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Going to apple store for first time- what to expect-- broken iphone home button

iPodJedi

iPodJedi

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 28, 2013
711
0
Apple Store, USA
Hi,
Recently, my iPhone 5c home button started to be temperamental and doesn't work every time I press it. It has gotten very annoying and sometimes I have to press it up to 10 times before it works (I am just pressing like normal). I can't even open multitasking because the chances of the button responding twice in a row is nearly zero. I do have a Griffin Survivor case on it but I have taken it off for a period of 2 days and the button was still defective most of the time. Now, I have assistive touch turned on but I would prefer not to have to keep that turned on for the next 2 years I have the phone. I'm thinking about going to an Apple store for the first time ever(It's more than an hours drive and in the most inconvenient spot on the edge of the city even though I live in a big city). I was going to go to the Genius Bar and see if they could repair or replace my phone (yes it is still in warranty).

My questions:

1) Do I HAVE to make an appointment with the Genius Bar? Like I said it is so inconvenient to go to my apple store and I would rather just walk-in than be late.
ALSO, if I HAVE to make an appointment, how far in advance?

2) Are they able to fix home buttons in store, or are they more likely going to replace it.

3) if they replace my iPhone, is it likely to be a new or used device?

4) is there anything that would stop them from fixing or replacing my device? (I have no jailbreak, no dents, no cracks- looks in great condition!)

5)after they repair or replace the device is there anything I should look over before leaving since I don't want to drive back and find out something is wrong?

6) anything else I should expect?

Thanks for answers!!!







EDIT:
Here is my follow up to my great experience for my first time ever to the Apple Store!

iPodJedi said:
Thanks for all the help guys... Just to update what happened.

The guy at verizon a few days ago said that during week days I probably don't need an appointment...so I just walked in and the nice apple guy helped me out by checking me in and within 10 minutes another great guy came over to help me! He asked to see my phone after I explained my home button issue and he even tried to use it and it wouldn't work for him either. He was nice about it and said he could repair it so I could keep my own device! He said it wouldn't fix the problem just replacing the home button mechanism so he ended up replacing the home button and entire screen! I was fine and didn't mind as long as the button worked again! I got there 30 before closing time so he said it would take just a bit longer to fix it than the amount of time they were open so he said I could just sit or shop around and wait a few minutes after close and my iPhone would be ready. About 10 minutes after they closed my iPhone was ready and I was satisfied since the home button now worked- plus my screen looked brand new and is now even more responsive than the old screen! I was also happy since they didn't have to erase my iPhone to do the task! I'm very happy with my first ever experience with apple store! I was surprised this apple store had a Genius Bar but they don't even use it; they just use some other tables around the store and nobody even stands at the Genius Bar. It was a small store compared to most I've seen in other cities. Everyone was really nice and I couldn't be much happier!!! Now I wish I could work there!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
1) Do I HAVE to make an appointment with the Genius Bar? Like I said it is so inconvenient to go to my apple store and is rather walk in than be late.

My experience on the weekends is that they're generally pretty busy so I usually make appointments. However, they don't seem to always prioritize appointments over walk-ins, so I'm not sure in the end how much difference it makes. If they have a ton of appointments, though, you might end up getting bumped to another time/date.

2) Are they able to fix home buttons in store, or are they more likely going to replace it.

In my experience it depends. I do believe that they can take the phone apart and analyze what the problem might be; it may very well be that they can repair it right there. Sometimes they will just swap the phone out though; my wife had a problem with her 5 and they barely looked at it before they just swapped it out. I will say though that I have had similar issues with iPhone buttons and cleaning it out with rubbing alcohol fixed it completely, so they may be able to do something similar in the store.

3) if they replace my iPhone, is it likely to be a new or used device?

It will be a certified refurb.

4) is there anything that would stop them from fixing or replacing my device? (I have no jailbreak, no dents, no cracks- looks in great condition!)

If they conclude that the issue was caused by negligence, water damage, etc they can charge you an OOW fee to replace the phone; I believe it's $199 which is a far cry from the cost of a whole new phone.

5)after thee repair or replace the divine is there anything I should look over before leaving since I don't want to drive back and find out something is wrong?

The replacement 5 my wife was given was in perfect, like-new condition. No issues whatsoever. I would obviously load it up with my iCloud data and make sure that it's working normally, but I doubt you'll have any issues and even if you do, they'll take care of it.

6) anything else I should expect?

