Stylus stopped working? I have the Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G.

[MDJDTN]

I use a pen type stylus, but not an S-Pen. Nothing about my phone has changed. Same case for 6 months. Original screen protector. Out of the blue, this stylus/pen will not work in part of the screen about 1 square centimeter. Previously it had no issues and like I said, nothing else has changed. I do the system updates as they appear, but this problem did not occur in conjunction with any updates. I can use my finger wherever the stylus won't work. Any ideas?

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central forums. It is odd that it is localized like that. I don't know where this screen patch is but can you open a blank canvas and start drawing a line and then it just dies in that spot and picks up on the other side of it? Is the screen damaged in any way? Has the device taken a fall or been submerged?

Often when small things happen and everything appears to work we ignore the thing that happened and assume, everything is working so it must be fine. I can't count how many broken screens I see everyday and people just go on like nothing is wrong because the device continues to work. In the meantime since you're not using an S-Pen you also don't get the cursor that appears on screen when the tip of the pen gets close making it more difficult to diagnose. Should we also assume that your finger still works in this area?

I can think of no reason, your finger would work but not the pen unless it has something to do with how you're holding the pen or the device when you're attempting to use it in that area. Say if the pen tip was damaged and when you try to use it in that area you're holding to the side or if your finger is touching another part of the screen at the same time or something like that. If the pen just didn't work at all that would be one thing but one portion of the screen feels like screen damage, but if your finger works there... We need answers so we're not out here guessing.

Let us know what you find.

Best wishes.

 

[mustang7757]

Welcome to AC!
Moved your question to our Z Fold 4 forums

 

[mustang7757]

What brand is this stylus?

 

[MDJDTN]

The stylus is a "Samsung", "Fold Edition" (both printed on its side). With the phone held with the long axis vertical, I used a drawing app to fill in the entire screen using the stylus. There was a rectangular blank area 3.5 cm. from the bottom and 1.5 cm. from the left edge (coordinates of the lower left corner) that extends 0.75 cm up and 4 cm. medially. As I colored in the screen, I would swipe over this area without lifting the tip and the line would stop and then resume on the other side regardless of direction. If I tried finger painting the screen, no blank area. Like I said, I have had the case and this stylus for about 6 months with no issues until now.

 

[MDJDTN]

To answer a few other questions: there is no visible defect in the screen; the phone has never been submerged or exposed to water; I cannot remember the last time that I dropped the phone, but it would be at least 4 or 5 months ago. As to the notion of always holding the stylus differently in such a discreet area of the screen would be impossible. The randomness of positions would weigh against that sort of thing.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Do you have a case and does that case have any magnets? Are you wearing a watch and does that watch's band have any magnets? Are there any other magnets anywhere near the area in question?


Also, you are in fact using an S-Pen. There is a test for it in device care in settings but it won't really show anything more than the drawing app did.

 

[MDJDTN]

I found my test. It was a fill in the color thing.

 

[mustang7757]

I found my test. It was a fill in the color thing.

So this was an issue with penup?

 

[VidJunky]

That's incredible and incredibly weird. Is there a case on the device? That looks like there's something under the phone in that area, which as @fuzzylumpkin mentioned magnets might explain. Which would also explain why your finger works since it doesn't use any sensing technology to work where the S-Pen uses not only touch but also electromagnetic signals... it would be difficult to believe there's an internal something causing this and you're the only one complaining.

 

[MDJDTN]

It was not an issue with Penup, that was the coloring app that I used to demonstrate the dead area of the screen. Nobody really listened to what I was saying. The nonresponsive area to the stylus just began one day. I wear the same Breitling watch all the time since 1990 -- mechanical movement, no magnets anywhere. The case had been on the phone for 6 months before this problem began. The case does have a few small magnets in the hinge area, but not near the problem area. I got a replacement phone from AT&T, transferred apps and data, and using the same case and stylus as before. Problem solved. Something occurred within the old phone to cause this issue.

 

[mustang7757]

It was not an issue with Penup, that was the coloring app that I used to demonstrate the dead area of the screen. Nobody really listened to what I was saying. The nonresponsive area to the stylus just began one day. I wear the same Breitling watch all the time since 1990 -- mechanical movement, no magnets anywhere. The case had been on the phone for 6 months before this problem began. The case does have a few small magnets in the hinge area, but not near the problem area. I got a replacement phone from AT&T, transferred apps and data, and using the same case and stylus as before. Problem solved. Something occurred within the old phone to cause this issue.

Glad you got it resolved.

 

[AndroidFanboy8]

I use a pen type stylus, but not an S-Pen. Nothing about my phone has changed. Same case for 6 months. Original screen protector. Out of the blue, this stylus/pen will not work in part of the screen about 1 square centimeter. Previously it had no issues and like I said, nothing else has changed. I do the system updates as they appear, but this problem did not occur in conjunction with any updates. I can use my finger wherever the stylus won't work. Any ideas?

Do you think it's a screen failure? And is that covered under warranty?