Several users have reported that their iPad / iPhone home button suddenly stopped working and became unresponsive. Here are some tips to troubleshoot this problem; try each step until you solve this issue:
- Restart your device by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the red “slide to power off” slider appears, then slide to power off. Then press and hold the Sleep/Wake button to turn on your iPad.
- tap Settings > General > Accessibility > Triple-click Home, disable this feature if it is on (this is off by default)
- Move Safari out of dock, and then restart your device.
- Your home button may have collected some debris preventing the button from functioning properly. Turn off your device and try to clean it. Please refer to this article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3226
- Reset your iPad / iPhone by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button simultaneously for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo.
- If these steps do not fix your problem, contact Apple support.
April 15, 2012 at 9:06 AM
My camera and sound doesn’t work. Where do I get them fixed at.
March 28, 2013 at 3:36 AM
Mostly the reason for a non working home button is dirt disturbing the contacts…
you can find a lot of crazy solutions in the web – a view months ago i found http://ifixthebutton.com
it really helped me…my HB is working now for months
April 27, 2012 at 5:54 AM
Idiots my home button isn’t working I cantnholdnthat and sleep down to reset it only sees me pushing the sleep button
June 30, 2012 at 1:59 AM
Thats what mine does!!!!! And i cant fix it!!
July 25, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Same here
September 17, 2012 at 7:54 PM
Actually if u turn your calculator on then hold lock button until power off slide comes up and then hold home button until calculator force shuts off , it doesn’t matter if your home button works or not
June 6, 2012 at 5:14 AM
I’ve had persistent but sporadic problems with the home button for a few months. I do leave the Accessibility widget up simply as assurance that I’ll have a home button.
I did note this morning based on a few older posts that it might be a dirt/dust problem. I had a can of compressed air handy, and my iphone was having the problem. -so- A puff of air on at the button and another in the connector slot, and ta-da. The button started working again.
This falls in the YMMV category, but, I’ll be trying it again the next time.
June 16, 2012 at 6:56 AM
@Ben
if you read the post properly it says to clean first, these people are trying to help you no need to be rude to them
June 21, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Guys… i suddenly encountered my iPads home button responseless … i just followed the following steps which i used to do for my computer mouse… Trust me it fixes!
1. Turn off your iPad.
2. Blow air(dry) from dust cleaner or from your mouth(if you can kiss your iPad)(hold a piece of dry cloth when blowing air from your mouth so as to input dry air into the device)
3. Now turn on your iPad and continue pressing your working home button.
If any issues can contact me.
(Most of the times home button unresponsive behaviour is not software issue)
Maintining iPad in a proper way keeps your device working properly.
July 17, 2012 at 6:45 AM
Wow! The blowing works. Home button fixed
THANKS
July 17, 2012 at 7:25 PM
The home button on my iPhone is not working. I don’t think it’s stuck as it does depress on pushing it. Blowing dry air hasn’t worked either. Any other suggestions?
July 25, 2012 at 4:54 AM
well if that doesn’t work then go to general-accesibility-assistive touch-on
next a little white dot pops up somewhere on the screen- u click it and it gives u options the home button, the device itself, favorites, and gestures.
September 26, 2012 at 10:39 AM
This works perfectly – even when trying everything else folks have suggested didn’t. Great that at least there are a number of options. Thanks everyone!
July 25, 2012 at 5:05 AM
thank u so much it helped alot but one question will it stop working later on
August 11, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Still not working bro…
September 3, 2012 at 9:07 PM
Hi Pruthviraj, Wow. Try your way. It work. Superb. Thanks.
November 25, 2012 at 4:27 AM
thanks a lot and it really worked….
November 30, 2012 at 9:40 AM
Thanks Prithvi…Your tip helped me also to clear the home button not working issue…Thanks a lot
January 5, 2013 at 6:46 AM
I have tried the blowing but nothing is happening, it won’t respond I have to keep switching the iPad off every time I need to go to a different programme, can you help
June 21, 2012 at 10:15 PM
i forgot to mention that blow air into the USB slot.
July 4, 2012 at 7:08 AM
thanks pruthriviraj it works well
July 19, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Blowing into the USB slot worked. I think it may have been picking up dust from the docking station I use. Thanks!
July 10, 2012 at 2:37 PM
1) Carefully place your right ankle behind your neck
2) Do the same with your left ankle
From this position you should be able to kiss your ass.
I place this advice here as it is as useful as the above as far as fixing the problem of broken hardware.
July 10, 2012 at 8:05 PM
I tried your suggestion but my home key still won’t respond. Any other ideas?
Thanks!
July 25, 2012 at 4:56 AM
well if that doesn’t work then go to general-accesibility-assistive touch-on
next a little white dot pops up somewhere on the screen- u click it and it gives u options the home button, the device itself, favorites, and gestures.
