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Flakey home button: Apple won't believe me!

zorinlynx

zorinlynx

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 31, 2007
8,455
19,320
Florida, USA
The home button on my iPhone 4 is flakey. Sometimes it just doesn't work until I mash it down really hard, then it works fine for a while until it starts not working again in a few hours.

I've already taken it to the Apple store twice. The first genius couldn't reproduce the problem. We sat there for about ten minutes pushing the button and it worked fine. He said it might be a software problem, and that I try to restore my iPhone as a new device. I didn't believe him at all, but when I got home I did this just to humor him, and of course the problem still came back some time later.

The second time the button was giving me problems all morning, but when I finally brought it in, it worked fine again. The genius said that he has to be able to reproduce the problem to replace my phone. He gave the phone the compressed air treatment, but of course the problem still came back later.

Anyone have suggestions on what I should do? I want to get this phone replaced or fixed before the home button fails completely, leaving me possibly screwed if I'm away from home. I'm traveling a lot in the next months. Those confounded Apple Geniuses don't trust me when I say the button is screwing up!!
 
I would try recording the problem when it happens. I don't know if they will accept that, but maybe it's worth a try.
 
Mine doesn't fail software wise, but I just picked up my phone yesterday and the home button seems a little loose, and makes a clicking noise when I move it. Is this normal? It doesn't feel like it should be... and I want to get it replaced lol
 
I just took my phone in a couple days ago and they replaced my phone no questions asked even though it was 5 days out of warranty. I guess you gotta find the right genious.
 
One of my iPhone 4's had this problem as well as a few of my friends. My store swapped it out no problem, but the replacement had a sleep/wake button that did the same thing....again, they swapped it without issue. Just go back and try again and hope for a different tech
 
Keep trying different geniuses until you get one that doesn't care if you can reproduce the problem. :D
 
awadeee said:
Keep trying different geniuses until you get one that doesn't care if you can reproduce the problem. :D
Click to expand...

Yes, and politely ask to talk to the Manager or call Applecare. I understand their position if they can't reproduce the problem, but at some point I expect Apple to recognize your dissatisfaction and eat one phone that in their opinion may not have a problem and replace it. Good luck!
 
PNutts said:
Yes, and politely ask to talk to the Manager or call Applecare. I understand their position if they can't reproduce the problem, but at some point I expect Apple to recognize your dissatisfaction and eat one phone that in their opinion may not have a problem and replace it. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Yep, especially when the truth is it doesn't really COST much. They can simply replace the defective button and use my old phone as a warranty replacement for someone else.
 
Well, I've got an appt at the Dadeland Apple Store for 1:45. Wish me luck everyone; hopefully they swap my phone and don't question me.

It's a bit more flakey than last time, but can be annoyingly reliable (hah!) when I'm trying to actually reproduce the problem. I even attempted to take a video of it failing and it worked every time, only for it to not work a few minutes later when genuinely using the phone.

My confounded iPhone is a troll!!

Anyway, vee shall seeeeee...
 
Success.

They couldn't reproduce the issue. Of course, the guy was mashing the home button so hard, I think he was TRYING not to reproduce it.

But after much explaining to him that it's NOT a software issue, he finally relented and gave me a new phone.

I really hope this doesn't happen again!
 
zorinlynx said:
Success.

They couldn't reproduce the issue. Of course, the guy was mashing the home button so hard, I think he was TRYING not to reproduce it.

But after much explaining to him that it's NOT a software issue, he finally relented and gave me a new phone.

