You're tapping it wrong — users complain of new iPad mini display issues

Ipad Mini 6 Screen Hero (Image credit: Karen S. Freeman / iMore)

What you need to know

Apple's new iPad mini is at the center of another potential display issue.
Some people complain of screen distortions when tapping and holding or simply tapping firmly.

Apple's new iPad mini is at the center of more display complaints with users pointing to strange distortion problems when it is tapped. This comes after reports of jelly scrolling that seems to only be an issue if you use your iPad through a slow motion lens.

The latest issue, posted to a growing Reddit thread, includes a video showing the phenomenon in action. The user taps on the screen and odd distortions appear — although not where the tap is actually made. The issue seems likely to appear more prominently when a tap and hold gesture is performed, like when moving objects around the screen.

The problem is more prominent in dark mode. Worryingly, a replacement iPad mini was no better.

I got my 64gb Wi-Fi iPad Mini 6 just about a week ago and noticed that there seems to be an LCD clearance issue - if your put your mini in vertical orientation (with the power button on the top right) push very lightly on the screen and you will see distortion and discoloration about an inch down and in from the top right. On most models this will happen in three spots along the top of the display (when vertical). I tested it alongside a Genius Technician and he ordered a replacement. A week later (today) the replacement had the same issue but worse, I ended up just keeping my original!

The Reddit poster says that the Apple Store employee suggested there could be a future iPad mini recall due to display issues, although that seems highly unlikely at this point. Another poster also named the sixth-generation iPad mini "the iPad 3 of iPad minis" — a reference to Apple's infamous tablet that suffered from various issues and was ultimately replaced in short order.

Initial reviews of the new iPad mini very much make it seem like the best iPad for a variety of people. That being said, it seems possible that the reported display issues could give buyers pause, at least until we get a feel for just how widespread this screen distortion issue might be.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.