These instructions apply to the DS 7 Crossback Mk1 (X74) 2017-Present.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If the touchscreen in your DS 7 Crossback (X74, 2018–Present) has frozen, gone black, or stopped responding to taps, you can force the head unit to reboot yourself in under a minute — no garage, no tools, and without losing your radio presets or paired phones.
Which system is in your DS 7 Crossback
The DS 7 Crossback runs the PSA/Stellantis NAC infotainment on a large 12-inch centre touchscreen, paired with a configurable digital instrument display. There is no rotary knob. A row of toggle-style “piano key” switches sits below the screen, and the paddle marked with a phone symbol is the control you hold to force a reboot. The DS 7 is one of the cars where owners report the screen going black mid-drive or hanging after an update — this is a software lock-up the reboot clears, not a failed panel.
Soft reset (reboot) the touchscreen
Do this parked, with the ignition on so the unit keeps its power.
- Find the phone-symbol piano key in the toggle row beneath the screen.
- Press and hold it for about 8–10 seconds — hold straight through the point where the audio cuts out.
- When the screen goes black, release the key.
- The DS logo appears as the NAC system restarts; let it boot.
- Wait up to a minute for the home screen to reload — radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay / Android Auto and media return on their own.
If the screen blanks while driving and you cannot stop, simply turning the car fully off and on again at the next opportunity usually brings the display straight back.
Will this erase anything? No
The reboot is completely safe. It does not wipe your radio presets, navigation favourites, paired phones, or settings — it simply restarts the head unit’s software, exactly like restarting a phone. Use it as often as the screen plays up.
If the screen stays frozen
- Hold longer. If 8–10 seconds did nothing, repeat and keep the phone key held for a full 15–20 seconds before the display blanks.
- Unplug any USB device. A faulty stick or phone cable in the USB port is a common NAC freeze trigger — remove it and reboot.
- Let the car sleep. Switch off, lock the car and walk away for five minutes so the electronics fully power down, then unlock and restart.
- Try a hard reset from the menu. Where the screen still responds a little, owners have cleared post-update glitches via the general settings reset before suspecting hardware.
- Check for a software update. DS has issued NAC interface updates that cure freezing, slow boots and the black-screen fault; have a DS dealer confirm yours is current.
- Pull the fuse (last resort). With the car off, remove the head-unit fuse for one to two minutes and refit it to force a cold restart. Check the owner’s manual fuse chart for the infotainment position first.
Factory reset (erases data — rarely needed)
A factory reset is separate from the reboot and only worth doing if you are selling the car or chasing a deep, persistent glitch. Go to Settings → System → Factory Reset, confirm, and wait for the system to reboot. It erases presets, paired phones and navigation history, so only do it deliberately.
Frequently Asked Questions
My DS 7 screen went black while driving but the radio kept playing — what is it?
That is a known NAC display hang on the DS 7 Crossback. The audio chip keeps running while the screen output locks; switching the car off and on, or holding the phone piano key, brings the picture back.
There is no knob — how do I reset the screen?
Correct, the DS 7 has no rotary control. The reboot is a long hold of the phone-symbol piano key in the toggle row below the screen, not a press on the glass.
Will the reboot lose my Bluetooth pairings or presets?
No. The piano-key reboot keeps every preset, favourite and paired phone. Only the menu-driven factory reset clears them.
Is it safe to drive with the screen frozen?
Yes. The touchscreen is separate from the engine and braking systems — you only lose audio, Bluetooth and navigation. Reboot once you are safely parked.
The screen is stuck on the DS logo — what now?
A unit looping on the logo usually needs a full power-down. Repeat the phone-key hold for 15–20 seconds; if it still loops, lock the car and leave it five minutes. Persistent boot-loops point to a firmware update being due.
If a warning light or fault message stays on the dash after the reboot, it may have stored a diagnostic trouble code — you can look it up on autodtcs.com.
Independent guide — not affiliated with DS. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.