices don't have a calibration feature like the Android 4 devices had. However, there are other ways to accomplish the same purpose.

One option is to perform an Android factory reset, which means returning your device to the default settings and erasing all the data and applications on it.

Another more-palatable option is to use a third-party app. One such app is Touchscreen Calibration, which you can use to calibrate your screen when needed. This app is free and available for download from the Google Play Store.

  1. Launch the Google Play Store.

  2. Search for "Touchscreen Calibration" and tap the app.

  3. Tap Install.

  4. Tap Open to launch the app.

  5. Tap Calibrate to start calibrating your screen.

    Installing the Touchscreen Calibration app

  6. Follow the instructions to perform actions on the Test Pad in the app until your device passes all the tests.

  7. After all the tests are complete, you receive a notification indicating the calibration is done. Tap OK.

    How to use Calibration on an Android phone

  8. Restart your device. You can relaunch the application if you feel the calibration was not successful.

How to Calibrate Your Android Touchscreen on Android 4.0 and Earlier

Some of the first Android devices up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich used to have a built-in option to calibrate themselves. The HTC Thunderbolt, for example, was one of them, among other HTC models.

Depending on the device and Android version, the location of this setting may vary, but most of the time it can be found by going to Menu > Settings > Language & keyboard > Touch Input > Text Input. Under Finger touch precision, tap either Calibration tool or Reset calibration.

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