Be patient and courteous and demand nothing. Let them run the process unless you hit a dead end, and then if they absolutely won't do anything for you (which won't happen), politely leave and contact Apple Care on the phone and work with them to get a repair ticket with them. They can authorize replacements prior to you going to the store, as I understand it.

Odds are that you'll be well taken care of; issues with the home button as you're experiencing them aren't unheard of and they should have plenty of experience dealing with them. I think you'll be pleased with your experience.
 
ZombiePete said:
1) Do I HAVE to make an appointment with the Genius Bar? Like I said it is so inconvenient to go to my apple store and is rather walk in than be late.

My experience on the weekends is that they're generally pretty busy so I usually make appointments. However, they don't seem to always prioritize appointments over walk-ins, so I'm not sure in the end how much difference it makes. If they have a ton of appointments, though, you might end up getting bumped to another time/date.

2) Are they able to fix home buttons in store, or are they more likely going to replace it.

In my experience it depends. I do believe that they can take the phone apart and analyze what the problem might be; it may very well be that they can repair it right there. Sometimes they will just swap the phone out though; my wife had a problem with her 5 and they barely looked at it before they just swapped it out. I will say though that I have had similar issues with iPhone buttons and cleaning it out with rubbing alcohol fixed it completely, so they may be able to do something similar in the store.

3) if they replace my iPhone, is it likely to be a new or used device?

It will be a certified refurb.

4) is there anything that would stop them from fixing or replacing my device? (I have no jailbreak, no dents, no cracks- looks in great condition!)

If they conclude that the issue was caused by negligence, water damage, etc they can charge you an OOW fee to replace the phone; I believe it's $199 which is a far cry from the cost of a whole new phone.

5)after thee repair or replace the divine is there anything I should look over before leaving since I don't want to drive back and find out something is wrong?

The replacement 5 my wife was given was in perfect, like-new condition. No issues whatsoever. I would obviously load it up with my iCloud data and make sure that it's working normally, but I doubt you'll have any issues and even if you do, they'll take care of it.

6) anything else I should expect?

Be patient and courteous and demand nothing. Let them run the process unless you hit a dead end, and then if they absolutely won't do anything for you (which won't happen), politely leave and contact Apple Care on the phone and work with them to get a repair ticket with them. They can authorize replacements prior to you going to the store, as I understand it.

Odds are that you'll be well taken care of; issues with the home button as you're experiencing them aren't unheard of and they should have plenty of experience dealing with them. I think you'll be pleased with your experience.
Click to expand...

Thanks, you answered a lot and it was helpful!!!
 
iPodJedi said:
Thanks, you answered a lot and it was helpful!!!
Click to expand...

I would definitely make an appointment. Go to https://supportprofile.apple.com register your iPhone 5c. Once registered click on it and click on the set up repair icon. It will give you the option to send in or go to a close Apple store. Choose the Apple store and it will show the available appointment dates and times. You don't want to drive all the way there and have them tell you to come back on another day.
 
I'll give my perspective:

1) In short, yes. It's not worth the hassle of going there on the off chance you'll be seen. Every store I've visited has always been busy, and turned me away for walk in appointments. Make an appointment and arrive on time.

2) 99% of the time they'll replace it. I've had 5 phones replaced in the past few years, every time they swapped it without opening it up to check.

3) It will be refurbished - this is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it usually means it's more thoroughly tested.

4) Water damage maybe, but as long as there aren't any major, major dents or cracks you should be fine.

5) Just give it a once-over to see how it looks. It should be fine, but don't hesitate to say if there's something amiss.

6) Just be polite - if there's a genuine problem, you'll have no problem getting a replacement.

Good luck :)
 
Number 2, I don't think they will give you a new one. They will probably replace it for you. I had malfunctioning cameras on mine and they replaced the screen and rear camera in about 40 minutes.
I was late and it wasn't a big deal at all. I only had to wait 2 minutes for a genius to come over and help me.
 
You left out the part where you have to wander around aimlessly looking for the hipster doofus who's in charge of checking people in. They usually aren't by the door (where you'd expect them) and everybody employee seems put out that you didn't realize which person it was.

Then you'll be sent off to a random part of the store to wait. You'll have no idea where you are in line...and aren't always certain they still remember your there.

Then just as your mind gets numb from playing with the same iMac for 30 minutes - an Apple employee will pop up to help you out. They'll tap endlessly on their iPad...and ask you if you got Applecare.

