Ghost touch, or touch screen bubble, refers to a phenomenon where a touchscreen device appears touch inputs on its own, in other words,  touchscreen working automatically without any physical contact with the screen.

This can result in unwanted actions being taken on the device, such as apps being opened or closed, and text being typed.

The term "ghost touch" is taken because the inputs appear to come from a "ghost" or unseen source, rather than from the user intentionally touching the screen. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including, grounding issues, software glitches, hardware malfunctions, or environmental factors such as static electricity or moisture.

In this article, we will list all the possible causes according to the possibilities and help you troubleshoot.

You can phase out most of the issues or causes in a few steps within 30 minutes by yourself.

 

1. Not grounding or lack of grounding.

When a touchscreen is not grounded, it can build up an electrical charge, interfering with the device's ability to detect touch inputs.This can happen when the kiosk is not properly assembled, or if the grounding mechanism becomes damaged or disconnected over time.

How to test 

The most accurate and efficient way is to use a multimeter, that measures electrical properties like voltage, resistance, and continuity. Here are the steps to go:

1. Turn off the touchscreen, PC and all the connected devices, and unplug them from the power source.

2. Set the multimeter to the resistance (ohm) setting.

3. Touch one probe of the multimeter to the metal chassis of the touchscreen (metal) case.

4. Touch the other probe of the multimeter to a grounded object, such as a metal water pipe or the ground prong of an electrical outlet. Make sure the grounded object is not in contact with the touchscreen.

5. The multimeter should read a low resistance, typically less than 1 ohm. This indicates that the PC case is properly grounded.

If the multimeter reads a high resistance or no continuity, it indicates that there may be an issue with the grounding.

If you cannot find a multimeter near you, there are still alternative ways to test the grounding:

Turn off all kiosks or devices close to the screen, and discount power. Connect power with the touchscreen to another proper grounding, and connect the monitor USB to another laptop or PC. And check if it solves the ghost touch issue.

In this case, it may be helpful to contact a qualified technician or electrician for assistance in identifying and resolving the issue.

It's important to ensure that the touchscreen is properly grounded to avoid potential electrical hazards and ensure safe and reliable operation.

 

2. Unwanted object on the screen

Water, heavy moisture and other object get attached to the display(touchscreen) area of the monitor will call ghost touch.

How to fix it :

It is simple: to remove the unwated object such as water  or clean the touchscreen glass and monitor surface, and check if there is still object that gets attached and check again after removing them.

 

3. Software glitches

Try to clear all the background running app. as possible, or to turn off and on again of your touchscreen to verify if there is a software issue.

 

4. Static electricity or interference

Check if the touch USB cable is interfering with other cables connected to the computer. The touch USB cable should be independently or separated

Check the back of the touch display device for a strong magnetic environment, especially the edge of the touch controller,

How to fix it :

if you're worried about any type of interference, it's recommended that you disassemble the touchscreen panel or monitor and conduct another test in a more simplistic environment. If you're able to move or keep distance yourself from the source of interference, it's a simple problem to resolve. However, if you're unable to change your environment, it's best to contact your touchscreen solution partner, to see if there are any solutions available to improve the anti-interference performance.

Horsent, as an influential touchscreen supplier, has rich experience in offering solutions to improve anti-interference performance by software and hardware.

 

5. Touchscreen settings

Yes, touchscreen programs issues can be the cause too, contact your supplier of a touchscreen or IC supplier for assistance to update or return to factory settings.

 

6. Replace the controller

This is the final step to go through only if the above steps are not working and your supplier informs you that the touchscreen controller may be damaged.

Use another spared controller from the same product, to verify the cause if possible. If the answer is yes, Check if your touchscreen is still under warranty to save some repair costs.

 

Finally,  there is no need to panic about Touchscreen ghosts touch, in most cases the cause can be identified and  you can resume your operation in a few minutes.

Before moving to step 5 and 6, contact your touchscreen supplier or professionals for assistance.