Samsung’s recently released Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable smartphone has sparked controversy with a screen issue some users are experiencing. The device’s screen sometimes appears completely black or white when turned on, and the lock screen is unresponsive to touch. Samsung has confirmed the issue and shared a solution with users.

Screen issue uncovered in Galaxy Z Fold 7

Users report that the screen becomes inoperable when the phone is turned on, the display changes to a black or white background, and the screen is unresponsive to any commands. Furthermore, the lock screen is unresponsive when touched, rendering the device unusable.

Samsung stated that this issue is caused by changing the “minimum width” setting in Developer Options to unsupported values. According to a community moderator, this change prevents the screen from rendering correctly, resulting in a black or white screen.

The same change also causes the lock screen to become unresponsive. Samsung emphasizes that users should not change these settings and that Developer Options are recommended for use only by technically savvy users.

Samsung offers a simple solution to resolve the issue. First, if the screen is unresponsive, press the power button to wake it up. When the lock screen appears, the device unlocks.

Then, go to Settings > Display > Layout & Size and change the screen size setting. For example, if the setting is “+”, it is recommended to change it to “-” and if “-“, to “+”. This resets the screen layout and helps eliminate the black-and-white screen issue. The screen size can then be adjusted as desired.

Samsung emphasizes that to prevent such issues from recurring, arbitrary changes should not be made to Developer Options. If the problem persists, users are advised to contact Samsung customer service directly.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 was introduced as Samsung’s thinnest foldable phone to date in terms of design. The model, which comes with an internal screen that is 2.5 times more durable than the Fold 6, was praised for its hardware durability immediately after its release, but this screen problem on the software side caused attention to be drawn to support and software stability issues.