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.

iPhone 4 Home Button not working properly

Hi all,


My iPhone home button (round button at the bottom) has started "not responding correctly." Sometimes when I press the button it works as it should, but other times it takes at least 10 clicks before anything happens. I can hear the clicking sound that the button physically makes so I can't imagine that it's hardware related - but it sometimes doesn't want to do anything.

After searching Google and the forums it seems to be pointing towards a software issue? I upgraded the phone to the latest software 4.3 around 3 weeks ago.


Modern Firmware - 01.10.01


Any advice is much appreciated,

mrdanang

iPhone 4, iOS 4.3

Posted on Apr 27, 2011 1:34 AM

Reply
542 replies

Dec 7, 2011 10:36 AM in response to santiagofrommiami

The solutions stated above are classic examples of how the human brain works to find order, in this case cause and effect in the world. The home button issue is being cause by debris and/or micro-corrosion prohibiting the contacts of the switch under the home button from closing. The intermittency with which the problem happens makes us believe we've found the solution when the problem abates immediately after we've administered the "cure." Cures have included slapping, pressing the button repeatedly, rebooting, pressing the home button and the power-off button in succession, reinstalling the OS, removing suspected malicious software.... on and on. You might try standing on your head while humming the "Star Spangled Banner," if accompanied by a slap or blowing into the phone's ports, it will probably work.


Some of the physical cures do act to fix the problem temporarily, but none of them will permanently fix the issue. I suspect all of the software related cures are bogus, and coincidentally fix the issue after repeated button pressings.

Dec 8, 2011 6:33 AM in response to mrdanang

I bought an iPhone 4 on release, and I have been SO frustrated with my home button issues. Some days it work, some days it does not. I do not believe it to be a software related issue, since I've upgraded, restored, toggled opening apps, toggled airplane mode, etc. nothing seems to fix the issue. I do notice that when the phone is plugged and charging it is MUCH worse of a problem than if it is not. Also, another reason I believe it to be hardware is that, sometimes, if you squeeze the lower mid back of the phone (basically behind the home button) the problem seems to lessen (again, sometimes).


Can Apple replace my home button hardware? Has anyone done this please help!!!

Dec 8, 2011 8:29 AM in response to OleMissKyle

Thats weird OleMissKyle, in my case, the phone being fully charged and/or plugged in seems to LESSEN the problem. Since i got my 4S, my 4 is sitting in a box as I use it for development purposes. Its powered off and usually around 99-100% charged. The home button works beautifully. I agree with wevowva, its a hardware issue that is partially addressed by many mechanical tweaks we do.


That would mean that a home-button cleaning should do the trick. I just have to find a place that doesnt do it for $150 like someone mentioned above.

iPhone 4 Home Button not working properly

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