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Home / iPad / Home button not working or unresponsive, fix

Home button not working or unresponsive, fix

Last Updated on April 3, 2013 by SK

Several users have reported that the iPad/iPod/iPhone home button is not working. If your iPad (or iPhone) button is not responding and you’re out of warranty, here is what you can do to fix it.

Fix 1

  • Open an (default) app that came preinstalled on your device (Notes, Calendar etc).
  • Press and hold down the Power button until the “Slide to Power Off” appears, then release (DON’T slide to power off).
  • Now, hold the home button (about 5-10 seconds) until it exits to the home screen.

If this did not solve your problem,  continue  to the second method.

Fix 2

  • With your iOS device in portrait view, press and hold the home button (ignore Siri).
  • While continuing to hold the home button, turn the iPad to landscape view, then back to portrait view.  Make sure your screen rotates when you do this.  Then let go of the home button.

Fix 3

  • Clean your Home button. There may be some debris preventing your button from functioning. Use only a soft, lint-free cloth and clean your home button. Further, try to blow on the port (docking port) to remove any debris. Or use a hair dryer or suck (hard) on the docking port.

Fix 4

  • There is a possibility that your device’s docking port got misaligned. To fix this,plug your USB cable into your iPad. Then, gently push down on the 30-pin connector or lightning (lifting it up towards the glass), so that it pushes up behind the home button. While doing this, click the home button to see if that fixed the problem.

Fix 5

If nothing above fixes your problem and if you think you have a completely defunct home button; then you may try your iPad’s accessibility features.

  • Tap Settings > General > Accessibility > Assistive Touch > and toggle on AssistiveTouch and now you’ll see a small circle appear on your screen.Tap that circle, and you will see four options: Favorites, Siri, Device and Home.  You may want to use this Home button, instead of the hardware one.

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Filed Under: iPad Tagged With: iPad, performance

Comments

  1. John says

    March 20, 2014 at 4:31 AM

    Gently wiggling the docking pin/charging cable in the iPad helped me!

    Reply
  2. Trish says

    May 6, 2014 at 7:36 AM

    This info helped so much! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Steve Davies says

    May 27, 2014 at 3:00 PM

    My ipad 2 home button has not worked for months – Fix number 2 sorted it out – happy days !

    Reply
  4. Sarah Murray says

    July 6, 2014 at 2:27 AM

    My screen is frozen and my home button or my off button isn’t working. Help!

    Reply
  5. Mark C says

    August 2, 2014 at 12:28 AM

    Great tip. 2nd step fixed for me after weeks of frustration. Thanks v much.

    Reply
  6. guyp1 says

    October 30, 2014 at 7:48 PM

    Thanks , believe it or not I was just about to send to apple to fix when blowing and sucking the dock port worked!!! (tip 3) Must have had something stuck there!

    Thank you very much

    Reply
  7. Kelly says

    January 10, 2015 at 2:41 PM

    Unbelievable. Lived with this for a year and decided to Google before taking to get the hardware fixed. Fix 1 worked perfectly.

    Reply
  8. Randy says

    February 6, 2015 at 6:37 PM

    Hardware button is dead.
    All the fixes failed, but #5 works well.
    Thanks for pointing it out.

    Reply
  9. Cheryl fragomeni says

    March 16, 2015 at 1:48 PM

    I pad is frooze n

    Reply
  10. Debby Overbey says

    May 4, 2015 at 6:55 PM

    i am so grateful for you help. I know you have helped so many, but I have to stop and say thank you. #4 is the option that helped me.

    Reply
  11. Roy says

    August 30, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    Thank you sorted

    Reply
  12. Chum says

    September 6, 2015 at 5:03 AM

    The troubleshooter sl.no.5-‘accessibility’ feature helped to solve. -home button problem not responding. Now want to know if the circle can be hidden or remove??

    Reply
  13. Chum says

    September 6, 2015 at 5:10 AM

    The troubleshooter sl.no.5-‘accessibility’ feature helped to solve. -home button problem not responding. Now want to know if the circle can be hidden or removed? These relates to my iPad mini stopped from responding to the Home button.thanks

    Reply
  14. Fuckyouapple says

    October 5, 2015 at 4:50 PM

    my ipad home button is stuck inside my ipad and isnt coming out and #4 isnt doing anything. Please help

    Reply
  15. Cherise says

    January 9, 2016 at 11:39 AM

    Did all the fixes and # 4 worked! Thanks

    Reply
  16. CarolBT says

    April 28, 2016 at 1:53 AM

    My screen froze whilst using Skype. Fix 4 worked for me. THANKS!

    Reply
  17. Gatormom says

    May 31, 2016 at 5:49 PM

    Fix # 4 worked for me on stuck home button. Thanks!

    Reply
  18. iPadlover says

    June 23, 2016 at 9:05 AM

    Even putting the assistive touch didn’t work. Also, my bottom screen isn’t showing up, and my iPad screen is locked on landscape! Help me!

    Reply

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