Skip to main content

iPhone 12 Mini owners reporting lock-screen sensitivity issue

A number of iPhone 12 Mini users have been reporting a sensitivity issue with the device’s lock screen.

The smallest handset in Apple’s new iPhone 12 line-up started landing in customers’ hands on Friday, November 13, and soon after messages started landing on online forums pointing out the problem.

Recommended Videos

The issue seems to be occurring when trying to swipe up to unlock, or trying to activate the camera from the lock screen. In such cases, the display fails to respond.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Forum posters are reporting a range of experiences, with some saying the problem is only occurring when the phone has both a case and screen protector on, while others claim that it’s the use of a screen protector alone that’s causing the unexpected behavior.

Others have pointed out that it sounds like a grounding or conductivity issue, with some able to get the phone working by plugging it in.

It’s hard to say how widespread the issue is but posts on the forums have been increasing in the three days since the iPhone 12 Mini started shipping.

Apple will by now be well aware of customer complaints but the tech giant is yet to respond publicly about the apparent problem.

Digital Trends has reached out to the company for more information and we will update this article when we hear back.

The iPhone 12 Mini launched alongside the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. As its name suggests, its 5.4-inch screen makes it the smallest of the four devices, with the 12 and 12 Pro featuring a 6.1-inch display, and the Max coming with a 6.7-inch display. The frame of the iPhone 12 Mini is also smaller than that of the recently launched iPhone SE, as well as the iPhone 6, 7, and 8.

The Mini is expected to be a big seller as many Apple fans have been calling for a smaller iPhone that they can stick in their pocket and operate comfortably with one hand, after recent launches just felt too big for many customers.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
This is the wildest rugged iPhone case I’ve used, and I love it
A person holding an iPhone 16 Pro Max in a Casetify Ultra Bounce case.

There are very few rugged iPhone cases that look stylish, but I think I’ve found the exception to the rule. It’s the Casetify Ultra Bounce, and the wild style that embraces its functionality really turns heads.

There's even a range of clever, equally tough accessories that make the case just as much about fashion and convenience as it is about protecting your expensive smartphone. I think it’s the Adidas Megaride of iPhone cases, and it's a lot of fun.
An iPhone case that's as tough as it gets

Read more
iOS 18.2 is rolling out now with a ton of new Apple Intelligence features
Apple Intelligence on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple has started the public rollout of iOS 18.2 and the corresponding iPadOS update, and they bring a handful of long-awaited features in its AI kit. The release notes are pretty exhaustive, and they reveal a few features that are minor improvements to the already available Apple Intelligence bundle.

The most notable addition is ChatGPT integration with Siri, which shifts things over to the OpenAI chatbot if Apple’s assistant can’t provide an answer. ChatGPT integration is also expanding within the Writing Tools set, thanks to the compose feature that lets users create fresh content and generate images.

Read more
iPhone 17: everything we know so far
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

It looks like 2025 will be a big year for Apple’s iPhone. Not only are we expecting an iPhone SE 4, but the iPhone 17 lineup will have some big changes, too. Coming off a particularly hot year with the iPhone 16 family, what changes and upgrades can we look forward to with the iPhone 17?

Here’s everything we know about the iPhone 17 series so far.
iPhone 17: possible release date

Read more