Home button...still not any better

TheBigGiantHead · Oct 24, 2011

So awhile back i posted a thread on how my home button was only working intermittently. Some days i would push and it and would work perfectly, other days id have to struggle to get it to work. That was until some pointed out how to calibrate the button. Well now im to the point where calibrating only works for a few clicks of it then its back to being spotty. Im over a year on my iphone4 so my question is, if i take it into Apple will they do anything about it without charging me?

z06mike · Oct 24, 2011

Try using an alcohol swab to clean it out! That should do the trick!

eddieg · Oct 24, 2011

Turn on assistive touch then you will have an on screen home button i use it all the time this is in the new IOS5

TheBigGiantHead · Oct 24, 2011

z06mike said:
Try using an alcohol swab to clean it out! That should do the trick!

im not sure how you would do this without taking the phone apart. Ive repaired every model of iphone before the 4 but i really want to avoid opening this model up.

EWyatt · Oct 24, 2011

BigGiant, this is a problem for most users, I think. Mine is somewhat flaky, but I just keep pressing until something happens. Additionally, I'm not certain if this is a hardware issue or software issue. Note that I can hit the Home button from a Sleep condition very softly, and it comes on EVERY TIME, but if I use the Home button in awake mode, I have to press several times to make anything happen.

In any case, with Apple being soooooo smart and cool, and dominant, and EXPENSIVE, it seems like they could install a switch in their devices that works! Duh!

eddieg · Oct 24, 2011

EWyatt said:
BigGiant, this is a problem for most users, I think. Mine is somewhat flaky, but I just keep pressing until something happens. Additionally, I'm not certain if this is a hardware issue or software issue. Note that I can hit the Home button from a Sleep condition very softly, and it comes on EVERY TIME, but if I use the Home button in awake mode, I have to press several times to make anything happen.

In any case, with Apple being soooooo smart and cool, and dominant, and EXPENSIVE, it seems like they could install a switch in their devices that works! Duh!

Try the assistive touch function you wont need you physical home button anymore you would only need it for a hard reset.

z06mike · Oct 24, 2011

Use it to wipe it off and depress the button to try and clean under it. Some people have actually poured some alcohol on it to clean it out and that works but there is potential for damage (Maybe).

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

iCrank · Oct 24, 2011

If you're out of warranty open'er up and try fixing.

TheBigGiantHead · Oct 25, 2011

Hey thanks for the responses. the problem with the button is very strange as like i said sometimes it works fine and other times its worthless. I turned on the assitive touch but i just cant keep it on, the assistive touch circle that stays on in the lower right corner drives me nuts. I'll probably just live with it the way it is and if it gets any worse (hopefully it'll get me through till next June) then i'll pop it open and have a look inside. I know steve Jobs said he disliked the physical buttons and wanted to get away from that so hopefully the iPhone 5 will make that dream a reality.

eddieg · Oct 25, 2011

TheBigGiantHead said:
Hey thanks for the responses. the problem with the button is very strange as like i said sometimes it works fine and other times its worthless. I turned on the assitive touch but i just cant keep it on, the assistive touch circle that stays on in the lower right corner drives me nuts. I'll probably just live with it the way it is and if it gets any worse (hopefully it'll get me through till next June) then i'll pop it open and have a look inside. I know steve Jobs said he disliked the physical buttons and wanted to get away from that so hopefully the iPhone 5 will make that dream a reality.

You do know you can move the assistive touch circle around the screen you dont have to leave it in the bottom right corner just drag it to another spot i like it and use it all the time have not touched my home button since i got IOS5.

EWyatt · Oct 25, 2011

eddieg said:
Try the assistive touch function you wont need you physical home button anymore you would only need it for a hard reset.

eddieg..... I have an iPhone 4, iOS version 4.1. Is the "assistive touch function" available to me too? Help me out. Where?

eddieg · Oct 25, 2011

EWyatt said:
eddieg..... I have an iPhone 4, iOS version 4.1. Is the "assistive touch function" available to me too? Help me out. Where?

No its only in the new IOS5 update you should update your phone its worth it.

EWyatt · Oct 26, 2011

eddieg said:
No its only in the new IOS5 update you should update your phone its worth it.

Right. And I might, but just another schoolhouse moment here. Hope you don't mind.

To go from iOS 4.1 to iOS5, is this the process: update iTunes to 10.5. Hook phone up to iTunes, make a backup, let the Internet d/l the update, let it install, then finally restore from backup (made before the download)? Now I should have everything on my iPhone as before (apps, Contacts, wi-fi locations, etc....) Is that it, or did I miss a step? Are there any quirks to this that may ruin my millennium? TIA.