How to Solve iPhone Home Button Not Working?

If it’s been a while since you’ve bought your iPhone and your home button is suddenly not working, that could be a cause of concern. This is because your warranty period is long over, and you never know how much you will have to spend on getting the repair done. But if you can solve the iPhone home button not working issue without spending much from your pockets, would you miss it? Obviously not!

Even if you take extreme care of your devices, handle and hold them as you’d do with a newborn baby, you will notice that they will succumb to the wear and tear at some point. Constantly clicking the home button will show its effect on its function as time goes on. For the newer models, you won't experience this problem during the first few years at least. But for the older models, the problem is quite common, and people take too much stress dealing with it.

If you are worried about the issue or find it difficult to make that Home button respond, understand that the problem is not permanent and completely reversible. Employing the right ways will show results either gradually or instantly. Here’s what you should be doing -

• Part 1 - Repair the iOS System
• Part 2 - Re-Calibration of the Home Button
• Part 3 - Clean the Home Button
• Part 4 - Use Assistive Touch
• Part 5 - Do the Charger Press

Part 1 - Repair the iOS System

It is possible that your software has some bugs or compatibility issues, and that is being reflected in the way your home screen is responding. The hardware and software of a phone work hand in hand, and there are instances where one malfunctions and the side effects are seen in the other. This can be the case with the home screen button too. In case there are any pending updates or your operating system needs arise, your home button might stop working. iPhone 7 home button not working is an issue that is usually caused because of this reason. When the software needs an upgrade, it stops receiving the input from the hardware buttons, and the commands will not be comprehended.

Step 1. You can go to settings, then choose General

Step 2. Click on the Software update option.

Step 3. There if the phone has any updates, click on it and install them.

In case your button still doesn’t work, it's better to repair the entire operating system. You can do this by upgrading to the latest software version and rebooting the phone. If you know someone who can reinstall and upgrade your existing software, then that will be great. But there is no guarantee that your data, files, and documents will not be deleted, so remember to have a backup before proceeding.

You can also use third-party tools like Wondershare Dr.Fone Phone repair service that takes very little time to repair iPhones. It also saves all your data from deletion. So, you can give your phone a new look without losing the old data. Issues like phone not switching on/off, constant restarts that are disturbing, no sync between input buttons and screen output - all of this can be repaired by using the software.

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Step 1. Download Dr.Fone System Repair on your computer (Win or Mac) and install it. Launch the ‘System Repair’ post doing that.

Step 2. Connect the device that is posing a problem and opt for the ‘Standard Mode’ on Screen.

Step 3. After mobile detection, you will be asked to fill in details about your Phone’s model. Fill them. After that, click on ‘Start’.

Step 4. The automatic repair will take place. In case that doesn’t happen, follow the instructions displayed on-screen to enter DFU mode. This causes Firmware repair and posts that you will get a ‘completion’ page.

Part 2 - Re-Calibration of the Home Button

This is one of the most preferred methods for repairing the Home button of iPhones, even the home button on iPhone 7, which is very hard to fix since they are most frequently affected. The other buttons on iPhone 7 don’t seem to show this defect as easily as the home button does. Nevertheless, this technique of calibration will help to restore the function. Though it is not a guaranteed remedy to the problem, it is still better than doing nothing at all.

There are pre-installed apps on your phone that came along with the original mobile piece. In other words, these are the apps that the makers have installed, and you did not install them. These can include the Calendar, Notes, and a few other apps that come in-built.

Step 1. Open one of the pre-installed apps.

Step 2. Whenever the iPhone button is not working, press and hold the power button after opening the app until the screen prompts you to swipe to power off.

Step 3. Do not wipe and press the Home button for about 10-15 seconds until the app you opened quits.

This method is suitable when the iPhone 6s home button is not working or when iPhone 8 home button is not working. You might have to do the same thing more than one time to see the result. So, repeat this procedure a minimum of 5 times.

Part 3 - Clean the Home Button

Not many of us know how much dirt and unwanted materials seep into our iPhones through the buttons. It could be the volume buttons, turn off buttons on the side of the home button on the front. There are instances where you have that tasty pizza with your friends and touched your home button to answer a text you received from the office. Or you splashed some cold drink over it. You could be placing the phone on a dusty desk unintentionally, or the simple sweat from your hands can also be the reason for the iPhone button not working.

