Question: My car’s touch screen isn’t responding to my touch anymore, and I don’t know how to fix it. Can you tell me how to reset a car’s touch screen?
Answer: It can be frustrating to find your car’s touch screen controls have stopped working—and if you rely on the touch screen for navigation or driver assistance features, losing access could potentially be dangerous. The exact process to reset your car’s touch screen will likely vary depending on the vehicle’s year, make, and model, but there are a few universal tricks you can try that may get it working again.
Quick fixes
Before resetting your whole infotainment system, try a few simple tricks that may unfreeze your touchscreen:
- Unplug your phone from the USB port and plug it back in if you have a wired connection. If you have a wireless connection, turn your phone’s Bluetooth off and then on again.
- Turn off your car’s ignition, then turn it back on. This can sometimes unfreeze a screen.
- Clean the touch screen with a microfiber cloth and screen cleaner. Sometimes a dirty screen won’t respond correctly to touch.
- Check whether your phone or infotainment system needs an update installed—that can sometimes interfere with a touch screen’s functionality. If your car needs a software update, you may be able to download it yourself, but in many vehicles, you’ll need to visit a dealership.
Reboot the infotainment system
The process to reset an infotainment system can vary widely by the car’s make, model, year, and even trim level. The best way to know how to reset the system in your particular vehicle is to check your owner’s manual, but we’ve put together some of the more common reset techniques:
- Press and hold the volume knob, volume button, or volume down button for 10–30 seconds.
- Press and hold the power button. This may need to be combined with another button, like the fast-forward button.
- Look for a small hole near the volume knob. If your vehicle has one, this may be the system reset button—push it with a paperclip or pen to reset the infotainment system.
In some vehicles, you have to press a specific combination of buttons to reset the system—in certain Audis, for instance, you’ll need to press Menu, the rotary knob, and a button near the rotary knob all at the same time. And in some BMWs made roughly before 2010, you’ll need to press the CD eject button and the power button at the same time.
You’re not likely to damage anything in your car by trying out a few of these button combinations before you look up the correct process in your owner’s manual, but you’ll probably save time if you find the instructions before getting started. You can also search for videos where people troubleshoot your exact infotainment system—if it’s a known issue, someone might have even found a permanent fix that’s not covered in the manual.
Expert insurance writer and editor Amy Bobinger specializes in car repair, car maintenance, and car insurance. Amy is passionate about creating content that helps consumers navigate challenges related to car ownership and achieve financial success in areas relating to cars. Amy has over 10 years of writing and editing experience. After several years as a freelance writer, Amy spent four years as an editing fellow at WikiHow, where she co-authored over 600 articles on topics including car maintenance and home ownership. Since joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2022, Amy has edited over 2,500 articles on car insurance, state driving laws, and car repair and maintenance.
Everett Cook is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 10 years of experience across a variety of industries. In editing for Jerry, Everett’s mission is to help readers have a better understanding of the costs of owning or leasing a car and to better understand their vehicle in terms of insurance and repairs. Prior to joining Jerry, Everett was an editor for Axios. His previous work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic, Atlantic Re:think, The Boston Globe, USA Today, and others. He’s also been a freelance writer and editor with experience in SEO, audience building, and long-term content roadmaps. Everett is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
