iPhone 4 Power Button Stuck

I also have a virtually inoperable power button on an iPhone 4S (occurred 4-7 months ago, about 15-18 months into my 24 month contract that now has 2 months left). To use the power button features, I had to apply hard pressure to the button using a hard object like a screw driver (a finger is too soft). I usually have to wiggle the pressure point until the phone responded (not easy).

I am now using the work-around (although I should not need to use a work around):

One time set-up:

one time set up: settings - general - accessibility - assistive touch-on

To turn off display:

touch the new hot spot - device - lock screen

To shut down:

touch the new hot spot - device - lock screen (continue to hold your finger on lock screen touch spot until shutdown option is displayed)

To turn it back on:

plug the phone in using the charger and it will turn itself back on in a few seconds

Questions:

1. 1. Has anyone here tried the "do it yourself" approach to replace the power button flex cable? How did it work out for you?
2. 2. Does anyone know if the iPhone 5S has the same defective part, or if Apple fixed the defect in the 5S?
3. 3. Has anyone replaced a power button defective iPhone when ordering a new phone, and tried using the Verizon Wireless old phone return program for a credit? If so did you get the maximum available credit or a lower amount?

Thanks friends! Good luck to everyone!

God bless you, Miz Trixie215 - you are brilliant and have saved me a 150 mile roundtrip drive to San Antonio, and likely plenty of money for power button repair.

Many thanks!

I called my local Fast Fix Jewelry repair (not all locations fix smartphones) and they told me it would cost ~$40 and an hour to repair my iPhone 4 so I'll be heading there this weekend. I hope may be useful information to others with the same problem.

Clever you! Thanks for a great suggestion; I emailed the nearest FastFix (San Antonio, TX) to see if smartphone repair is offered. At the Apple Store at La Cantera today, I was told Apple doesn't bother to repair broken iPhone power buttons. Pathetic....

Thank you soooo much, mp1040! What a beautiful workaround... I appreciate it.😀

The power button on my iphone 4s broke 15 months ago. Apple replaced it under warranty. Yesterday, the replacement phone's power button also broke. I took into the Apple store and because it is 3 months out of warranty, they refused to replace or fix it. Are you freakin' kidding me?

My immediate family owns 2 ipads, 3 iphones, and I just purchased an $800 mini mac 3 weeks ago. The Senior Manager at the Las Vegas Forum Shops Apple Store-Andrea Lettus-could have cared less. I am now waiting for a response from the Corporate office. What a joke. And if I hear one more comment from an Apple employee that I should have purchased "Apple Care", I'm going to explode. Apple Care for a $400 phone after only 15 months of use? And this is the 2nd time in the past 15 months?

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About my sleep/wake button not working as well any longer (and finally looking into it), I can't say enough good things about:

1) This Apple Support Community; grateful for your help;

2) customer service & support from Apple, on the telephone and in-person, and

3) value of this workaround: Settings/General/Accessibility/Assistive Touch.

They even helped me streamline and simplify the process of submitting a warranty claim for Otterbox case (which I'd bought at their partner's store). At this point, I'm just marvelling at the wonder of Apple.

I think Apple saying Assistive Touch is a solution for the Power Button failing is like a premium auto manufacturer saying the Rear View Camera is a solution should the forward gears fail regularly on some models of their vehicles

Thanx Pastor Ed! I went to the apple store & got the $200 replace only policy from them (warranty up). The person I talked to was nice enough to set up the assitive touch for me but didnt inform me that by holding the the lock screen icon that i could power down the device. I was considering opening up the phone myself & trying to resolve it but now I'll just use it as is. God Bless

Same thing happened to my iphone. The lock button just stopped working. I tried the assistive touch for a while but it got annoying. Try pressing the lock button really hard one or two times and it should work normally after that. It worked for me.

I've only had ours for 3 weeks and the button won't do anything for the 4S.

Hi Sonyalh,

I wanted to see if I could clarify the following comment:

> the button won't do anything for the 4S.

Does this mean when you press the button on the top of the phone (on the right), nothing happens? In other words, the screen doesn't either light up (if it was dark) or go dark (if it was light)?

Or the Assistive Touch option (in Settings/General/Accessibility) does not work?

I would hope the first one above would still work 3 weeks after purchase, but we'll start there if you'd like to clarify and go from there.

Thanks! ~ Anne

This just happened to my 18 year old's 13 month old, iPhone 4S. I made a Genius Bar appointment for tonight. Hopefully they can help us. Paying 199 to replace his phone is not an option either. The phone is out of warranty, so I am not expecting a replacement but I hope they have some suggestions for us. My son has loved his iPhone as do the rest of us who have them. But...this is not acceptable. I will reserve further judgement until after we go to the Genius Bar tonight. The gal I spoke with this am, was quite polite and gave me some hope that they could help. I guess we'll see!

Hello from France,

We also have this kind of problem, and after a visit to the Genius in Montpellier, my iPhone 4s has still his power button stucked.

I do not want to pay 199 euros for a reccurent manufacture problem.

My warranty was finished two weeks before the problem appear.

Apple didn't want to help me, so I cancelled the iPhone 5s order, and my next Retina 13 will be a Dell Xps 13...

I hope that ClassAction will be available soon in france...

Stephane

Apple should've done a recall on the iPhones because of this problem. To be honest this is the second iPhone lock button that breaks on me an I will not pay 200 to get a new phone. I think apple should fix there products for free especially something like this it is a main function of the phone and it's wrong to charge someone 200 dollars for a phone they already paid for and the company made a **** quality lock button.