My Ipad's home button is no response

Heya Barry.

You shouldn't have to push in the bezel every time.

Just give it a good "massage" ie a few squeezes, fingers behind the iPad and thumbs next to the home button.

This should move the contacts closer?

I dunno, if you think about it there have been about 5 "fixes" already in this thread so maybe it is just iOS playing up?

Resetting will prob be a waste of time for you as it was for me earlier. Have you done a reset already?

Let me know how you get on, and good luck!

I really wanna love this thing, but it's hard with all the problems I've had with them ...

Hi Tommy

Actually I am having just the same problem of home button non response and when I tried your interesting "massage" comment it is working, but I think there is a hardware problem with my device and I do not know what to do in the long run, I bought the device from USA and using it in Turkey now.

Thanks for the comments and I would appreciate if you could update if you some more useful comments about this home button problem.

regards

Hello Hakan,

Well mine is working perfectly after the "massage" so I would say that your iPad and mine just needed a bit of TLC!

I reckon this massage technique is all an Apple Genius would do if he/she took the device out the back to "test" so I would suggest that if your home button is working well now to just forget about it.

My iPad has zero faulty pixels, zero scratches (out of the box) on the back, and zero bleeding (which is practically unheard of with the iPad 2) so I am feeling very happy that the massage technique worked for me.

I was just about to give up completely on the iPad 2 as I have returned so many with one problem or another but I am now hooked on the device so I'm pleased that I persevered and tried "just one more".

Really looking forward to iOS 5!

PS, check out Flipboard and Zite ... great apps for absorbing information, tailored to your interests.

Good luck ...

Tommy

PS, I am so "into" the iPad now that I am seriously considering delving into the world of app development ... there are millions to be made!

Mine started doing it again, intermittently.

Do this ... download the new Xcode 4 (FREE if you have Lion installed!) and enable your iPad as a "developer iPad".

Then in your iPad's General Settings pane enable "multitouch gestues" and you can then use 4 fingers swiping up to reveal the multitasking bar, just tap the screen to close it. Use 4 fingers to swipe between open applications. And use 5 finger pinch to return to the Home screen from any open app.

It's much, much, muuuuuuch better than using the home button. So intuitive and you don't have to continually reach and "hunt" for the home button when you are engrossed in something on the screen.

However, my Home button is ever so slightly raised so I don't know if this is the issue with my iPad?

Having said all of this, I think I am going to finally give up on the iPad 2 completely. I have had to return so many due to one issue or another that I have lost faith in the device. The best solution for me is to get my money back, pay the extra and get the new i7 13" Macbook Air which will be much more versatile. I also find the iPad to be awkward when using, for instance, while I'm laying in bed ... having to prop it up against things and continually move it as it slips around. The MBA would be better for me I think, and my iMac is about 3 years old now so I could do with a new "proper" computer and the new Airs are definitely proper!

Good luck with your devices, but I would definitely recommend the Xcode route ...

Tommy

Was all set to reset the iPad ready for return but fell in love with it, all over again!!!

I really, really wanna love this thing, as is the magic of Apple and their products!

Follow me on Twitter @TheLondonFeller to keep up with my Apple news & tips, also to let me know of any tips you have.

Here's one I just found ...

New OS X Lion tip: when using iTunes Artwork as screensaver, mouse over any album to reveal a new "Play" button to start playing that album!

Question to all you iPad 2 owners ... have you managed to scratch the back of your devices yet? Do you use cases? I have been looking for a case for ages but cannot decide on which/what type to go for?

A word of caution ... beware of buttons - yes, buttons! Was using my iPad while laying on my back with it resting on my chest and one of my shirt buttons made a slight little mark in the aluminium. The lesson here being to beware of buttons! Just a little tip for you all.

So ... any scratches? And if so, do they bother you at all?

Going back to the Home button issue ... I definitely and whole heartedly recommend you installing Xcode on your Mac and enabling the new multitouch gestures on your iPad. Was just using them again and they really do enhance your user experience. You will never look back ...

Tommy

PS, don't forget to follow me @TheLondonFeller

I just found this and my Home Button response seems very snappy now:

1.) Open any application

2.) Press and hold the power button until the slide to shutdown swipe bar appears

3.) Release Power button

4.) Press and hold Home button Lightly until screen returns to icon screen (I notice a little "flicker" when this happens which indicates that something has happened)

5.) Enjoy your functioning home button!!!

This procedure recalibrates the home button after normal wear or heavy use.

**** Please be sure to push and hold the home button only after you have successfuly pressed the Power Button and enabled the slide to shutdown swipe screen

**** Please be sure to press the home button very lightly just passing the Click zone. If you press hard the home button recalibration will be inaffective and you will continue to have home button issues

I have the same problem and I really don't understand why we spent the money and ended up with trying to fix the problem on our own? I did a google search and found many people have this problem. Apple should recall iPad to fix this problem!

