What to Do When Your iPhone Becomes Unresponsive

In one of those rare moments of utter mysticism, you might just suddenly find your iPhone the latest victim of glitch gremlins, rendering the gadget unexpectedly and mysteriously unresponsive. Before you decide to throw it away in utter frustration, you need to understand that the problem may have simply stemmed from either software issues or hardware-related malfunctions or misalignments.

One particular software-related problem in iPhone 5 handsets is the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. The condition is often linked to specific apps; if you are using Pages, Keynote, or Numbers and suddenly press the home button, you could cause the phone crash. To avoid this, try out apps that use iOS7 first, as the previously mentioned apps have not yet been updated for Apple gadgets. There is also a glitch that involves typing with a 5-second lag; resetting the phone or the keyboard dictionary usually remedies this problem.

Hardware problems range from rattling buttons, loss of touchscreen functionality due to shattered or water-damaged LCD screens, and soldered screen connectors. If you encounter these problems, it is best to have your phone serviced by a professional rather than try to repair it yourself. A DIY repair might make the situation worse, and cause even more serious damage.