Display and appearance
Tap to Wake
Most people call this tapping the screen to wake it.
A single tap anywhere on a dark screen wakes the iPhone, with no button needed.
Available
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 11 and later
- Settings
- Accessibility
- Touch
- Tap to Wake
What it does
The display keeps a low power touch layer active while asleep. One tap brings up the Lock Screen.
What changes
When it is on
Tapping a sleeping screen wakes it.
When it is off
You must press the side button or raise the phone.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Convenient when the phone is lying on a surface.
- Saves wear on the side button.
Good reasons to turn it off
- The screen keeps waking in a bag or pocket.
- Children or pets wake the phone repeatedly.
Battery
Costs you something
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On, on models that support it.
What your iPhone needs
- Not offered on iPhones with a Home button
Questions people actually ask
- Why does my iPhone wake when I touch it?
- Tap to Wake is on. It lives under Accessibility, then Touch, not under Display.
If it is not working
- Not available on iPhones with a Home button.
- If the switch is missing under Touch, your model does not offer it.