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How to…operate your iPhone without using the home button.

KevinJS

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iOS 10 has changed the way we use our iPhones. Use of the home button seems to have increased exponentially. That's fine if you have an iPhone 7, but what about people who still use 5, 5s, 6 and 6s and are worried about wearing out the home button?

Read on.

First thing to do is go to Settings/General/Accessibility/Home Button and turn on Rest Finger to Open. Doing this will allow you to unlock and open the phone with a touch on the fingerprint scanner. No need to press the button.

Next, and still in Accessibility, turn on Assistive Touch. A grey button will appear on your screen. Touching it will open 6 icons, one of which is a software home button. That button operates exactly the same as the hardware button.

One last thing. Before any of this will work, you need to wake the phone. If your phone supports Raise To Wake, you can turn it on and use that. If not, you can use the lock button to wake the phone.
 
I'm okay with using the home button to unlock my iPhone, though.

Me too. In fact if I wear out my home button it will give me an excuse to buy a 7+ a bit earlier than I otherwise would.

But this thread is intended to show that there are options for people new to iOS, particularly those who buy used phones.
 
Me too. In fact if I wear out my home button it will give me an excuse to buy a 7+ a bit earlier than I otherwise would.

But this thread is intended to show that there are options for people new to iOS, particularly those who buy used phones.

Alright. As someone who has been iOS devices for 5 years, I understand that.
 
iOS 10 has changed the way we use our iPhones. Use of the home button seems to have increased exponentially. That's fine if you have an iPhone 7, but what about people who still use 5, 5s, 6 and 6s and are worried about wearing out the home button?

Read on.

First thing to do is go to Settings/General/Accessibility/Home Button and turn on Rest Finger to Open. Doing this will allow you to unlock and open the phone with a touch on the fingerprint scanner. No need to press the button.

Next, and still in Accessibility, turn on Assistive Touch. A grey button will appear on your screen. Touching it will open 6 icons, one of which is a software home button. That button operates exactly the same as the hardware button.

One last thing. Before any of this will work, you need to wake the phone. If your phone supports Raise To Wake, you can turn it on and use that. If not, you can use the lock button to wake the phone.
Good idea Kevin to highlight this, It is a worry for some.
 
Thanks for the alternative button system, l have a little stress with it since iOS 10 must admit. However can you confirm that for me that this has always be there. I seem to remember using it some while back.


Gregory lsaacs r.i.p.
 
Assistive Touch, and with it the software Home button, has been there before iOS 10.
 
Thanks for the alternative button system, l have a little stress with it since iOS 10 must admit. However can you confirm that for me that this has always be there. I seem to remember using it some while back.


Gregory lsaacs r.i.p.

Yes, the software button is always present until turned off in Accessibility. It does show up on screenshots, so it will need turning off if it's going to be in the way.
 
It's taken a day or 3 but l'm getting the hang of it again,
now l can turn the iPhone on without even touching the home button. Siri and all that is available, slowly l move forward, just in case my hope button should pack up.


Gregory lsaacs r.i.p.
 
iOS 10 has changed the way we use our iPhones. Use of the home button seems to have increased exponentially. That's fine if you have an iPhone 7, but what about people who still use 5, 5s, 6 and 6s and are worried about wearing out the home button?

Read on.

First thing to do is go to Settings/General/Accessibility/Home Button and turn on Rest Finger to Open. Doing this will allow you to unlock and open the phone with a touch on the fingerprint scanner. No need to press the button.

Next, and still in Accessibility, turn on Assistive Touch. A grey button will appear on your screen. Touching it will open 6 icons, one of which is a software home button. That button operates exactly the same as the hardware button.

One last thing. Before any of this will work, you need to wake the phone. If your phone supports Raise To Wake, you can turn it on and use that. If not, you can use the lock button to wake the phone.


I keep like that. Only I don't like if I scroll left or right before touch on fingerprint scanner he open widget or camera (left-right) on iPhone SE... Even without unlocking.
 
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