Touch Kobo Touch - problem with bottom half of screen

forelock · 01-06-2026, 05:49 PM

I have been using my Kobo Touch regularly for years and have never encountered this issue before.

Recently, my child accidentally performed a factory reset (she’s 5, so obviously unintentional). I set the device up again without problems. However, some time later—after about a week during which I hadn’t used the reader—I noticed a display issue.

The bottom half of the screen appears significantly lighter when showing book covers. Also while reading, the text in the bottom half looks grainy.

If I configure the device to refresh the screen on every page, the problem does not appear while reading. However, the issue still occurs when browsing the book collection and in some menus, regardless of the refresh setting.

Given this behavior, I’m unsure if it is a software-related issue introduced after the factory reset, or a hardware/display problem (maybe caused by mechanical damage I wasn't awared of)

At this point, I’m not sure how to proceed. Would it make sense to try installing custom firmware (I’m currently using the original Kobo software), or does this symptom more strongly suggest a mechanical display issue?

Any insights or similar experiences would be appreciated.

Aleron Ives · 01-06-2026, 05:58 PM

It might be that a cable has come loose and could be reseated, or it could be that the screen is starting to fail. E-paper screens are much more delicate than regular LCDs, and the Kobo Touch is pretty old, so it's possible she did some physical damage to it in addition to the factory reset. I don't think any kind of firmware problem could cause this.

01-06-2026, 05:49 PM	#1
forelock Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Device: Kobo Touch	Kobo Touch - problem with bottom half of screen I have been using my Kobo Touch regularly for years and have never encountered this issue before. Recently, my child accidentally performed a factory reset (she’s 5, so obviously unintentional). I set the device up again without problems. However, some time later—after about a week during which I hadn’t used the reader—I noticed a display issue. The bottom half of the screen appears significantly lighter when showing book covers. Also while reading, the text in the bottom half looks grainy. If I configure the device to refresh the screen on every page, the problem does not appear while reading. However, the issue still occurs when browsing the book collection and in some menus, regardless of the refresh setting. Given this behavior, I’m unsure if it is a software-related issue introduced after the factory reset, or a hardware/display problem (maybe caused by mechanical damage I wasn't awared of) At this point, I’m not sure how to proceed. Would it make sense to try installing custom firmware (I’m currently using the original Kobo software), or does this symptom more strongly suggest a mechanical display issue? Any insights or similar experiences would be appreciated. Attached Thumbnails

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01-06-2026, 05:58 PM	#2
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,818 Karma: 17000000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	It might be that a cable has come loose and could be reseated, or it could be that the screen is starting to fail. E-paper screens are much more delicate than regular LCDs, and the Kobo Touch is pretty old, so it's possible she did some physical damage to it in addition to the factory reset. I don't think any kind of firmware problem could cause this.