What's Happening with the Button

You press it — and nothing. Or it only works sometimes. Or the button 'sinks' without a response — the phone simply doesn't register it. On older iPhones, up to the 8, the Home button is responsible for returning to the main screen and Touch ID. On iPhone X and newer models, all navigation moved to the side button and gestures. But both types break down for roughly the same reasons.

Why the Button Stops Working

Most often, it's mechanical. Inside the casing, there's a tiny tactile switch — it wears out, gets clogged, or deforms from an impact. About three years ago, an iPhone 7 was brought in: the Home button stopped pressing altogether, and Touch ID stopped reading fingerprints. It turned out the phone fell in the snow, moisture got under the rubber seal, and the contact oxidized. Such a repair took about two hours.

The side button on an iPhone 11 or 12 often starts to 'stick' or move stiffly after the phone has been dropped on a corner. The casing slightly deforms where the button is attached, and the metal bracket starts to catch on the frame. Visually, it's almost imperceptible, but the feeling is as if the button 'isn't right'.

Sometimes there's a software reason — less common, but it happens. After an iOS update or a system crash, the button stops registering correctly. This can be fixed without disassembly. Another story: an iPhone 13 Pro, the power button barely worked, the owner said — 'on its own,' without any drops. Inside, we found a chip on the flex cable — a manufacturing defect that appeared after a year and a half of use.

What You Can Try Yourself

Before bringing your phone to a service center, there are a few things worth checking yourself — without tools or opening it up.

  1. Restart your phone. It sounds trivial, but software freezes do happen. On iPhones without a Home button: press and hold the side button and volume down until the slider appears, then power off. If the button doesn't respond at all — connect to a computer and restart via Finder or iTunes.
  2. Enable AssistiveTouch. Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch. This is a software replacement for the physical Home button — a temporary solution while you figure out the cause.
  3. Check the casing for deformation. Place the phone on a flat surface. If it wobbles — the casing is 'bent like a banana,' and the button might not be pressing precisely because of this.
  4. Clean the button. Carefully, not with a needle. A soft toothbrush along the edge of the Home button will remove accumulated dust and grease — sometimes this is enough to make the action crisper.

When You Need a Technician

If none of these steps helped — it's likely a mechanical issue or a flex cable problem. Disassembling an iPhone yourself without experience usually ends in another breakdown: a torn flex cable, a broken clip, or damaged Touch ID. And Touch ID is tied to a specific phone — with a foreign controller, the fingerprint scanner will not work.

The method of button repair and the time required depend on the model and condition of the device. We will agree on the cost after inspection. If the phone has been in water — be sure to tell the technician immediately, even if it seems everything is working: oxidation doesn't develop on the first day.

Come for Diagnostics

If the button still isn't responding — come to Iclub Service at Kommunisticheskaya St., 35. Diagnostics are free: we'll find out the cause and tell you the exact cost before starting any repairs. We won't fix what isn't broken.