iPhone 4 Power Button Stuck

hey everyone,

I have had the same problem for about a week now. the turn off/on button seems locked/depressed and doesnt work. The only problem is I am currently living in Germany and my phone was bought when i was still living in Australia. Does anyone know if i can go into a genius bar here in Germany and they will replace the phone or do i actually have to go back to Australia?? its such a shame because I wont be due to go back to Australia until October!!!

any help would be appreciated!!

Go into Settings. Go to General. Go to Accessibility. Turn on Assistive Touch. The button will show up on the screen. Press the button. Open up device. Then hold down lock device. Let go and you should be able to turn it off. I know it is slightly inconvenient but it works.

So ya Apple continued to refuse to offer me any kind of reasonable solution for my stuck lock button. Since I was outside my warranty period anyways, I just took it to a local cellular repair shop. 45 minutes and $65 later and my phone was like brand new. Really not sure how shops like this have a quick, easy and affordable repair for this issue, yet Apple claims they can do nothing about it. This is a demonstration of some of the absolute worst customer care I have ever seen. If Apple continues to neglect it's customers like this going forward, I think more and more of them will become disgruntled like me at this absurdity and begin to transition towards other brands for their future purchase.

Well done Apple, you're doing a terrible job!

I am having the same problem now: the power button seems to be unresponsive. I'm not sure what option I'll have to fix the phone. I'm beyond the warranty date, and not sure if they'll fix it for me free of charge. It seems like this is a common problem, and it's pretty terrible that a 700 dollar phone can last longer than a year.

It's clear from this thread that Apple isn't really doing anything about it (some people can get it fixed at an Apple store, while others can't), but I thought I'd just post here in solidarity.

I must say Apple... for what I paid for this phone, I expected better quality.

...and yet another slightly over one year iPhone 4S' power button goes bust!

what is amazing is that one minute it is working beautifully, the next it is stuck and cant be used at all. I am starting to believe that the power button has a chip with a timer that goes off after 14 months rendering the button unusable.

And mine has just gone. 14 months old - not a cheap bit of kit and acting like it. Does Apple read these posts?

I count myself lucky: The button just died after 20 months. Not that I expect apple to step up and do the right thing...

Thank you for this, but for the record, turning it back on is an issue. So, I can use the button on the screen now, but I would not recommend turning it off.

Mine just died yesterday, May 30th. I've had the phone for almost two years. I will check the warranty on it today. XxfrankendroidxX had a great answer to the issue for now:

"Go into Settings. Go to General. Go to Accessibility. Turn on Assistive Touch. The button will show up on the screen. Press the button. Open up device. Then hold down lock device. Let go and you should be able to turn it off. I know it is slightly inconvenient but it works."

However, I would not recommend turning it off completely. Turning it back on requires the actual button, and it took me a bit to push down on it to get it back on. But, it does work for what I need it for.

I am sure Apple will do the same thing to me, as they've done to the rest of you, and offer to send a refurbished phone. I shall see. This *****. If I upgrade to a new phone, the iPhone 5, Verizon wants me to change my plan. And, I don't want to. I have unlimited data, which I use, since I travel a lot. If I buy from them, they will make me change. Any suggestions on how to avoid that? Thanks!!

To turn the phone back on: Plug it in to the wall or usb.

So yes, it's a PITA but better than an brick.

haha I thought of that, after I posted. Thank you for the information, though!

I found many DIY sites that show how to change the button out on your own, if you are not under warranty, but you have to replace the cable, too. It's about 20 bucks. There is a link to the cable on this DIY site:

http://www.imore.com/how-diy-repair-stuck-or-broken-iphone-4s-power-button

Add me to the list. Power button died at about the 14mo mark and never bothered going thru the ridiculous 'support' as all they offered was a refurb for $200.

Same thing happened to me too. At around 18 months and now I have a $700 piece of garbage. I've been working on developing an iPhone app too and used to defend Apple, but what's the point.

I just talked with Verizon, as they are my provider. In order for me to buy a new phone, they will not honor my current contract with unlimited data, and they charge 30 dollars for an "upgrade" fee. So, I researched further, and the iPhone 5 also has power button issues. So, if I changed to that, I would have another button issue down the road. It's just not worth it. I am using the assist button now, and I can get use to it. I hope.

I defend Apple to my husband all the time. He's a Virtual Architech. He has a Galaxy and loves it. Of course, when he bought it, his plan was put to 2GB, and no longer unlimited, but he doesn't even come close to using the full amount.

I guess it's a matter of whether I can deal with the assisble button on the phone, instead of the actual power button.

I'm having the same issue with my iPhone 4s. After a year my power button stopped working . I though it was an error on my side but after researching it seems there are countless consumers with this same issue. My phone is in mint condition so the problem could not have risen from abuse. I have not taken it to apple since my 1 year warranty is over & I'm thinking they will probaly try to charge me $150 for a refurbished replacement . Has anyone been able to get apple to fix this? It seems like a simple fix. And if so how big of a dent did it make on the wallet?