The Accidental Activation
Modern iPhones feature a completely buttonless front glass panel. To make checking the time or viewing notifications easier, Apple introduced a feature called “Tap to Wake.” When the phone is sitting on a desk with the screen completely off, simply tapping the black glass with your finger will instantly illuminate the display. While convenient, the digitizer is incredibly sensitive. If you are holding the phone in your hand while walking, or if you bump the screen while pulling it out of your pocket, the display will constantly turn on, draining your battery and risking accidental pocket dials. You must disable the touch digitizer on the lock screen.
How to Turn Off Tap to Wake
You can revoke the screen’s ability to wake via touch in the Accessibility settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” section, tap on Touch.
- Look down the list for the toggle switch labeled Tap to Wake.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
Physical Buttons Only
The change takes effect instantly. The next time you lock your iPhone, you can tap, swipe, and press the black glass as much as you want, and the screen will remain completely dormant. To wake the display, you must intentionally press the physical Power button on the right side of the device, ensuring the screen only turns on when you actually want it to.