My iPad Screen Is Blurry! Here’s The Real Fix.

Your iPad’s display looks a little blurry and you’re not sure why. No matter what you try, you can’t clearly see anything on your iPad. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPad screen is blurry and show you how to fix the problem!

Restart Your iPad

The first thing to do when your iPad screen is blurry is to turn it off and back on. This can sometimes fix a minor software bug that could be making the display appear blurry.

To shut down your iPad, press and hold the power button until slide to power off appears. If your iPad doesn’t have a Home button, simultaneously press and hold Top button and either volume button simultaneously. Swipe the red power icon left to right across the words slide to power off.

slide to power off turn off ipad

Wait a few moments, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears to turn your iPad back on.

If your iPad’s display is frozen, hard reset it. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously until the screen turns black and the Apple logo appears.

If your iPad doesn’t have a Home button: quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the Top button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.

Does The Screen Get Blurry When You Use A Specific App?

If your iPad screen only gets blurry when you open a specific app, there may be a problem with that app, not your iPad’s display. Apps coded by amateur developers can wreak havoc on your iPad and cause a ton of different software problems.

You can check to see if an app is constantly crashing on your iPhone by going to Settings -> Privacy -> Analytics -> Analytics Data. If you see the name of an app listed here over and over again, it could indicate a software problem with that app.

ipad privacy analytics data

The fastest way to fix software problems with a troublesome app is to delete it. You could try reinstalling the app afterwards, but you’re probably best off finding an alternative.

Press and hold on an app icon until the menu appears. Tap Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm your decision.

delete app on ipad

Does The Screen Get Blurry When You Stream Videos?

Often times, your iPad screen only gets blurry when you’re streaming videos. Most of the time, this is the result of a low-quality video, not an issue directly related to your iPad.

Videos usually stream in low-quality (360p or lower) for one of two reasons:

  1. Slow internet speeds.
  2. Video quality settings.

Unfortunately, there’s much you can do if your internet speeds are slow other than restart your router or upgrade your internet plan. When possible, stream video using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data for more reliable stream quality.

Video quality settings can usually be adjusted within a video streaming app. For example, you can tap the settings button (gear icon) and choose what quality you want to watch the video in. The higher the number, the sharper the video will be!

adjust video quality settings on youtube

Put Your iPad In DFU Mode

A DFU restore is the deepest type of iPad restore. All of the code on your iPad gets erased and reloaded, restoring your iPad to its default factory settings.

This step allows us to completely eliminate the possibility of a software problem on your iPad. If your iPad screen is still blurry after a DFU restore, you’ll probably have to get it repaired.

Before putting your iPad in DFU mode, make sure to create a backup so you don’t lose any of your data or personal information. Once you’ve saved a backup, check out our iPad DFU restore walkthrough to learn how to put your iPad in DFU mode!

Back Up Your iPad Using iTunes

Plug your iPad in iTunes and click the iPad button near the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Then, click Back Up Now.

ipad back up now itunes

Back Up Your iPad Using Finder

If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer, you’ll back up your iPad using Finder. Plug your iPad into your Mac using a charging cable. Open Finder and click on your iPad under Locations.

Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac. Then, click Back Up Now.

back up ipad using finder

iPad Repair Options

It’s time to start exploring repair options if your iPad’s display is still blurry. Your first trip should probably be the Apple Store, especially if you have an AppleCare+ protection plan for your iPad. An Apple tech or Genius will be able to help you determine if a repair is completely necessary.

Remember to set up an appointment at your nearby Apple Store before heading in. Without a scheduled appointment, you may wind up spending most of your day standing around the Apple Store waiting for service!

I Can See Clearly Now

Your iPad display is clear again and everything looks great! You’ll know exactly how to fix the problem the next time your iPad screen is blurry. Feel free to leave any other comments or questions you have in the comments section down below.

About Author

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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Maeve Burgess
7 months ago

Hi David, my screen is red and blurry. Even after resetting and fully chatged

Patrick D
1 year ago

I have a blurry iPad. It looks like a negative of a photo. Can someone please tell me how to fix it? Will greatly appreciate any help. Thank you.

Madz
2 years ago

My iPad, mysteriously, one day just stopped being responsive. It was stuck on an app and after pressing the Home Button over and over, it closed out, and then shut off. I pressed the Home Button to unlock it, it came on, but the home screen wallpaper was blurry. Touch doesn’t work, it just appears frozen. I even tried to shut it off completely, but the power button hasn’t worked and I don’t know what to do. Can I have a little help?

Editor
Colin Boyd
2 years ago
Reply to  Madz

Hi Madz! Have you tried a hard reset already? That can resolve a lot of minor software issues on an iPad. If your iPad has a Home button, press and hold the Home button and Power button until the Apple logo appears on your screen. If your iPad does not have a Home button, press and release the Volume up button, then the Volume down button. Finally, press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears on your screen. Once the Apple logo appears on display, you can let go of every button and your iPad should hopefully… Read more »

Vik
2 years ago

My ipad 2 suddenly got blurry screen. When I close the screen by close button and open it quickly is showing the corect normal screen for aproximately 5sec. and then get the blurry screen again.
What can I do to fix this and what is the problem? Is this a hardware failure? Tx.

cristy
3 years ago

nice to know

Oliver Stapleton
3 years ago

My iPad Air 2 when watching movies looks like I’m watching the negative of the film?

kaan benli
1 year ago

Did you find a solution for it? I have the same problem.

Patty Anderson
4 years ago

my screen looks like a negative of a photo. Why?