Q: iPhone 4 Home Button not working properly

And by the way, since I changed my case (to an Otterbox), I haven't had one single home button problem ! maybe it was a connectivity issue after all.

Anyway, just wanted to share that with you.

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

I was having a problem with my home button not working or being unresponsive to repeated pushes. COme to find out it worked when I hit it ont he very edge of the top left and bottom right of the button, but not a direct middle press. Came here to fins if there was a fix and found I found this tip on another post and surprisingly it worked!

It’s actually a very simple process to recalibrate your Home button; simply open a stock iOS app (Weather, Stocks, Clock, etc.). Once the app is open, press your iPhone’s power button until the ‘slide to power off’ screen appears. From that screen, press and hold your Home button until iOS force quits the stock app you have open. You’re done!

Hi, this method I tried worked for me, hope it helps

Power off your iPhone

Rub an ant sized drop of water on it

Press the home button down

Blow at it from all angles

Turn on your iPhone

This should improve the condition of your iPhone

a little. My home button became a little more

sensitive after that. Once again, hope this helps;)

Works! This worked for me, but a few hours later my home button stopped working again. My friend told me an even easier way to fix it:

1. Hold down the power and home buttons. The power off screen should appear.

2. Keep holding both buttons until the power off screen disappears (about 20 seconds)

That's it!

I have found the home button fault is caused by a poor connection of the charging connector at the bottom of the phone. This maybe a design fault as it is weakened when ever you plug the charger in or pull the charger out so after a year or two this causes the home button to fail. If you poke a plastic object into the charging bay then the home button will work again until you plug it in to charge again. Using the virtual home button will help if you're away from home and cant find an object to shove into the charging port. I often use the charging connector by plugging in and pulling out repeatedly until the home button works. Main thing to remember is it's a physical breakage causing the fault.

After following loads of other suggestions, the slapping finally did the trick. Tx for posting!

Brilliant! Worked perfectly. Apple 'genius' said it was water damage, couldn't be fixed and wanted to charge me $175 to replace my phone. Some genius.

Hi all!!

there is no need to spend any money or to go the the genius bar!! i had the same problem with the home button. it was not responding even after pressing it three to four times. But the solution that worked for me was spraying my deo into the charging port and cleaning it a bit and then spray some more over the home button and pressed it continuosly from each side of home button till it started responding from every part. I hope it works for you too.

What worked for me was getting assistive touch on 4s then rapidly pressing the home button on it. This will make the screen go crazy and during that time press the actual home button. (Multiple X)

Worked like a sharm.

Hi Bramthorne this method worked for me too.  It's starting to look as though there could be two seperate causes for this problem, one mechanical and the other software calibration.  Obviously if the switch is broken repair/replacement is the only answer but if the iOS cant see the switch when the home button is pressed then this method actually works. In my search for an answer I discovered a service centre in Melbourne that claims to be able to repair this problem in 15 mins on the spot with no appointment for $45.00 so it must be a common one. It may turn out to be related to the recharge/connection port I guess we will just have to see if it reoccurs.

Cheers

I got my iPhone 4 replaced not so long ago on my last day of having Apple Care and the new one now has an issue with the Home button not always responding. I never had an issue with the Home Button not even on the last iPhone 4 I had. I am mad because I would have to pay and it has only been like 5 months since I got it. I feel it would be wrong to have to pay an issue like this especially on a replacement phone that I have had for a short time.

I found two solutions to this problem.

The first is more conventional:

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

This worked (at least so far).

The other is that dust is the cause of the problem so a good way to suck the dust out is to use a vacuum cleaner in place you connect the charging lead.

Sounds a bit left field but seems to work.

thanks that info really helped