This is also why some of the iPhone Home buttons are struck without dropping the phone to the ground or hitting some hard surface. So, you can easily clean the home button of your phone to partially or completely reverse the damage done.

98% Isopropyl alcohol is available in the hardware stores, and taking 2-3 drops of it and adding directly to the home button should do the trick. With a blunt but narrow object or your little finger (dust-free), tap on the home button repeatedly to help the alcohol sync in. The cleaning will be done, and you can use a normal cloth to wipe superficially. Xylenol or the lens solution you use for the eyes can use these liquids to wipe your phone every day to remove dirt, sweat, or food deposits. This way, your phone’s performance will be on top.

These liquids are evaporative in nature, so they won’t stay back even if they seep into the internal hardware region. They don’t cause any malfunction and are completely safe. In fact, these are also used during the manufacturing process to clean the phones before they are completely set up and packed.

Part 4 - Use Assistive Touch

When the iPhone 6 home button not working or any older version’s home button is being stubborn, you can activate the on-screen home button. This is not something many of us are aware of. This is one of the well-concealed accessibility options on the iPhone and can be a lifesaver when the Home button suddenly stops being co-operative. This is actually put up for those who are not convenient using the hard buttons, but even those whose iPhone home button is broken can also use it.

Step 1. To enable this feature, go to the settings option on your iPhone and choose accessibility.

Step 2. Then you will find the option ‘Touch’ there. Click on it and then choose the Assistive Touch option.

This is how you do it when the iPhone 7 plus home button is not working, or in case the home button is not working in iPhone 8. However, in the older versions, you have to go to the settings option, click on the General option, and select accessibility. The Assistive touch option will be displayed to you, and you can opt for it.

You have to turn on the toggle for the Assistive Touch. You will find that a semi-transparent button that resembles your actual home button will appear on the screen.

This is like the virtual version of the original button - an impressive replica. When you tap on it, you will see a pop-up menu, and there you need to keep tapping on the home to simulate the response of the home button. You can move the virtual home button across the screen to cover your actual work or the content you are moving. When connected to the internet, you can even command Siri to tap/alter or deal with the Virtual home button option, and the work is done without you exercising your fingers.

Part 5 - Do the Charger Press

If using the Assistive Touch option is the penultimate attempt at getting your home button to work, then the charger press technique should be your last attempt. It's better not to opt for this method unless you have no other option left. This is quite risky, and if you don’t know what you are doing, you might make the situation worse than it already is.

To understand how you can do the charger press, you need to understand how the hardware is aligned with your iPhone. The home screen and other buttons are connected to very fragile and thin wires that stick to your phone's mainboard and transport the input commands to get the appropriate output. These wires are so fragile that even a strong wind can break them in half. So, applying physical pressure means you are asking for a complete shutdown and damage. However, that is the approach we will be taking here but with keen attention to not using excess pressure or pressing in the wrong place. If you get this wrong, your iPhone condition will be the same as the iPhone home button is broken.

The fragile cable that connects your Home screen to the rest of the phone’s hardware alignment is positioned quite close to the charging port. So, you will have to connect your charger to your charging port and press it towards the inside with medium force, specifically in the direction of your home button. It should be like you are reaching out for the home button from the inside. While you do this, click on the home button multiple times. If you cannot do that alone, take the help of someone else to press the button while you solely concentrate on the charger.

It was noticed that this technique would help reconnect the wire that includes the home button with the rest of the internal hardware layout. That way, your home button might see the light of the day again.

Conclusion

The iPhone home button not working is a major issue that haunts people, and especially in phones like the Apple creations, the lack of a home button is a major concern since that is the means through which you can access the rest of the functions the phone. But where there is a will, there is away. With every problem comes to a solution, and this can also be solved. But if none of the above-mentioned methods can restore the function of your home button, you will have to stop by the Apple repair store to do something about it. If the tips and tricks are of no good, then the damage must be too internal and beyond repair at home. An experienced professional will be able to deduce the right conclusion and repair it accordingly. But hoping that the phone has not met with serious damage, these tips will help bring back the good old days, and you don’t have to spend too much time doing them too. If they work, you have the home button back and sigh with relief. If not, well, your home button is not working anyway, and there is nothing else you can do. Surely give them a shot before you decide to visit the repair store.