I really hope this doesn't happen again!
Click to expand...
glad,because nobody deserves to have a phone in this condition when it costs 500$
 
I have been having the same problem for quite some time, I've been just dealing with it as it doesnt bother me too much..... However it's gotten worse lately and I've had thoughts of taking it in.... The only thing that's stopping me is that I am running iOS 5, and they'll probably just dismiss it and say its because I'm running beta software.
 
bigjnyc said:
I have been having the same problem for quite some time, I've been just dealing with it as it doesnt bother me too much..... However it's gotten worse lately and I've had thoughts of taking it in.... The only thing that's stopping me is that I am running iOS 5, and they'll probably just dismiss it and say its because I'm running beta software.
Click to expand...

but you can restore it back in the original version ios 4.3.3 or even an older
 
Nicolas4ever said:
but you can restore it back in the original version ios 4.3.3 or even an older
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that I wont be able to recover my settings, sms, contacts, all other data from backup if I downgrade. Something about having to downgrade back to itunes 10.4.x and then that not letting you restore to a phone that was backed up with itunes 10.5
 
bigjnyc said:
I read somewhere that I wont be able to recover my settings, sms, contacts, all other data from backup if I downgrade. Something about having to downgrade back to itunes 10.4.x and then that not letting you restore to a phone that was backed up with itunes 10.5
Click to expand...
yeah it's true you won't be able to restore because it's an older version.But you can back up everything,then put the ios 4 bring it to apple if they agree to give you a new one you can put the ios 5 again to your new device and restore everything from the back up
 
bigjnyc said:
I read somewhere that I wont be able to recover my settings, sms, contacts, all other data from backup if I downgrade. Something about having to downgrade back to itunes 10.4.x and then that not letting you restore to a phone that was backed up with itunes 10.5
Click to expand...

If you have a time machine backup of your MobileSync directory from before you upgraded to iOS 5, you can revert to that, wipe the phone with iOS 4, and restore your phone as it was before you tried iOS 5. You'll lose some changes, but better than starting from scratch!

The directory is ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync -- it contains backups of all your iOS devices.
 
Apparently my replacement iPhone 4 was manufactured *this month* according to the serial number. Wow, they must be rolling through stock pretty fast if even warranty replacements are hot off the line.

Any doubt about people not buying iPhone 4s because they're waiting for 5 to come out is probably quelled a bit. Or I just got lucky!
 
zorinlynx said:
The home button on my iPhone 4 is flakey. Sometimes it just doesn't work until I mash it down really hard, then it works fine for a while until it starts not working again in a few hours.

I've already taken it to the Apple store twice. The first genius couldn't reproduce the problem. We sat there for about ten minutes pushing the button and it worked fine. He said it might be a software problem, and that I try to restore my iPhone as a new device. I didn't believe him at all, but when I got home I did this just to humor him, and of course the problem still came back some time later.

The second time the button was giving me problems all morning, but when I finally brought it in, it worked fine again. The genius said that he has to be able to reproduce the problem to replace my phone. He gave the phone the compressed air treatment, but of course the problem still came back later.

Anyone have suggestions on what I should do? I want to get this phone replaced or fixed before the home button fails completely, leaving me possibly screwed if I'm away from home. I'm traveling a lot in the next months. Those confounded Apple Geniuses don't trust me when I say the button is screwing up!!
Click to expand...

Here's a simple test: can you reproduce the same problem on a fresh install without restoring from a backup? Also, did you try closing out 'running' apps?
 
bigjnyc said:
I have been having the same problem for quite some time, I've been just dealing with it as it doesnt bother me too much..... However it's gotten worse lately and I've had thoughts of taking it in.... The only thing that's stopping me is that I am running iOS 5, and they'll probably just dismiss it and say its because I'm running beta software.
Click to expand...

Don't even try to take it to the Apple Store with iOs 5 on it! I did the same thing one week ago and the Genius said it was probably a software problem even if I know the problem happened in 4.3.3 as well!
 
Otaillon said:
Don't even try to take it to the Apple Store with iOs 5 on it! I did the same thing one week ago and the Genius said it was probably a software problem even if I know the problem happened in 4.3.3 as well!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's just asking for it. :) They call it Beta for a reason. Deal with some issues, report them, and track them, but don't complain like it's the real deal (not yet, at least). It's a very promising release though.
 
Two iPhone 4s in my family have done this. Both were replaced without issue once I'd tried restoring-as-new without success.

Keep trying.
 
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