How to Fix Drag and Drop Not Working on iPhone

Wondering why the drag and drop feature is not working on your iPhone?

Drag and drop is a UI feature that enables users to select and move items between different applications or within an application on iOS. This allows users to easily sort items, like images, files, and text, by holding on to an item and moving it to a new location. 

This feature was first introduced by Apple on iOS 11 and is available on all iPhones capable of running iOS 11 and later. 

The feature can also be used in different applications like photos and files. 

However, some users reported that drag and drop is not working correctly on their iPhones. Now, there are several reasons why the feature is not working. 

Most of the time, this problem occurs due to outdated software, system restrictions, and app compatibility. On the other hand, it can also be due to hardware issues, third-party applications, and improper configurations. 

To help out, we’ve decided to make a guide on how to fix drag and drop if it’s not working on your iPhone. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your iPhone. 

Before anything else, we recommend restarting your iPhone if the drag and drop feature is not working. Restarting your device is one of the most effective ways to fix common software and application issues. 

See the steps below to restart your iPhone: 

  1. First, press and hold the Side + Volume Up buttons on your iPhone
  2. Once the ‘Slide to Power Off’ option appears, release both buttons. 
  3. Drag the slider to the right until your display turns black. 
Restart iPhone

After a few seconds, hold the Side button again to restart your device. Try using drag and drop again to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Update Your Device. 

The version of iOS you’re using might have an underlying issue that causes the drag and drop feature to malfunction. In this case, you can try updating your device to the latest version to patch issues. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device. 
  2. After that, go to General > Software Update
  3. Finally, go to Automatic Updates and enable all the options under it. Go back to the previous page and tap on Download and Install
Download and Install

Try using the feature again to check if the update worked. 

3. Check System Restrictions. 

iOS has a feature that allows you to manage screen time and restrict features. While this is helpful for managing your child’s device, it can get in the way if you want to access restricted features. 

If drag and drop isn’t working, check your screen time configurations. See the steps below to guide you through the process: 

  1. Go to your home screen and launch the Settings app. 
  2. After that, navigate to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
  3. Lastly, locate Drag and Drop and make sure it’s enabled. 

Restart your device afterward and see if the feature works. 

4. Check If The App Is Supported. 

Drag and drop is still a new feature on iOS despite it being available since iOS 11. If the feature isn’t working correctly, it is likely that the application you are running does not support drag and drop. 

Try checking with the application’s customer service to see if drag and drop is supported by their platform. 

5. Try Other Applications. 

Another way to see if the problem is on a specific application or system-wide is to use other applications. We suggest using drag and drop on random applications on your iPhone and seeing if it will work. 

If the feature is not working on all applications, the issue is probably with the system or your configurations. 

6. Update Your Applications.

The app you’re using might have an issue that causes the drag and drop feature not to work. If this is the case, we suggest updating all your applications to the latest version to patch bugs and other errors. 

Check out the steps below to update your apps: 

  1. First, go to your home screen and launch the App Store
  2. After that, tap on your Profile in the upper right corner. Scroll down to view the list of applications with available updates. 
  3. Lastly, hit the Update button beside the app you want to update. Repeat the process until all your applications are up to date. 
Update iOS

Once done, try using your iPhone as you would and observe if the drag and drop feature works. 

7. Reset All Settings. 

There might be some conflict with your device’s configurations, causing drag and drop to malfunction. If this is the case, we suggest resetting your device settings to default to roll back any changes. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. First, go to your home screen and launch the Settings app. 
  2. After that, tap on General and access the Transfer or Reset iPhone tab. 
  3. Now, choose Reset and tap on Reset All Settings
drag and drop not working on iphone

Try using drag and drop afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

8. Contact Apple Support.

If none of the solutions above worked, we recommend visiting Apple’s support page. There you can find solutions to common problems or contact their team by filling out an online form or using the live chat feature. 

drag and drop not working on iphone

You can also visit the nearest Apple Store in your area and have a professional take a look at your device. The screen could be defective, or your device needs a fresh OS installed. 

It is worth noting that drag and drop feature is only available to devices running on iOS 11 or later. If you have a device that is running an older version of iOS, drag and drop won’t be available unless you update it. 

Unfortunately, iPhone 8 or older models doesn’t support drag and drop. If you want to enjoy the latest features of iOS, the only option for you is to upgrade your device.

That ends our guide on how to fix drag and drop if it’s not working on your iPhone. If you have questions, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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