The good part is that they are usually fairly good about replacing broken devices..even if they are over a year old.

For all the talk about quality, I'm surprised how many Apple devices I've had to take back. I absolutely hate the process..but they've always been good about taking care of the problem. I find the Apple Store experience highly overrated.
 
1) Do I HAVE to make an appointment with the Genius Bar? Like I said it is so inconvenient to go to my apple store and I would rather just walk-in than be late.
ALSO, if I HAVE to make an appointment, how far in advance?

I'd make an appointment. If you walk in they usually make you choose an appointment time when you get there anyway. It can sometimes be an hour or more after you get there. You should only need to schedule a day or two ahead. My store is 45 minutes away, so I understand what a pain it is.

2) Are they able to fix home buttons in store, or are they more likely going to replace it.

They replaced the home button on my 5 in store. Mine also wouldn't work intermittently.

3) if they replace my iPhone, is it likely to be a new or used device?

It'd be a refurb, but I doubt they'll replace it.

4) is there anything that would stop them from fixing or replacing my device? (I have no jailbreak, no dents, no cracks- looks in great condition!)

Not likely, but again they'll probably repair it unless they find water damage.

5)after they repair or replace the device is there anything I should look over before leaving since I don't want to drive back and find out something is wrong?

Make sure your backup is restored (bring your computer to the store if you don't use iCloud), and make sure you have service. Also check for the subtle signs that it's yours (i.e. Mine has scratches on the bottom bezel that I looked for)

6) anything else I should expect?

Be patient. If you go on a busy day, don't expect anything to be done quickly, and expect that the Genius behind the counter will divide his/her attention between several customers. I took my MacBook Pro in last year, and the genius replace three iPhones while I was waiting for the diagnostic test to finish.
 
KUguardgrl13 said:
Be patient. If you go on a busy day, don't expect anything to be done quickly, and expect that the Genius behind the counter will divide his/her attention between several customers. I took my MacBook Pro in last year, and the genius replace three iPhones while I was waiting for the diagnostic test to finish.
Click to expand...

Heheh. Where is there an Apple store where it's not busy on any given day?! :D
 
When my POWER button was finicky on my 5, I walked into the apple store, they made me an appointment for 10 min later, took the phone to the back, came out with a brand new one and said sign here, it was a receipt for $0.00

I had my iPhone 5 for 7 or 8 months before I brought it in. The button got worse and worse.

Very hassle free experience, one of the main reasons I keep coming back to Apple :apple:
 
Thanks for EVERY reply. I didn't have the time to go today to the apple store (I ended up going to the theaters to see Transformers 4. Despite the bad reviews online, I thought it was quite good) I did however run into the Verizon store around the corner from my house and asked them to take a peek at it. The guy was really helpful and he did something like blow compressed air or something into it and it started working a bit better! It is still being a bit annoying though and not working every time like it use to (it works most of the time now compared to before when it almost never worked) so I'm still thinking about running into the Apple store if it continues in the next day or two (and I'm really excited to go for first time and check out the displays and all the stuff they sell there).


Again thanks for the help!
 
I had the same problem with the home button on my last iPhone (iPhone 4). Took it to Apple Store (had Genius Bar appt.). Unfortunately I didn't have Apple Care on that phone. They could fix it but I believe it was going to be $100. They did show me a work around though by activating Accessibility in Settings and turning on a soft button on the screen which did the same thing as the Home Button. Used that for 6 months until I was able to upgrade to my iPhone 5. My daughter has the very same problem now and same fix.
 
Like others have said, make an appointment. You'll likely be out of there with a replacement phone within a few minutes after being seen. I've had most of the iPhones released and each one had to be replaced for some reason except the original.

3G: dead pixels. 3GS: cracking back panel. 4: home button intermittently not responding. 5: sleep/wake button. They've never given me a hard time about it.
 
Make an appointment. Bar none apple have the best customer service in my opinion. everytime i walk into an apple store, be prepared to walk out satisfied. well except if you have a ridiculous case that they can't help you out. but if its pretty normal request, they will work with you.
 
I don't get it. You live in a "big city" and it's an hours drive?

Most "big cities" have at least 3 apple retail stores generally no more than 30 minutes apart.

I consider Orlando a "medium size city-bigger city" and it has 3 apple stores. All easily 30 minutes from almost anywhere people live even in the outer suburbs.

