Apr
13
Stuck iPhone Home Button?
Does this really need a freaking sign? Picture is non related to the iPhone.
Is your 1st edition or 3G iPhone home button stuck?
Does it take multiple presses to get back to the home screen?
Does it sometimes not respond at all to the touch, even though the clicker mechanism seems to be intact and not making any grinding noises?
Is your phone no longer under warranty so you fear those sales reps er… Genius Bar technicians are going to try to gouge you on repair costs?
Is your phone not going to be serviceable because it’s been jailbroken?
Well, I’m not saying I have all the answers, but consider this before you take matters into your own hands and begin dissecting your iPhone looking for a way to replace the switch.
This is my three-step guide on trying to fix the problem:
- Buy or borrow a blower that you would use for camera gear. Not one of those rinky dink ones- but something like this Giottos Rocket Blower-
which should set you back about $13 or so. Even if this process doesn’t fix the problem, you should own one of these things if you have ANY other electronic equipment. - Depress the home button, and then guide the nozzle into the thin gap where the button and body meet.
- Squeeze the hell out of the blower a bunch of times (it took me about 20-30 shots) and vary your position around the button if you feel inclined to.
The whole point of this exercise is to try and lodge free any dust & debris which may have accumulated in the home switch itself. While it seems unlikely, this fix worked for me. So in my super-large sample set of one person, I have achieved a 100% success rate!
Again, your mileage may vary- but if i’ve saved you a trip into the iPhone innards by having to disassemble it, only to realize that access to the motherboard where the button (and it’s popple) are limited at best- then you’re welcome.
Otherwise, if it didn’t work, i apologize. But at the very least you are now in possession of a useful cleaning tool, and you have a legitimate reason to try and kick my ass if were to ever meet in person.
Thanks for reading!
hy after a day of headach i read your artical and i didnt have time to go and get the blower so i just blow on it myself and i did it in tell i was light headed and it worked THANKS MAN!! God Bless
Aman
31 Jul 09 at 8:54 pm
THANK YOU SO MUCH IT WORKS. This is great you’re awsome pleast post more healp.
dan
11 Jan 10 at 1:20 am
Hmm, I don’t have one of those blowers on hand but just blowing with my mouth seemed to help a little bit. I do believe that some good old canned air will finish the job nicely. Thanks for the guidance!
Max
3 May 10 at 5:01 am
YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I used some canned air from work and that seemed to do the trick! Thank you so very much:)
Jenny
8 Jun 10 at 4:09 pm
dude thanks, i was about to loose it.
brady
20 Jul 10 at 7:03 pm
I puy a bit o alchahol qirh a qTip and a blow dryer in cold and it work
Rene
30 Jan 11 at 9:23 pm
Wow! My iPhone 3G was acting all weird, like as if the home button was always pressed (the screens would constantly switch), but it wasn’t stuck. I read this article and I was happy, cause I actually have the same exact blower as described above. And it worked! Thanks!
Rob
9 Apr 11 at 9:17 am
I find it hard to believe, but with four or five blows from my mouth got it going again.
You’ve saved me a lot of aggro!!! Many thanks.
Dave Redknap
13 May 11 at 1:58 am
Thank you very much.^-^
Dive
25 May 11 at 1:27 pm
Thank you 😀
เพลงสากล
25 May 11 at 7:11 pm
This is awesome! I was about to break open my Iphone and this worked. Thanks!!!
Setark1214
1 Jun 11 at 8:10 pm