July 14, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Thanks Pruthviraj. I just received my new IPad and the home button refused to work. I did the rotation thing, the force quit thing, the flat surface thing, and finally your suggestion. I had to do it a couple of times. Glad to report that it worked. Must be a lot of dust in China!
July 14, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Well now I have to blow into the USB port every time I need to use the home key. Ridiculous guess I’ll be exchanging!!!
July 25, 2012 at 4:56 AM
well if that doesn’t work then go to general-accesibility-assistive touch-on
next a little white dot pops up somewhere on the screen- u click it and it gives u options the home button, the device itself, favorites, and gestures…
July 25, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Why is general-assecibility – assistive touch-on? I don’t have that on my iPod. And my home button isn’t working at all. U have to press it extra hard and it still doesn’t work.
July 20, 2012 at 4:25 AM
using the pressured air in charging area solved the problem for me.
August 2, 2012 at 10:33 PM
Thanks Prithvi…
Its working now….
Cheers mate…
August 4, 2012 at 9:47 AM
My ipad2 home key button is man functioning, just but it a month ago, have blow air severally through the USB still yet no good result. Apple why?
August 14, 2012 at 10:13 PM
Blowing on it worked!
August 20, 2012 at 3:21 PM
Wow wow wow. Amazing simple thing. It worked rili well
August 22, 2012 at 10:49 PM
Since electronic devices attract dust all the time and unfortunately Apple did not test the iPad in dusty areas, so it gets unresponsiveness often. You just have to watch out for dust and clean it often.
August 23, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Tried the air into usb and still doesn’t work. Can’t use home button at all so I’m stuck in one place on my iPhone and can’t do anything. Help?
August 31, 2012 at 12:14 PM
Hi jess,
if you have noticed your iphone’s home button started showing unresponsiveness gradually than dust could be the reason, so try air blowing once again. If you find it suddenly not working than it could be the problem related to hardware.. like the push button under the home button… so you might have to get a replacement with new button. If still anything doesn’t works out let me know.
August 28, 2012 at 11:29 PM
My iPad2 home button stopped working all of a sudden, and then less than a week later it stopped charging at the usual rate (e.g. when I charge it overnight using a 10W charger it will nowonly increase the battery by another 10% or so, whereas until recently it would charge up to 100% overnight). Could these two problems be related, in anyone’s experience?
September 12, 2012 at 9:03 AM
My iPhone4 home button reacts but I have to press it very hard, I have had the accessibility button on for a while, however I am sick of it and want the iPhone to work normally again. I have tried the compressed air a few times and blowing into the USB slot with a sunglasses cloth covering it. Any more suggestions? Thanks
October 8, 2012 at 6:27 AM
1. Open an original application on your device (pre-installed) like iTunes, Calculator, Stocks etc.
2. Press the power (top right) and hold it down until the power off prompt appears
3. Without doing anything else, press and hold down the home (middle) key until the prompt goes away.
This will recalibrate the home button
October 16, 2012 at 12:28 PM
How are you gonna reset your ipad by holding the home and sleep button when your home button is broken!
October 18, 2012 at 5:04 PM
home button only works when charging. any fixes?
October 26, 2012 at 12:22 PM
@Pruthviraj that worked very well, thanks!
October 30, 2012 at 11:24 AM
I’ve tried all the above, my iPad home button still isn’t working.
November 16, 2012 at 6:00 AM
Wow, the blowing air into the charging port really worked.. I had the same non responsive home button on iPad.. I didn’t have a can of air so I simply blew in it with my mouth and it worked like a charm.. Thanks
November 19, 2012 at 9:09 PM
allen, Damgeo, Saad, Stacey, ashley, Prasanna, Gdwtch, Paula, piyush, Dav, Misha… your welcome guys
December 25, 2012 at 3:47 AM
Never happen with my first iPad (1st gen)!
January 30, 2013 at 8:32 PM
This worked for my iPhone’s home button, might be a fix for your iPhone or iPad as well.
Requires removing back plate from iPhone.
http://youtu.be/a39aXIu7mV8
March 7, 2013 at 3:07 AM
Thank you very much, my ipad 3 home button is now working again !!!
April 21, 2013 at 7:53 PM
holy cow…the blowing dry air really works!!
May 14, 2013 at 6:21 PM
I found a post on cnet.com with a solution to bypass the home button. I wish that I had known this sooner.
Simply take all 5 fingers & pinch the screen. This will take you home.
I use always press the home button to go back home to exit the browser & check my email. I figured out that all you have to do is take 4 fingers & swipe to the side & you can go for one open application to another without ever pressing the home button again!
Hope this helps!