How Can I Fix a Non-Functioning Home Button on My iPhone

How Can I Fix a Non-Functioning Home Button on My iPhone

Tech issues are painfully common, but most of them are fixable with the right skills and some patience. If you’re asking yourself, “how can I fix a non-functioning home button on my iPhone”, then you’re in the right place – because you absolutely can, and we’re going to walk you through some different methods for getting the job done. 


If you have other issues that you want to fix, why not catch up on our articles about accessing the rear camera on your iPhone or why your front camera might not be working? We also go through why your iPhone might not be charging, and why people can’t hear you on your device – any issue you could have, we’ve probably written a blog on it. 

At imFixed, we offer local tech repairs in Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale to help you with all your devices, including battery replacements. We also supply accessories such as cases and holders, Apple screen protectors, chargers, and cases, so that you can keep your tech running like it should be. 

Simple Fixes for a Non-Functioning Home Button on an iPhone

How Can I Fix a Non-Functioning Home Button on My iPhone

First, let’s try some simple fixes to get your iPhone’s home button working again. Below are some quick solutions that often work with tech issues, and are definitely worth a try if you are having home button issues on your iPhone.

Clean the Home Button

Dirt and build-up can make a home button unresponsive, so one of the first things you should try is cleaning the button. Do this carefully, with a lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol solution, and see if it has any impact on the button’s functionality. 

Force Restart the Device

Sometimes a simple restart is all that’s needed to jumpstart the correct processes in your iPhone. Depending on the iPhone model you have, you will need to take different steps to force restart your device, but none of them require your home button to be working.  

For iPhones that Support iOS 16 or Later

  1. Quickly press the volume up button and release
  2. Quickly press the volume down button and release
  3. Hold down the side button
  4. Release the side button when the Apple logo shows 

For iPhones that Don’t Support iOS 16 (iPhones 6, 7, 8 and SE (1st Gen)

  • iPhone 6 models and iPhone SE (1st Gen) – Hold down the home and sleep/wake button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
  • iPhone 7 – Hold down the sleep/wake button and volume down button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
  • iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (2nd Gen) – Quickly press the volume up button and release, then do the same with the volume down button. Hold down the side button, and release it when you see the Apple logo

Recalibrate the Home Button

While this isn’t an official term, you can “recalibrate” your iPhone’s home button quickly and easily, and it often fixes any home button issues you might have on a device. However, this is only suitable for iPhone 6S models and earlier and iPhone 7 to iPhone SE

To do this, follow these simple steps: 

  1. Launch an app that was pre-installed on your device, such as Photos, Reminders, or Calendar
  2. Press down and hold the side or top button until the prompt to slide power off comes up
  3. Instead of turning the device off, press and hold down the home button for around 10 seconds or until the app quits and the prompt disappears 

How Can I Fix a Non-Functioning Home Button on My iPhone

If none of the simple fixes worked for repairing the non-functioning home button on your iPhone, consider trying the below options. These are a bit more in-depth and will take a bit longer, so make sure that you set some time aside and won’t need your phone for at least an hour (if not more) before sitting down to do this. 

Get Your iOS Updated

This is something that helps with a lot of tech issues – from phones that won’t vibrate or read your SIM card to devices that won’t connect to Wi-Fi or have malfunctioning speakers. Usually an iPhone will update without an issue, but if you are having trouble, you can follow the steps we’ve outlined below. 

You will need the latest version of iTunes on a Windows or Mac laptop/PC for this method.

Follow these steps:

  1. Connect your Windows/Mac device to the phone
  2. Do a force restart to get your phone in Recovery Mode
  3. Don’t let go of the buttons until the phone screen has the Recovery mode screen (a charging cable with an arrow pointed at a laptop)
  4. Select ‘update’ when the option to restore or update on your computer shows up
  5. Confirm, then follow the instructions given to you (it can take up to 15 minutes, so have some patience)
  6. Your phone will restart on its own once you’re done 

If this doesn’t work, you can use DFU Mode, but beware that this will restore iOS to a clean slate, so back your phone up first! 

Restore Your Device to a Previous Backup

Restoring your device to a previous backup can jumpstart the software if there’s an issue. So, by restoring your device to a previous backup, you might be able to resolve the glitch and get everything working as it should be again. 

You will lose at least some of the data on your phone if you choose to restore from backup, depending on when you last backed your phone up. However, this could be the solution you are looking for, so try restoring from backup by:

  1. Open the latest version of iTunes on a computer 
  2. Connect your iPhone to it
  3. Sign into iTunes
  4. Right-click the device under ‘summary’ in iTunes and select ‘Restore Backup’

How to Use Your Device in the Meantime Before a Repair

If none of the above issues resolved your home button problem, then you will need to take your device in for a repair. However, you still need to use your phone in the meantime, so what can you do when you don’t have a proper working home button? 

Leverage the Charger Beneath the Button

In some cases, your home button will work fine if you have a charger plugged in, which leverages the button. Just be careful when you do this, as all the little wires and cables within the phone can be damaged if you put too much pressure on them. 

Use the Assistive Touch Home Button 

Assistive Touch is a lifesaver for when buttons aren’t working. To add an Assistive Touch home button to your screen, just do this: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Assistive Touch (or Settings → General → Accessibility → Assistive Touch for older iOS versions) → toggle on Assistive Touch → tap “Home” on the semi-transparent menu → drag and drop the Assistive Touch home button around the screen to ensure it doesn’t get in the way when you use it. 

You can ask Siri to turn Assistive Touch off when you don’t need to use it.

imFixed Can Help You

How Can I Fix a Non-Functioning Home Button on My iPhone

If you want to try and fix some of your tech issues yourself, we have articles on what to do if a software update fails, troubleshooting for poor sound quality on calls, how to fix a broken iPhone power button, and more. We also have information on what happens if your iPhone camera lens breaks, if it’s worth replacing your iPhone battery, and if you can repair the back of your phone – so there’s plenty to read when you’re done here.  

So, how can I fix a non-functioning home button on my iPhone? The options we’ve outlined above should help, but if none of them work, make sure to take your device to get repaired by a trusted repair shop like us. 

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