Why Won’t My Home Button Work After Screen Replacement?

HOME BUTTON NOT WORKING AFTER SCREEN REPLACEMENT?

On and iPhone 5S and newer, if the original home button of the device is damaged or replaced, the touch id function of the device is permanently lost. This disables functions such as unlocking your phone with a fingerprint and using Apple pay. The reason for this loss of function is that Apple encrypts the home button to the CPU of the logic board of the device for security. This prevents the potential vulnerability of the home button being replaced and someone being able to access passwords and payment information via the fingerprint scanner.      On an iPhone 7 and newer, not only is the touch id function permanently lost when the original home button is damaged or replaced, but the function is lost as well. This is because the home button on the newer iPhone models is not actually a mechanical button- it works by sensing when your finger is pressing down on it. On an iPhone 8 and 8+ if the original home button is not present or damaged during the boot process prior to iOS 12, the device will not fully boot into the home screen. If the original home button is damaged, installing a different OEM home button will allow the device to fully boot; however, it will take approximately 5 minutes to do so and the home button and touch id function will not work. During a repair, damage to the home button may occur.

TIPS and tricks:

  • Test touch id/home function prior to repair to ensure the functionality is present. If it is not present, the customer should be notified prior to beginning the repair as it is likely that the home button is damaged, and replacement of the screen will not fix the home button issue. • Test a different screen or the customer original screen to ensure that the cause of home button issue is not due to a defective or damaged home button extension (built into screen on i6S and newer, part of back plate on i6 and i6+). If the home button does not function on multiple screens or the original customer screen on which it was previously working, it is verified that the home button flex cable is damaged. It is a good idea to keep an original screen as a control tester to verify these issues quickly. • Use heat and a fine tipped spudger when removing home buttons. If you find that home buttons are often being damaged during repair, ensure that you are using heat on the glass side of the screen where the home button is located, and a fine tipped spudger to carefully get under the flex cable and lift off of the screen. Following these two repair tips will minimize the amount of home button damage that can occur.   If you have any questions: reach our support team at 1-800-697-5583, option 3. -Tech Bob  

Update: There are new replacement home buttons available for the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus that restore home button functionality to these devices. They work by converting the current non-mechanical home button into a mechanical, clickable button. While they will restore the home button functionality, they will not restore Touch ID. Etech Parts Plus is now stocking these in the best quality available HERE.