iPhone 4 Home Button not working properly

I have had the same problem. One one of the iphones we have the button doesn't respond well.
I actually xrayed it and found that compared to the other, the contact point for the button is off center, a little further to the bottom then the other one.

Now knowing this, I just press on the very lower part of the button.

If you (or anyone) gets ambitious today (and by ambitious, I mean: want to spend 5 minutes trying to fix the problem with little to no risk at all), then try the electrical tape method I mentioned above. I'm curious if this works for anyone else. Every single button press since I did this has been successful. This solution builds upon txturbo's post here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2541121?start=44

Use this guide to remove the rear panel: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-iPhone-4-Rear-Panel/3140/1

Then layer two small strips of electrical tape in the area outlined in red below. This should line up with the center of the speaker enclosure and should be directly behind the home button. Replace the rear panel. The fit should be snug, but should not require any significant force to slide closed (if it does, perhaps your electrical tape is thicker than mine, in which case try just using one piece instead of layering two).

Let me know if this works for you. I'm hoping this helps resolve most people's home button problems!

Dust is only affecting the iPhone 4 users because Apple changed the design in the 4s. The 4s home button is connected to the front housing with a rubber like seal. Therefore not nearly as much dust/dirt may enter.

- I strongly believe that it is dust that is causing this fault. I have recently pulled apart a friends iPhone 4 which had a inoperative home button and cleaned around and the home button itself, afterwards and still to this day (3 months later) the home button has been in full operation.

Have a look at what i removed...

Thanks,

Daniel.

Nice one berzerker. I came across essentially the same fix:

1. Open an official Apple App like the clock or compass

2. Hold the power button until u get the slide to turn off

3. Hold down the home button until the slide to turn off goes away.

Problem fixed! It seems to be a software collaboration issue with the button - rather than mechanical - as unintuitive as that seems. Works everytime.

In case your iPhone home button has become less sensitive or is even broken, iOS 5 has come up with the great solution named ‘AssistiveTouch’ feature. Assistive Touch is one of the accessibility features in iOS 5 that can be served as a workaround, if your iPhone home button is broken.

How to Enable Assistive Touch to Access Home Button from Screen in iOS 5:

Got to Settings -> General -> Accessibility. Scroll down to bottom and tap on “AssistiveTouch” option. Set it ON to activate the option.

after doing this, you will see a transparent button bottom right, touch this, a touch menu will show up. This transparent button can be used as your new home button. Its fabulous! Good luck!!!

The issue is purely mechanical and can only be properly solved by replacing the Home Button.

I did mine yesterday...see my posts here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2798587?answerId=17415450022#17415450022

All the instructions and info you need are here:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-iPhone-4-Home-Button/3144/1

Takes 2 hours and cost me about $20 shipped to the UK

Sooo... Last night, Apple deleted my post regarding a certain "unauthorized" method to negate the need for a home button and informed me that by referencing such things I had broken the Apple Support Community User Agreement. My apologizes to anyone I may have offended, including the moderators. However, I do hope that the post helped at least a few of you.

They then went on to suggest that if I was having a problem with my product, to please use the appropriate method to report these issues at http://www.apple.com/feedback. I assume this was the politically correct way of telling me that all of our ranting and raving here will not gain the appropriate attention, but if we all send in feedback for the iPhone 4 and reference these threads, then perhaps the appropriate people will take notice. So, I would ask that you all take a moment and fill out the feedback form for you iPhone 4. It may seem silly and in all likelihood we probably won't receive any follow-up, but it is definitely worth a shot.

Call Apple Technical Support (see http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 for the telephone number for your locale). Describe the problem to them. Tell them you've already restored your phone and set it up as a new phone (rather than restoring from backup) and the problem continues. They will ship you a replacement iPhone.

Quoting from

"Dunbrook

Thanks Ronald Langley for this fix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXlY-VcxbCU&feature=youtu.be

Using the iPhone cable to push up on the underside of home button worked like a charm."

It may seem like fluff BUT IT REALLY WORKS! Watch the video and try it!

Hey all,

I found this website and tried the solution down the bottom of the page and it has worked for me. See if it works for you as well.

http://www.iphonestuffs4u.com/iphone-home-button-not-working/

1. Open any application on the iPhone
2. Press and hold the Power button till the ‘Slide to Shutdown’ screen appears.
3. Now release the Power button and gently hold the Home button.
4. In all probability, your Home button would start functioning normally again!

Incredible. I was convinced it must be a bad contact and need physical repair, I'm amazed but this solution worked a treat for me.

Many thanks 🙂

jazemaster wrote:

1. Open any application on the iPhone
2. Press and hold the Power button till the ‘Slide to Shutdown’ screen appears.
3. Now release the Power button and gently hold the Home button.
4. In all probability, your Home button would start functioning normally again!

Here is a fix that was recently shared on OSX Daily:

sometimes you can fix the response problem with the following sequence:

• Open a default iOS application, such as Stocks, Calculator, or Weather
• Press and hold down the Power button until the “Slide to Power Off” dialog appears, then release
• Now press and hold the Home button until the “Slide to Power Off” screen disappears, force quitting the application

Full details at: http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/22/iphone-home-button-not-working-or-unresponsive-fi x/

Hi everyone,

I had the same problem. It is very likely the decrease in responsiveness is due to dirt underneath the button.

I did this and it instantly resolved the issue:

• Take a can of compressed air (buy it at your local computer store);
• Press the home button while spraying air on it. (You need to press it so the air can go through);
• Spray some air in the place where the USB connector goes.

Of course it works to replace the home button, because a new home button is clean also 😉.

I recommend first trying cleaning with air before trying the replacement of hardware.

Good luck!

FINALLY WORKING AGAIN!!! I followed the methods mentioned in this forum:

1. Drop a couple of drops rubbing alchohol on the home button and press repeatedly
2. Use some compressed air in the charging slot at the bottom
3. Get a new case

Just like SYR, I got the Otterbox case and it has had more sucess keeping the home button working than any other case I've had. Protects the bottom of the phone from more crap getting up in there and the way it applies pressure to the home button must also help. Thanks everybody for your help!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SUHRH6

BabieFace1 wrote:

FINALLY WORKING AGAIN!!! I followed the methods mentioned in this forum:

1. Drop a couple of drops rubbing alchohol on the home button and press repeatedly
2. Use some compressed air in the charging slot at the bottom
3. Get a new case

Just like SYR, I got the Otterbox case and it has had more sucess keeping the home button working than any other case I've had. Protects the bottom of the phone from more crap getting up in there and the way it applies pressure to the home button must also help. Thanks everybody for your help!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SUHRH6

LOVE the Otterbox Case!!! I have been using it for a few days and I haven't had the issue since!