Testing an iPad screen
Open this page in Safari and tap Start dead-zone test. The grid opens full screen: iPad Safari supports full screen for web pages, unlike iPhone Safari. MDN’s compatibility data (as of October 2026) notes two limits on iPad: Safari shows an overlay button that can’t be turned off, and swiping down exits full screen. If you leave full screen by accident, tap the full-screen button in the test’s top bar to go back; the cells you covered stay green.
Drag one finger over the grid until every cell is green. iPadOS can take swipes that start right at an edge for its own gestures, so those swipes may leave the page before it sees them. An iPad is big enough to test in both orientations: turn it partway through while in full screen and the grid is redrawn with your coverage kept, which helps you reach each edge from a comfortable angle.
Keep the system gestures out with Guided Access
Guided Access locks the iPad to one app. Turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access, open the test in Safari, then triple-click the top button (or the Home button on an iPad that has one) and tap Start. To finish, triple-click the same button, enter the Guided Access passcode (or use Face ID or Touch ID) and tap End.
After the grid
Switch to Multi-touch with the iPad flat on a table and put all ten fingers down, spread apart; a count well below the browser’s figure is worth a second try. Then start a Ghost touch watch and leave the iPad alone, once unplugged and once on its charger. If parts of the screen still don’t respond, the main touch screen test page lists Apple’s first steps.
Sources: Apple Support: Use Guided Access, MDN: Element.requestFullscreen.