You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Stuck Power Button on IPhone 12 Pro

The Power button gets stuck on my new IPhone 12 Pro. I have had it for 3 weeks and when I use guided access the power button fails to respond to my presses. Also there is no click like when I press the volume buttons. I should have sent it back when I first noticed it on day 3. Today was the first day that it went completely unresponsive. I kept messing with it and 1/2 hour later I must have successfully double clicked and was able to get out of that mode. Is this an issue with these phones?

iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 18, 2020 12:24 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 26, 2020 12:42 AM

I have had the same problem with the iPhone 12.

iPhone 12s are water resistant to 6m.

I turned mine off, ran the side button under hot water for literally 1-2 seconds and immediately had return of the “click.”

It is almost definitely a sticky residue in the tight space between the button and case.

In my case I’m almost certain it has to do with hand sanitizer and sani-wipes.

The sani-wipes start to leave a sticky residue on everything after awhile.


Just clean it and be done with it! You’ll be glad you did.


so nice to have that “click” back.

69 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 26, 2020 12:42 AM in response to pcladie

I have had the same problem with the iPhone 12.

iPhone 12s are water resistant to 6m.

I turned mine off, ran the side button under hot water for literally 1-2 seconds and immediately had return of the “click.”

It is almost definitely a sticky residue in the tight space between the button and case.

In my case I’m almost certain it has to do with hand sanitizer and sani-wipes.

The sani-wipes start to leave a sticky residue on everything after awhile.


Just clean it and be done with it! You’ll be glad you did.


so nice to have that “click” back.

Dec 15, 2020 5:41 PM in response to pcladie

I saw someone mention that it was possible the button was stuck due to dirt/grime. I took one of these alcohol wipes and did a quick swipe over the buttons to see how fast it would evaporate. In a warm temperature its almost instant. I then took the wipe and squeezed some of the alcohol out onto the buttons and played with them for a bit. They’re working fine now. Give it a shot.

May 30, 2021 7:20 PM in response to pcladie

Yeah, so I noticed both my power button and volume decrease button were not “clicking” and felt spongey/unresponsive. I recently took a trip to Greece in which I hiked and went to the beach very frequently likely resulting in lots of small particulates getting in and around the buttons. Did not have any alcohol wipes on hand, as I did the “repair” in an airport, but simply wet my hand, wiped it across both sides 2-3 of the phone 2-3 times and then dried it with my t-shirt. Very, very, very rudimentary fix but it worked and both buttons are now responsive and “clicking” again. Would not necessarily recommend this method of repair but I felt relatively safe doing so considering the Pro Max’s resistance rating. Worked like a charm but should probably use and alcohol wipe instead next time. Hope this helps.

Nov 30, 2020 11:36 AM in response to jett154

I went in to the accessibility setting and slowed down the clicking rate for the side/power button. It helps some but taking a screen shot is hard to do and turning the screen off is near impossible. It pulls up my wallet every time. So frustrating. I have a compromised immune system and am not willing to jeopardize my health to make it to an Apple store. I should not have to. They should realize that they are selling a product with a defect by now and make it easier to replace during this pandemic.

Dec 4, 2020 6:08 PM in response to pcladie

I tried that and did not seem to help much, but thanks for the idea! I live an hour away from an Apple store and am not going during a pandemic so I feel you. I’m going to call about it here in the next few days as it’s only getting worse each day. Hopefully they will be able to send people with this problem new phones so we can exchange them! Spending $1100 on a phone and having 1/3 of the buttons not work is not cool.

Jan 11, 2021 5:02 PM in response to lobsterghost1

same thing happened to my iphone 12 just today. I did not want to take it to apple because i need the physical phone for work. Everyone knows that taking a phone to apple directly can result in a long wait time until it is fixed sometimes even months. so instead of pouring water around the buttons. I found a simple safe and very fast fix that you already have in your home.


my side power button became sticky and did not click and would not work unless i pressed hard. so i turned off the phone first and foremost and began the quick 30 seconds fix.


I took a qtip and soaked the tip of the qtip with regular old rubbing alcohol and simply rubbed the soaked qtip around the button for a few strokes while pressing the button a couple times. and BAMM! sticky button fixed. no more issues. rubbing alcohol dried within seconds after applying so no internal water stains or damage.



Jan 12, 2021 1:58 PM in response to LeyLaR

No I’ve just been suffering through. I slowed down the button’s response time in settings. Turned off the phone and cleaned it thoroughly. Customized my phone case so there is no direct contact with the button and I try not to use it. I am not comfortable going to the Apple store but am very disappointed with this upgrade. I would have kept my XR or whatever was before this one until the next gen came out if I had known.

