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.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

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

bkb1777 Author

Level 1

10 points

iPhone 4 Home button issue...

I have tried to read on here and find out if anyone is having any home button issues but I can't seem to find anyone with the issue I am having. When I press my home button it works about 95% of the time. However, about 5-10 times a day it will not register the push at all and I have to push it again and it works. It's not something that really bothers me its just rather annoying. Anyone know anything about this? Also, has anyone noticed when you do push the home button it takes just a couple more seconds to close the app than the older iPhones? I have a 3G still and when I push the home button it instantly goes to the home page. Its just a little delayed with the IP4. I have compared it several times. Does anyone else have this issue? I'm wondering if its all just my phone because I haven't been able to compare my IP4 to anyone else's. I'm just wondering if all of this is any reason at all to get my phone replaced. I'm thinking it's not at all but I am just wondering who all else is having a problem or noticing a delay. I don't have any other issues with my phone. Just the home button. & if it helps any I have had my phone since day 1 of launch. I pre-ordered it.

iPhone 4, iOS 4

Posted on Sep 27, 2010 9:53 PM

694 replies

Nov 28, 2010 10:30 PM in response to Thoma51987

Damm the problem is back again...

longfy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 28, 2010 10:41 PM in response to Thoma51987

So Thomas, yours worked for 1-2 weeks and then it came back again?

I have a different story. I switch off Notification and 3G and it improves tremendously. What used to be 7 out of 10 times became 2 out of 10 times. I tried that for 3 days. It was ok. Am happy. Today I turned on 3G and it still works ok. It happens once a while.. but not as often.

I began to think and pinpoint the Notification!

Song002

Level 1

93 points

Nov 28, 2010 11:58 PM in response to bkb1777

Just want add, I also have this "Home Button Issue."

Nov 29, 2010 10:06 AM in response to longfy

Yes but nt so bad! From what i observe, this hm button issue always happen after i drain my battery frm 100% to 0%(my habit lol) n recharge to fully n use it!Seem wierd!

Nov 29, 2010 10:12 AM in response to Thoma51987

I'm also having this problem, didn't know so many other people were. Started right before 4.2 update and hasn't been fixed.

Nov 29, 2010 10:55 AM in response to Schmitty83

Same issue here. for me was started some weeks ago.
guys, it's an hardware problem. the microswitch button is very poor quality instead of 3GS or iPad button.

apple could introduce the double click velocity settings to make the botton usable because every three clicks my multitasking bar appear!!!!!!

apple, believe me! you are using a very poor of quality hardware during this last three year.

alex

Nov 30, 2010 2:21 AM in response to bkb1777

Add me to the list here ( absolutely hating this! )
bought my iphone4 in August @ Hong Kong and got same problems with the home button...

1. press once - the multi task bar comes up
2. press once - noth happens at all (either at stand by mode or wanting to close an app)
3. press twice - senses one contact only

i've been a 3G user for over a year, obviously it doesnt do multi-tasking but i did notice that the home buttons DO NOT feel the same on both phones... can someone else back me up here? the home button on the ip4 simply feels less firm and frankly a bit "wobbly" - you might feel like more than 1 contact point when pressing it down. And did updating 4.2.1 solve the problem? - NOPE.
personally i'd say its a mechanical fault. this is the only problem im having with this wicked phone, but this home button issue is the worst annoying problem you can come along.

i hope apple does come up with some solutions or at least admitting the issue as a technical problem (tough) and at the mean time my best bet is to try and get a new one replaced..

Ljones44

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2010 5:45 AM in response to bkb1777

I am relieved to find that I am not the only one with this issue. However, for me, its increasingly more and more annoying and the longer I have my phone, the less frequently my home button responds on the first try. I opened a case about this weeks ago with Apple, they wanted me to do a restore on my phone (I think something about restore as new, not from a backup?), did that, still no fix so they scheduled me an app with the Apple store (for me to have my phone replaced). I got to the appointment expecting this to be the end of my annoyance, and I was disappointed to be fed a bunch of **** for an hour. The guy at the Apple store said that my internal memory was at 90% and that even though I only have 3 gigs full out of my 16, I would need to do a complete restore.. Again. What the **** does that even mean? So, basically, even though its clearly an issue that's not going to be resolved with doing repetitive restores, I should go home and do one anyways, then come back if that doesn't work for the second time?

What should I do? This is my first IP ... ever. I bought it brand new on release day and I have the full warranty, the whole nine yards.

k.panic

Level 3

605 points

Nov 30, 2010 5:49 AM in response to bkb1777

Same here, I'm confident it's software:
a) because I didn't have the issue when I first got the phone (launch day in the U.S.), it started after the first update
b) because I only seem to have problems with it when trying to use the home button to wake the phone. I've actually also noticed the sleep/wake button occasionally doesn't respond on the first push if it's to wake the phone. Annoying enough to be noticeable, so far not annoying enough to bother with restoring as new/swapping/restoring from backup to a new phone, I also dread going to my local Apple Store...so crowded.

Nov 30, 2010 11:09 AM in response to bkb1777

I also have this problem since a couple of weeks.

I'm more and more confident it's a software problem. Because when the phone is connected to a charger, the button always works (I don't think the phone goes into sleep mode when it's connected)

Nov 30, 2010 12:42 PM in response to kd_belgium

R u sure? I think i will do a test on it.

istealth

Level 1

5 points

Nov 30, 2010 1:07 PM in response to MBP619

I have the same problem: iphone 4 running iOS 4.2.1. Home button does not always respond when I press it. Sometimes it takes 3 presses before it works. I had NO issues with it prior to the 4.2.1 update which I downloaded on release day.

Nov 30, 2010 1:17 PM in response to bkb1777

I updated last night to OS 4.2.1 and immediately began to run into trouble with this problem. I am going to the Apple store today in Sydney to formally register my concerns. There are legal protections in OZ for users/purchasers of sofware and hardware which might need to be invoked IF the problem is an software or hardware update related issue.
As it stands this is a very perplexing issue which makes the use of the phone for me almost impossibleas the home button does not turn the phone on without numerous attempts and then will not take you home if you are using any of the apps.

Kwopau

Level 4

1,748 points

Nov 30, 2010 2:08 PM in response to istealth

Had this similar problem, but I restored the phone and set it up as new, still happened, so this is a hardware problem. went to the genius to get it checked out, both me and the genius didn't know what to do, he believed me but told me that he couldn't reproduce the problem. Anyways, he gave me the option if I wanted to replace it, so I did, all works well.

arbitel

Level 1

4 points

Nov 30, 2010 8:13 PM in response to Kwopau

kwopau, did u pay anything for replacement ?

iPhone 4 Home button issue...