You are perfectly right ... and this is the reason I returned mine yesterday and got my money back!

When I spend "Apple money" I expect nothing but perfect!

They are simply churning out such a huge amount and they are being assembled by poorly paid workers who just don't care! I have had to return some which came with scratches on the back, with the display off-centre, and with dead/stuck pixels ... the faulty Home button was the final straw for me.

I was reluctant to return this one because it had no scratches, no screen bleeding, no faulty pixels and the screen was dead centre ... so I am gutted, to be honest! The last thing I tried was a complete reset of the iPad, setting it up as a completely new device and added just a few apps/tunes/videos and for 3 hours it appeared to work perfectly ... then the Home button problem returned once again so I really cannot see how it can be solely a software issue - must be hardware related.

In addidtion ... some people have said "not to overload the device with apps and media" ... well why would I buy a 64gb version if I then have to be selective and not put too much on the device????

What a shame ... as I really came to love the device. But I will not have to continually battle with all of these workarounds because the item simply does not work correctly.

Good luck!

To Repair Your Unresponsive Home-button:

1)Open any application.(say notes)

2)Press and hold Power button until "slide to off"appears.

3)Now,press and hold home button,until the home screen(icons menu) appears.

This actually recalibrates your Home-button.Hence,after this procees your home-button works fine enough.Good Luck...

I tried everything. The home button massage, the undocking, the resetting, the home button recalibration. Finally, I contacted Apple service via online service support booking — slick! They called at a designated time minutes from the initial contact, reviewed what I had tried and immediately sent me a return box that arrived the next day.

I boxed up the iPad and it was repaired and back to me in 2 days. Wow.

Now this doesn't help most of the people in this thread but I'd like to say that although the issue was unfortunate, the experience for resolution was fantastic and far superior to most other technology firms I've dealt with. Just hope it doesn't do it again!

Good luck all

To Repair Your Unresponsive Home-button:

1)Open any application.(say notes)

2)Press and hold Power button until "slide to off"appears.

3)Now,press and hold home button,until the home screen(icons menu) appears.

Worked like a charm!

Would love to know why the Safari move works. Fixed my problem. The home button had been failing to work occasionally. Genius bar did firmware reset and it failed every time. Tried resetting and restoring at home a few times with the same result.

Moved Safari, didn't immediately seem to do anything, then started to work. Move Safari back. Did not have to restart.

Seems to have resolved the problem.

THANKS

DO NOT KID YOURSELVES ... ANY OF YOU!

All of these "remedies" are nothing more than flukes.

I ended up taking the effected iPad back and got another one - just face it, you have a faulty Home Button. In fact, the "other one" went back too as it had dead pixels.

I have returned so many iPads now that I completely give up on the product. I have yet to come across one in perfect - as expected for my £659 - condition. They have either had dead/stuck pixels, scratches on the back, dust under the screen, a faulty Home Button or the screen has been physically off centre. Usually, it is a combination of these faults. And there is no other word for it, they are faults.

I AM a perfectionist and I DO expect perfection for my money so to all of those people who say "well they make millions of these things, how can you expect perfection" I say go away.

I dare you now to google "dead pixel check" and search under videos. Click on the first video which will open it in the Youtube app and cycle through all of the colours (with screen brightness set to maximum) and I'll bet my bottom dollar that you'll come up with a dead/stuck pixel. Check with the black background in a dimly lit room.

I had really grown to love Apple but the whole experience with the iPad has really changed my view of them. I no longer have Mac Rumors in my Top Sites anymore!

Once again, this issue with regards to the Home Button is a hardware fault and if I was you I would get it replaced ... but who knows what issues the replacement will come burdoned with!

Good luck ...

Former Apple fan

I had same problem with dead home button. This worked for me, go to settings accessibility and activate assistivetouch. You should see a home button symbol at the bottom right of the screen. Touch and it will bring up options which include home buttom touch that and you are set.

"Passcode Lock" Setting

I just fixed mine. Again, it may not apply to all.

I started to have the "Home Button" issue a few months ago. It was very frustrating. It was within the warranty period when I discovered it, but I did not take advantage of it.

Anyway, I tried undocking Safari/Rebooting, but it did not work. Right before I was about to give up, I saw the passcode window popped up. Yes, I did have the "Passcode Lock" set "On" for security purpose a few months ago. I found it annoying this time, so I turned it off. Suddently, the Home Button worked perfectly. It worked just as brand new.

Now I am very happy. And I hope this will help some users here. :-)