Dec 16, 2020 2:49 AM in response to brandonlew1s

Thanks, I’ll try that on the next one if it happens again. I returned it, but will buy another one after Christmas. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. That reminds me of what happened with my iPhone 4. I used that method with the button and that phone is still working haha.


although, one would think the button shouldn’t have dirt and grime in it when it went from out of the brand new box to the case instantly, and then the button doesn’t work after 4 hours? Kinda weird.

Apr 4, 2021 7:36 AM in response to AgentDeus

AGAIN, as tested in a controlled lab conditions. Go ahead and submerge your own phone in water. Then if it dies, see if you can get a free warranty replacement. Oh what's that? Apple doesn't warrant iPhone from liquid damage, PERIOD. I'm done with you. I hope the person you advised to run their phone under a faucet does NOT take your advice. It was BAD advice.


Since you have criticized my reading comprehension, perhaps you should read the actual language in Apple's Written Warranty Plan:


WHAT IS NOT COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY?

This Warranty does not apply to any non-Apple branded hardware products or any software, even if packaged or sold with Apple hardware. Manufacturers, suppliers, or publishers, other than Apple, may provide their own warranties to you – please contact them for further information. Software distributed by Apple with or without the Apple brand (including, but not limited to system software) is not covered by this Warranty. Please refer to the licensing agreement accompanying the software for details of your rights with respect to its use. Apple does not warrant that the operation of the Apple Product will be uninterrupted or error-free. Apple is not responsible for damage arising from failure to follow instructions relating to the Apple Product’s use.


This Warranty does not apply: (a) to consumable parts, such as batteries or protective coatings that are designed to diminish over time, unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship; (b) to cosmetic damage, including but not limited to scratches, dents and broken plastic on ports unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship; (c) to damage caused by use with a third party component or product that does not meet the Apple Product’s specifications (Apple Product specifications are available at www.apple.com under the technical specifications for each product and also available in stores); (d) to damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, fire, liquid contact, earthquake or other external cause; (e) to damage caused by operating the Apple Product outside Apple’s published guidelines; (f) to damage caused by service (including upgrades and expansions) performed by anyone who is not a representative of Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (“AASP”); (g) to an Apple Product that has been modified to alter functionality or capability without the written permission of Apple; (h) to defects caused by normal wear and tear or otherwise due to the normal aging of the Apple Product; (i) if any serial number has been removed or defaced from the Apple Product; or (j) if Apple receives information from relevant public authorities that the product has been stolen or if you are unable to deactivate passcode-enabled or other security measures designed to prevent unauthorized access to the Apple Product, and you cannot prove in any way that you are the authorized user of the product (eg. by presenting proof of purchase).


Reading is fun, so read the entire warranty here --> Legal - iOS Warranty Document Us - Apple

Jul 1, 2021 8:57 PM in response to pcladie

The problem with the stuck power button on brand new iPhone 12 Pro's (and Max's) is common for Apple customers and even Apple employees - with 500 people reporting this persistent quality control problem of brand new iPhone 12s from Nov 2020 to June 2021 in this forum alone.


Spoiler Alert: Don't hesitate, immediately return your iPhone for a new iPhone. Do this before Apple wants to replace your brand new iPhone with a used refurbished phone. My previous experience with Apple's Genius replacing my iPhone with a refurbished iPhone is that the battery didn't work for as long as expected, and the transfer of data was not done completely.


I called Apple support, since I paid $299 for AppleCare+, and I was told that the earliest appointment to try to exchange my broken brand new iPhone 12 Pro for a working brand new iPhone 12 Pro is 2 days out. Worse, the Apple representative said that he had the same problem. Still worse, I was told that they couldn't guarantee that the replacement would be a new iPhone 12 Pro.


I found the article "Cleaning your iPhone" at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207123 generally useful but not helpful for this problem. It says: "Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth—for example, a lens cloth."


I read all of this thread, which includes suggestions on how the power button can sometimes be unstuck, but I didn't want to do any of the questionable solutions for cleaning by splashing with water or brushing with a q-tip damp with alcohol.


Following the instruction on the Apple support page, I tried to "exercise" the stuck power button on my brand new iPhone 12 Pro by sliding my thumb back and forth across the power button with a slightly damp cloth .. it didn't work .. and worse .. my phone called for emergency help before I realized what was happening. I stopped the outgoing call but it was too late and the helpful 911 service called me back to make sure everything was ok, which I assured the operator that everything was fine. I asked the operator how often emergency services got false alarms from iPhones .. and the operator said: "it happens every day". I asked how many times a day this happens, and the emergency services operator said: "I don't know, I'm only one operator and we have many operators."


Summary: The problem gets worse; un-sticking takes customer cleaning methods that aren't recommended; and if you notice that the power button doesn't click (like mine didn't on my brand new phone) that isn't a haptic feature, it's a broken phone.

Stuck Power Button on IPhone 12 Pro

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.