My previous location was Washington DC area. DC is obviously a "big metro area". They must have had at least 6 apple stores just on the northern virginia side alone all without 30 minutes.
 
aneftp said:
I don't get it. You live in a "big city" and it's an hours drive?

Most "big cities" have at least 3 apple retail stores generally no more than 30 minutes apart.

I consider Orlando a "medium size city-bigger city" and it has 3 apple stores. All easily 30 minutes from almost anywhere people live even in the outer suburbs.

My previous location was Washington DC area. DC is obviously a "big metro area". They must have had at least 6 apple stores just on the northern virginia side alone all without 30 minutes.
Click to expand...

You're right, he must be lying! Now we just have to figure out...why...?
 
ZombiePete said:
3) if they replace my iPhone, is it likely to be a new or used device?

It will be a certified refurb.
Click to expand...


Do you know if the same applicable for macbooks? I am thinking to stop by with my earlier 2013. Will it be the same year model?
 
aneftp said:
I don't get it. You live in a "big city" and it's an hours drive?

Most "big cities" have at least 3 apple retail stores generally no more than 30 minutes apart.

I consider Orlando a "medium size city-bigger city" and it has 3 apple stores. All easily 30 minutes from almost anywhere people live even in the outer suburbs.

My previous location was Washington DC area. DC is obviously a "big metro area". They must have had at least 6 apple stores just on the northern virginia side alone all without 30 minutes.
Click to expand...

ZombiePete said:
You're right, he must be lying! Now we just have to figure out...why...?
Click to expand...
Ok, so it's not a BIG city but it's fair sized. Probably medium. It's definitely large enough that I think apple needs to build another store preferably in the middle of the city instead of on the edge. They seem to have built it there just because it's the richest part of the city (really it's just in a big neighborhood/community) ...there aren't really any poor parts of the city though so I don't see why they don't build it downtown or in the main mall
 
If the phone is under warranty, there shouldn't be an issue with Apple giving you a direct replacement. Yes I would book a Genius appointment just to be sure and not to waste your own time. :)
 
Thanks for all the help guys... Just to update what happened.

The guy at verizon a few days ago said that during week days I probably don't need an appointment...so I just walked in and the nice apple guy helped me out by checking me in and within 10 minutes another great guy came over to help me! He asked to see my phone after I explained my home button issue and he even tried to use it and it wouldn't work for him either. He was nice about it and said he could repair it so I could keep my own device! He said it wouldn't fix the problem just replacing the home button mechanism so he ended up replacing the home button and entire screen! I was fine and didn't mind as long as the button worked again! I got there 30 before closing time so he said it would take just a bit longer to fix it than the amount of time they were open so he said I could just sit or shop around and wait a few minutes after close and my iPhone would be ready. About 10 minutes after they closed my iPhone was ready and I was satisfied since the home button now worked- plus my screen looked brand new and is now even more responsive than the old screen! I was also happy since they didn't have to erase my iPhone to do the task! I'm very happy with my first ever experience with apple store! I was surprised this apple store had a Genius Bar but they don't even use it; they just use some other tables around the store and nobody even stands at the Genius Bar. It was a small store compared to most I've seen in other cities. Everyone was really nice and I couldn't be much happier!!! Now I wish I could work there!
 
iPodJedi said:
Thanks for all the help guys... Just to update what happened.

The guy at verizon a few days ago said that during week days I probably don't need an appointment...so I just walked in and the nice apple guy helped me out by checking me in and within 10 minutes another great guy came over to help me! He asked to see my phone after I explained my home button issue and he even tried to use it and it wouldn't work for him either. He was nice about it and said he could repair it so I could keep my own device! He said it wouldn't fix the problem just replacing the home button mechanism so he ended up replacing the home button and entire screen! I was fine and didn't mind as long as the button worked again! I got there 30 before closing time so he said it would take just a bit longer to fix it than the amount of time they were open so he said I could just sit or shop around and wait a few minutes after close and my iPhone would be ready. About 10 minutes after they closed my iPhone was ready and I was satisfied since the home button now worked- plus my screen looked brand new and is now even more responsive than the old screen! I was also happy since they didn't have to erase my iPhone to do the task! I'm very happy with my first ever experience with apple store! I was surprised this apple store had a Genius Bar but they don't even use it; they just use some other tables around the store and nobody even stands at the Genius Bar. It was a small store compared to most I've seen in other cities. Everyone was really nice and I couldn't be much happier!!! Now I wish I could work there!
Click to expand...

This is a great example of Apple's warranty/service
 
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