iPhone 5 power button not working

Take it to an Apple store make an appointment and have it replaced. Make a backup first

Read http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1766

This is a defect on iPhone 5 power button that wears out in about 13-14 months of usage just after you go out of warranty. Apple is aware of this issue but chooses not to accept this as a defect. I asked the Genius bar guy and they told me this is a common case recently and costs $269 to replace your phone. There is no repair option. I am very mad and believe Apple needs to take action or will lose their customers. All iPhone 5 owners that I know started having this problem in the month of 13 -14.

I believe if the numbers go high, Apple may start a recall program. Please encourage anyone with this problem to post here. $700 phone should not wear out this soon. Apparently the part is defective on almost all iPhone 5 devices.

Other threads about this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5564147

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5401951

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5105189

I'm having intermitent issues with the iPhone 5 button as well. Interestingly, it started at th 15th month of ownership. Can't wait for my opportunity to deal with Apple on this obvious defect in thier product.

Any other thoughts or suggestions for me, since I tried the others listed here?

Apple started deleting some of the threads and posts here which to me is very unethical. That is just unbelievable. Bad action from Apple..

My wife and I bought iPhones when they first came out in 2007. We later upgraded to iPhone 3s, and in Sept. 2012 I bought us two iPhone 5's. The power button on hers stopped working in October, less than a month after the warranty expired. Wow, that's weird, I thought. Then the power button on mine started flaking every so often--and it has gotten progressively worse. I will take both to the Apple Store next weekend and request replacements. Given that this is clearly a design defect and not a result of abuse or normal wear and tear, I expect them to accomodate us. If they don't, these will be the last iPhones we buy.

WiseUser wrote:

This is a defect on iPhone 5 power button that wears out in about 13-14 months of usage just after you go out of warranty. Apple is aware of this issue but chooses not to accept this as a defect. I asked the Genius bar guy and they told me this is a common case recently and costs $269 to replace your phone. There is no repair option. I am very mad and believe Apple needs to take action or will lose their customers. All iPhone 5 owners that I know started having this problem in the month of 13 -14.

I believe if the numbers go high, Apple may start a recall program. Please encourage anyone with this problem to post here. $700 phone should not wear out this soon. Apparently the part is defective on almost all iPhone 5 devices.

Other threads about this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5564147

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5401951

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5105189

😮 WTH? 😠 Seriously?!?! Same issue here: Purchased iPhone 5 in Sep 2012. Power button went wonky shortly after recent iOS 7.0.4 install. Figured power button issue was a software bug. Been a loyal Apple customer (2009 Mac Pro, and several iPhones) since 2009. I will be looking elsewhere - at DIY water-cooled PC/Linux, and Android phablets - come August 2014. Thanks for the heads up!

My power button has progressively gotten harder to use over the last month. Now I have to push it on the Left side for it to work. I made a trip to the apple store(1hour away)last week and was told I had to come back since they didn't have any appointments. The apple sales person told me when I came back it would be a short visit they would just switch out my phone because there is no fix for the power button and it would be free. He also mentioned this happens a lot on the iphone 5. So I made an appointment and returned today. Today the story is the phone is out of warranty by less than 2 months and would cost me $169 to replace it with the same phone that would probably have the same issue in a couple months. The sales associate got loud and rude when i questioned why the story had changed from the previous week. My husband and I have been loyal Apple users for years(multiple iPads,2 iPad Minis, 2 Mac book Pro's, iMac and iPhones) buying and upgrading the day a new product is released. I have sworn by apple and talked friends into Apple products.

Today all that changes. I'm saddened that Apples quality and superior customer service has declined.

I refuse to pay more money for an inferior product. I will go back to using my IPhone 4 until my contract is up and then look at android choices.

Apple better get it together or they will end up losing a lot of business.

I have the same issue - the power button only works now and again which is very irritating considering my iPhone 5 is only 13 months old. Has anyone had any luck in getting theirs fixed or replaced?

Unfortunately there is no way other than paying $269 and get it replaced with a refurbished phone. Apple does not take this as their manufacturing defect. Apple does not think they should support their product and not standing behind what they have sold to people. If you like, you can report it here: http://iphone5recall.com but that may not be heard at all. We are all in the same boat. I wonder what happens in a few years with this kind of poor customer service.. We wont be getting any Apple products if this is how they are going to support their users. Good luck.

What if the phone is just out of warranty? It seems like other people have had the same issue with their phones after the iOS 7 update. Will the Apple Store repair or replace the phone or is it a lost cause to go there?

I have dismantled my iPhone 5 and removed the power button for a clean-down.

Such an easy job and takes around 30 mins to dismantle to the point of accessing the power button.

Add another 25 - 30 mins to reassemble.

The clean down (using a digital microscope to see where the dust particles were) seemed to help for a little

while but I'm sure now that a complete power button renewal is the only way to completely fix this issue.

So, around $20 for the part and 1 hour of work and it's done!

I would seriously ask Apple just *** are they doing (or not doing as the case may be)!! 😠

Oh and while I'm on the subject of "clean-down"...

For anyone having a problem with what appears to be a faulty lighning connection.

i.e. plug the lightning cable in to recharge and it doesn't work or LOOKS LIKE a "loose connection"...

Well it's NOT. It's simply a build up of dust / pocket lint inside the lightning connector.

A simple toothpick will do the job in picking out the offending pocket lint.

A 5 second job and your lightning cable/connection will be back in action again!!

My buttons began going out in December and in January I had to start clicking the left or right side. Now it takes 5-8 presses to get it to respond. This is an obvious defect in the product.

Ok so I made an appointment at the apple store to see how much it was going to cost to repair my now non working power button which was 58 days out of warranty :( however good news for those who bought their iPhone from an pale store - I got my iPhone replaced free of charge! They provide some consumer cover in the UK for up to 2 years.