Troubleshooting Unresponsive iPod Touch 4 Screens

In July we reported on issues our customers were having with unresponsive iPhone 4S screens, where upon installation the LCD screen wouldn't light up at all. The issue seemed to become less prevalent as time passed, and we stopped getting calls and questions about the issue. Unfortunately as more and more calls come in regarding a similar issue with screens for the iPod Touch 4, we think it's likely there's a similar reoccurring issue.     From our previous article discussing unresponsive iPhone 4S Screens:

"The new IC chips in the iPhone 4S LCD cables are only compatible when used with iOS 6.0 and above. If a screen with this new IC chip is installed on a device that hasn’t been updated to 6.0 or above, the LCD will not light up and the screen will not work. If installed on a device with iOS 6.0 and above, there are no issues and the screen should work perfectly."

  We've heard customers are having similar issues while installing new screens for the iPod Touch 4th generation. Sometimes the LCD screen won't light up at all. Other times the screen will work fine at first, but as soon as the iPod runs out of battery or shuts off manually, the LCD screen won't light back up. Our repair tech customers are getting iPods back that worked perfectly when they left the repair shop, but stop working after the customer turns off the iPod.   After going through several troubleshoots and resets, we've come to the conclusion that the issue stems from IC chip/software incompatibility. After we upgraded the software on our tester iPods, the previously "defective" LCD screen assemblies worked just fine.   If you have encountered multiple "defective" iPod Touch 4 screens in a row, in which the LCD doesn't light up, or works intermittently, we highly recommend checking the operating system on the iPod to make sure it's an update above 6.0.1 and compatible with the IC chip in the LCD cable.    

How to download iOS update on iPod Touch 4

 

1. Connect the device to a power source and Wi-Fi. You will need a Wi-Fi connection to download the updated software onto the device.
2. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. The device will automatically check for an available update.
3. If an update is available, choose Download. This will download the update onto your device.
4. Once the download has completed, choose Install. This will update the device's iOS.

  You can also update a device's operating system by syncing and installing through iTunes.   Hopefully this issue hasn't happened to you personally, but if it has let us know how you dealt with it! We're always looking to discuss issues and ideas on our Repair Community, so head over and join in the conversation!