Horizontal or vertical lines appearing on your phone screen is a bad omen. Let’s jump right in, shall we? Well, they don’t usually appear all of a sudden. Something’s caused them, and that’s usually accidental drops or water damage, among other things. In this guide, we’ll explore what might be causing those unusual horizontal or vertical lines and how you can fix them.
What’s Causing Horizontal or Vertical Lines on Phone Screen?
- Software issues. Software issues may sometimes cause your screen to misbehave. The good news is that these problems can quickly be solved through a software update.
- Overheating issues. Check if your device got too hot. That could explain why you’re seeing those strange lines on the screen.
- Hardware issues. This doesn’t necessarily mean the display itself is faulty. Maybe some connectors got loose. A skilled repair technician can quickly fix the problem.
- Liquid damage. If you used the phone in the rain, drops of water might have gotten inside the device. Or maybe you accidentally spilled water on it.
How Do I Get Rid of Horizontal or Vertical Lines on My Phone Screen?
Update and Restart Your Phone
If you’re already running the latest OS version on your terminal, go to the next step. Go to Settings, tap System Update, and check for updates. Wait until your device downloads and installs the newest Android version, and then restart it.
Remove the Case, Battery and SIM Card
If you’re using a case to protect your phone, remove it for a few minutes. Then turn off your phone and remove your SIM card and battery (if you’ve got a removable battery).
Put your device on a cold surface and leave it there for a couple of minutes. Then reinsert the SIM card and battery. If you’re experiencing overheating issues, this will help your device cool down a bit.
Enable Safe Mode
If some of the apps installed on your terminal are messing up with your display, the issue should be gone in Safe Mode. To enable Safe Mode, press and hold the Power button. When the Power Off option appears on the screen, tap and hold it. Select the Reboot to Safe Mode option when it becomes available.
If the issue is gone in Safe Mode, this indicates one of your apps is causing the problem. Reboot your terminal normally and uninstall recently installed apps until you’ve identified the culprit.
Factory Reset Your Phone
Before you reset your device to factory settings, don’t forget to back everything up. Then go to Settings and select Backup and reset. Tap Reset and select the Factory Reset option. This will wipe out all data and revert your phone back to factory settings.
Fixing Water Damage
If the lines on your screen appeared after your device came in contact with water, there may be water trapped in the screen. To remedy this, you can try leaving the screen on for a long period of time. Just follow these steps:
- Bring up a screen or web page that is mostly white in color. We need the screen to be nice and bright.
- Open Settings > Display and turn the Brightness all the way up.
- Enable Developer Mode on your device.
- Open Settings > Developer options and enabl Stay awake.
- Plug in your device and leave it for several hours.
It may take a few days of doing this while you sleep to get rid of the lines. Hopefully, you’ll notice them fading away.
Go to a Repair Shop
If those annoying lines won’t go away, then most likely, your hardware is faulty. Go to an authorized repair shop and have a specialist check your device. Depending on what they find, you may need to replace the display.
Conclusion
Install the latest Android updates and restart the device if some strange horizontal or vertical lines appeared on your phone screen. Then, remove the case, and take out the battery and SIM card. Enable Safe Mode and check if the problem persists. If it does, reset your terminal to factory settings, and go to an authorized repair shop.
Did you manage to fix the problem? Was it an app, software, or hardware-related issue? Let us know in the comments below.
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