Multiple Touchscreens not recognising fingers

@gently Thanks for this, this is not just our own phone but on commercial machines. Yesterday my wife was buying train tickets so we could take her to Hospital for a CT Scan, she touched both hands, nothing so had to use her thumb this worked in the end. It happened on a car park pay station last week at Hospital again, every machine, I often end up doing it as none of her digits work work. I will adjust the phone though so thanks for this. Jon

@megidigo Yes, most modern touch-sensitive devices don't work by pressure. They use capacitance your finger changes the electrical field/capacitance at the screen, which the electronics detect. Older resistive touchscreens did work by pressure, but modern phones and tablets generally use projected capacitive touchscreens. So it does not matter how hard you press you are invisible to the device.

So I think it maybe related to lake of sweating or even the electrical properties of have lower nerve density in the fingers?

Thanks again

Jon

@scottrl you can get screen gloves so going to try this, or I think you can. Thanks Jon but a good idea.

@megidigo It is not a pressure thing well not with my wife, most modern touch-sensitive devices don't work by pressure. They use capacitance your finger changes the electrical field/capacitance at the screen, which the electronics detect. Older resistive touchscreens did work by pressure, but modern screens generally use projected capacitive touchscreens. I see my wife prodding away at a screen, she is hitting the correct area, time and again, with much force or gently and it does not work, slow or fast. When I first worked on using touch screens many years ago many were pressure sensitive but the newer capacitance devices were a game changer and are generally adopted now since around 2000 to 2010, but the idea has been around since the 1960's if I remember. A friend worked on them in the 1980, but I lost touch with him. So I think it is these newer devices, that are the issue? Thanks Jon

I hadn't thought about a capacitive stylus
To successfully operate an unresponsive public touchscreen, you need a passive capacitive stylus with a wide contact surface or a precision disc tip. Public kiosks, ATMs, and airport check-in screens typically use thick, tempered glass or heavy-duty capacitive panels that require a larger surface area or highly concentrated conductivity to mimic a finger press.
I don't know if these work well or at all.
Top Stylus Options for Public TouchscreensDEWALT Stylus Pen 3-in-1$14.99Home Depot& more4.3(7)

@jonyb
My neuropathy is large fibre axonal demyelinating and I failed the EMG test pretty bad in both upper and lower extremities. The EMG tests for how fast and strong electrical signals move through your nerves so looks like your correct about electrical properties possibly being the issue. Whatever the case may be Im convinced the issue stems from this demon of a disease as I never had it occur before becoming sick 😡😞