Your iPhone SE 2020 Home button isn’t working? Here’s how to repair or work around a broken Home button to make your device usable again.
What to Know
If you can access Settings, set up and use AssistiveTouch, which adds a virtual Home button to the iPhone screen.
If the Home button is completely non-functional, take your phone to an Apple Store if it’s under warranty or if you have AppleCare.
If your phone isn’t under warranty and you don’t have Apple Care, take it to a skilled, reputable independent repair shop.
This article explains what to do when your iPhone SE 2020 Home button is not working. Tips apply to any iOS device with a Home button, including the iPod touch and iPad.
iPhone Home Button Not Working – How to Fix
Calibration and restore
Your iPhone SE 2020 may just need Calibrating and Restoring! This is the most common problem with the home button lagging and can be caused by a software glitch or just because your phone needs a reset. Thankfully, it is usually a quick fix!
Firstly, make sure your iPhone is running the latest iOS version!
Before restoring your device and upgrading the iOS software, make sure all data is backed up to either iCloud or iTunes. To restore your phone, connect your phone to iTunes, search your device then click restore.
Once that is completed, hold down the sleep button and slide to power off, then- use the same process to turn your phone back on. This will restart your phone and hopefully, solve your problem. If it hasn’t, please continue reading.
AssistiveTouch on the iPhone
If you find your iPhone SE 2020 Home button not working, there’s a feature built into the iOS that can help: AssistiveTouch. Apple didn’t put that feature there as a workaround to broken buttons. It’s actually designed to make the iPhone accessible to people who may have trouble pressing the physical Home button due to disabilities.
AssistiveTouch works by adding a virtual Home button to your iPhone’s screen that is overlaid on every app and screen throughout your phone. With AssistiveTouch enabled, you don’t have to click the Home button—everything that requires the Home button to do can be done by tapping the button onscreen. Here’s how to add a Home button to your iPhone screen with AssistiveTouch:
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. If you can’t exit your current app to access Settings, restart your iPhone to go to the Home screen.
Turn on the toggle for AssistiveTouch. You should see a semi-transparent button appear on your screen. Tap it to reveal a popup menu, then tap Home to simulate pressing the Home button.
Drag and drop the AssistiveTouch button to move it around your iPhone screen so it doesn’t get in the way. You can also use Siri to turn it off and on when you need it.
It’s worth taking a moment to customize the AssistiveTouch options from Settings to make it as useful as possible. If you only use it as a Home button, you can even make that the only option so you don’t need to open a popup menu anymore.
If Your Home Button Is Completely Non-Functional
If your iPhone SE 2020 Home button is not working at all, you may not be able to get to your Settings app (you could be stuck in another app, for instance). If that’s the case, you’re out of luck.
There are a number of accessibility features that can be enabled using a computer when your iPhone is synced to iTunes, but AssistiveTouch is not one of them. Using that requires getting into the Settings app. If your Home button is already completely non-functional, consider your repair options
IPHONE SE 2020 HOME BUTTON REPAIR: APPLECARE
If your iPhone SE 2020 Home button is not working, AssistiveTouch is a good temporary fix, but you probably don’t want to be stuck with a non-functional Home button for good. You need to get the button fixed.
Before deciding where to get it fixed, check to see if your iPhone is still under warranty. If it is, either due to the original warranty or because you bought an AppleCare extended warranty, take your phone to an Apple Store. There, you’ll get an expert repair that maintains your warranty coverage. If your phone is under warranty and you get it repaired somewhere else, you may forfeit your warranty.
IPHONE SE 2020 HOME BUTTON REPAIR: THIRD PARTIES
If your iPhone SE 2020 is out of warranty, and especially if you’re planning to upgrade to a new model soon, then getting your Home button fixed at the Apple Store isn’t crucial. In that case, you can consider getting it fixed by an independent repair shop. There are lots of companies that offer iPhone repair, and not all of them are skilled or reliable, so make sure to do some research before picking one.