Got a dud iPhone 4 or 4S home button? You can fix it yourself EASILY!

Isn’t this supposed to be the blog of a photographer?  Well, I’m straying off topic a bit but gadgets are dear to the hearts of many snappers out there so knowing how to fix something on the fly is a handy trick to have in your bag!

Whist I’m a convert to Android both my daughters have iPhones – one has my old iPhone 4 and the other a new iPhone 4S.  The old iPhone 4 (bought on launch day in Australia) has developed a very unresponsive home button which in turn has produced a quite unhappy daughter.  So…. Dad to the rescue!

After trawling the web for a few hours researching ways to fix the problem I have finally found what I am 99.999999% sure is the answer to most everyone’s problems.  Over time, oil and grime from your finger makes its way through the tiny gap between the body of your beloved iPhone and the home button causing a build-up on the contact under the button.  This in turn makes the button unresponsive to presses and you have to mash it just to get it to respond.

So…. how do I fix it you ask?

Easy.

1. Get some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).  I actually used an Aussie product called Isocol which worked like a charm.  Little sachets containing a moist isopropyl alcohol soaked towel are also good.  Aim for a 70% isopropyl alcohol if you can although straying either way a bit probably won’t hurt.
2. Turn your phone completely off.
3. Put a drop of the solution on your finger (if you use the moist towel you will have to squeeze a drop on your finger) and rub it quite firmly around the home button, making sure to press the button in and out as you go.  You aim is to let the liquid seep into the gap and down to the contact under the button.  The solution will clean the contact.  I repeated it three times to really get it in there.  Remember, unlike water, this solution will evaporate very quickly and not damage your phone.  It is commonly used by electrical technicians to clean circuit boards etc.
4. Turn your phone over after working in each drop well and tap the phone reasonably firmly on a padded surface.  Something like a folded tea-towel on your benchtop will be just right (that’s what I did).  I found that a little bit of gunk actually came out on the gap between to button and the phone.
5. Give your phone a good wipe clean and fire it up.
6. Test it out.
7. See?  Perfecto eh?

Please let me know how you go, I’d love to know that I’ve helped someone fix their phone (or their pestering daughter’s!)