Stuck Power Button on IPhone 12 Pro

Just thought I’d chime in. I also have had my iPhone 12 Pro for about two weeks and now the power button is stuck and refuses to work. This is, I believe, a similar issue to the one Apple had on their 2016 MacBook Pros where small pieces of dust could get stuck under the keys and make them unresponsive (because, ya know, there’s dust on earth). I’m sort of stunned that Apple quality has fallen so far in so short a period of time and yet their prices continue to rise.

At the end I just did like above mentioned. I just turn off the phone and run under the water for 2 sec. after that it started to work. Very disappointing, if I had time I would return it but I can’t deal with it now. I used all series of iphones but this tiny thing makes me feel very angry....

Since you seem so sure water can't damage anyone's phone, are you going to pay these people who believe you, and use water on their phone, it becomes water damaged and they then learn the phone you have assured them can't be damaged isn't covered under warranty for ANY liquid damage?

No one should be suggesting using liquids of any kind on an iPhone. If anyone has a power button not functioning as it should, they should schedule an appointment at their Apple Store Genius Bar for evaluation.

AgentDeus wrote:

Iphone 12 is IP68 and this means waterproof. Washing it couple of seconds with hot running water fixed stuck power button, thanks!

That is 100%, completely false. iPhone is NOT waterproof. It is water resistant and if you wash your phone and water causes damage to the phone it will NOT be covered under warranty. No one should EVER advise someone to wash their phone using any liquid.

Apple specifically says their phones are Splash, Water and Dust Resistant. They do NOT suggest any iPhone is waterproof. Further Apple's written warranty specifically says liquid damage is NOT covered by warranty.

I actually has the same problem. The lock or power button not responsive as the volume button. When you press it there's no "clicking" sound. I brought it to Apple for a replacement but they were oos. So I returned for a refund and order another one

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.

I had same issue for last 3-4days. Read this post, ran some water for literally 2-3sec , wiped with alcohol and button started clicking! Thanks.

This also happened to me and it’s so easy to fix I just put some water on my finger and ran it up and down the button and it was like less than five second fix

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.

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.

If you have any cleaning solution eg. piercing solution, put it on a cotton bud and trace the outline of the jammed button while spam pressing it. This should work.

I've had no issue with the power button on my 12 or 12 Pro Max. Schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar. If they see there is an issue, they will replace the phone. Make sure you backup before you go.

I'm having the same issue. I'm getting thrown between apple support and my local apple store. I've used the phone for 1 day and the lock button is already jammed. Plus the volume buttons, both up and down, are unresponsive. I am waiting for apple support to call me back (supposedly) within 3 days. Doesn't seem worth the price tag!