If you are using an iPhone 8 or earlier model, the Home or Center button is undoubtedly the most important feature on your device because it allows you to unlock the phone, access options, and authorize prompts.
What happens when the iPhone Home button is stuck or the iPhone Home button is unresponsive? How do you access and use an iPhone when the Home button is stuck?
The good news is you can use an iPhone with the Home button stuck via the Assistive Touch feature on your device. In this guide, you’ll discover different reasons your iPhone Home button is stuck, how to fix iPhone Home button stuck problem, and how to use an iPhone without the Home button.
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Why Is the Home Button Stuck on iPhone?
Here are possible reasons your iPhone home button is stuck:
- iPhone pouch is wrong-sized: if your iPhone pouch is too tight or too loose, the home button may become stuck or unresponsive when you press it. Remove the pouch to see if this fixes the problem.
- The home button is dislodged: if your iPhone home button gets dislodged out of its port, it may get stuck. This may happen when your iPhone calls from your hand or you try to poke the buttons.
- Dirt/debris problem: when dust or debris settles in the home button port of your iPhone, your home button may get stuck.
- Water ingress: Did you recently drop your phone in water or go swimming with your device? Water ingress in the hardware components of your iPhone may cause your home button to become stuck, especially with old iPhone models.
- Software problems: iOS firmware issues including a failed software upgrade, wrong iOS firmware download, and other software problems can cause your home button to become unresponsive when pressed.
What to do When iPhone Button Stuck
Instinctively, the first thing you want to do when you discover your iPhone home button is stuck is to jam a needle in the port to realign the button or try other fixes to resolve the problem. However, this can quickly escalate the issue, especially if you don’t know why the home button is stuck in the first place.
Follow the guide below when you discover your iPhone 7 home button is stuck:
Back Up iPhone Data to PC Before Doing Anything
The first thing to do when your iPhone home button is stuck is to back up your iPhone data to your computer. Trying to fix the stuck home button without backing up your iPhone data puts your files and personal settings at risk of accidental or permanent deletion.
Also, if your iPhone home button is stuck due to a software problem, you may need to erase or factory reset your iPhone which can delete all data on the device, so a backup is vital.
Wondershare MobileTrans - Backup & Restore is a secure and effective solution to back up over 18 types of iPhone data to a PC including photos, videos, contacts, messages, and lots more.
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Ready to fix your iPhone home button? Then download the MobileTrans Backup & Restore tool and follow the steps below:
- Launch the MobileTrans Backup & Restore tool on your computer. Then connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB/Lightning cable.
- Choose Backup & Restore from the MobileTrans dashboard and select Phone Backup & Restore.
- MobileTrans will display the files on your iPhone on the laptop screen. Select the files to back up to your computer and click on Start.
MobileTrans will send you a notification once the iPhone backup is complete.
You can now attempt to fix your device and restore your iPhone data once the home button is working.
Recalibrate Your iPhone
You can fix the iPhone home button stuck problem by recalibrating your iPhone. This is similar to an iPhone restart only that you don’t have to turn off your iPhone. Instead, you need to hold down the iPhone home button while running a pre-installed app on your device. Doing this will close the app and reboot your iPhone home button.
Follow this guide to recalibrate an iPhone to fix stuck iPhone home button:
- Open your iPhone and launch a pre-installed app such as Calendar, Notes, or Photos.
- Next, press and hold the Top button (for iPhone 6) or the Sleep & Wake (Power) button on your iPhone 7 and 8. Hold the button until the Power Off slider pops up on your screen.
- If you don’t see the Power Off slider on your screen, hold down the Sleep & Wake button and either Volume button at the same time.
- When you see the Power Off slider, press and hold the Home button for about 10 seconds or until you see the Power Off slider disappear from the screen.
- Once the Power off slider disappears, try using your iPhone Home button again and it should work fine now. If not, you are probably dealing with hardware or component damage. Keep reading to discover how to fix that.
Clean and Remove Debris
Oftentimes, an accumulation of grime, dirt, or debris around your iPhone can cause the iPhone button to get stuck, so you need to clean your iPhone to remove any stuck debris around your iPhone home button.
Learn how to properly clean your iPhone and remove stuck debris. You can also use rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol to clean and remove stubborn grime on your iPhone home button.
Update Device iOS
Think your iPhone home button is stuck due to a software problem? Then update the device's iOS version to fix the issue. This is the safest way to fix a stuck iPhone home button without the risk of data loss.
When you update your device iOS, the latest iOS software version for your iPhone is downloaded on your device alongside the latest upgrades and fixes to minor software glitches on your device that may be causing the home button to become stuck or malfunction.
Follow this guide to update your device iOS to fix the iPhone home button stuck issue:
- Go to Settings on your iPhone and go to
- Connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network and click on Software Update.
- Wait until your iPhone displays the latest iOS software version for your device. Then click on Download and Install.
Follow the onscreen prompts to update your device iOS. This may take a few hours depending on your iPhone battery health and WiFi signal strength. Once the update is complete, restart your iPhone and see if the home button works now.
Restore iPhone Firmware via iTunes
Sometimes, the wrong display setting or button configuration on your iPhone can make your iPhone home button seem stuck. Restoring your iPhone firmware via iTunes deletes all information and settings on your iPhone and restores the device to its default setting. This can fix several problems causing your iPhone home button to malfunction.
Follow this guide to restore iPhone firmware via iTunes:
- Launch the latest version of iTunes on your computer or Mac and connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB/Lightning cable.
- Open the iTunes window and scroll under the Devices Click on your iPhone icon.
- Click on the Summary tab and iTunes should display your iPhone details including the serial number, capacity, and current backups. Click on Restore iPhone and follow the onscreen prompts to restore your iPhone firmware.
Reach out to Apple Customer Support
If your iPhone is still covered by a warranty and you discover the home button is stuck, the best way to fix it is to reach out to Apple customer support or take the iPhone to the nearest Apple Store near you to fix the issue. Don’t try to fix the problem by yourself or you may violate the terms of your warranty.
If your iPhone warranty has expired, you can still reach out to Apple customer support to fix the stuck iPhone home button but expect to pay a fee for the service.
Replace the iPhone Home Button
If none of the troubleshooting methods revealed above works to fix your stuck iPhone home button, you may need a replacement. This is also the best fix if your iPhone home button is broken or damaged beyond repair. Other cases that may need an iPhone home button replacement include when your iPhone 7 home button is stuck due to water ingress or other hardware damage.
Generally, it costs an average of $30 and 20 minutes to replace an iPhone 7 home button. This fee may be influenced by the scarcity of a home button replacement and the price rates in your location.
Don’t have enough money to fix your iPhone home button yet? Did you know that you can use your iPhone without the home button by using the Assistive Touch feature on your device? Let’s find out how.
How to Use iPhone Without Home Button via Assistive Touch
The iPhone Assistive Touch feature is a temporary fix to your iPhone home button stuck problem. You can enable the feature via Settings and it adds a white icon on your iPhone screen that performs the same functions as your home button. You can use the white icon via Assistive Touch to access options and navigate your iPhone.
Follow this guide to set up Assistive Touch on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings and scroll down to Accessibility. Click on Touch and go to Assistive Touch.
- From the Assistive Touch menu, toggle on the switch in front of Assistive Touch so it turns green. Immediately, you should see a white icon with grey outlines pop up on the screen.
- Drag and drop the Assistive Touch white icon to any part of the screen where it doesn’t get in the way.
By default, the Assistive Touch icon gives you Home, Gestures, Custom, Notification Centre, Device, and Control Center options. You can also customize the feature to add preferred controls for quick navigation of your device.
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