Home button replacement?

If it's still under warranty and/or AppleCare, it should be replaced for free. If you're out of warranty, Apple charges $149 for out-of-warranty replacements.

Did you purchase the phone with a credit card? Some CC companies will double your original manufacture's warranty - basically giving you free AppleCare. If you did, I would call them up and ask about it (I'm currently in the middle of this process myself).

There are some repair shops and/or do-it-yourself kits available...but I wouldn't recommend it.


In the meantime, you can turn on "AssistiveTouch" under Settings-->General--> Accessibility. It puts a virtual home button on your screen.

 

Your reasoning why for that? Just wondering. I worked on my own iphones and did some stuff for neighbors/friends, these things are ridiculously easy to work on. The button replacement itself isn't that hard to replace, the part is like 10-14 bucks. Really anything you need to do with these phones, there's videos on youtube, instructions online (ifixit etc).

here's instructions for it on ifixit, says difficult, but it's really not. http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-iPhone-4-Home-Button/3144/1 You can find vids on youtube as well walking through.

BTW this is a common issue on the 4 and pry will be on the 4S as well... I've replaced the home button twice on my 4. 3GS is fine, for whatever reason that button still clicks and works like it's brand new.

 

Because iPhone aren't designed to be tinkered with. Even at the Genius Bar, they rarely fix them -- they send them back to be refurbished.

Having said that, if the OP is technically inclined, then go for it. But for the average user, tinkering with the hardware is a recipe for disaster. I just wouldn't recommend it unless you really know what you're doing.

 

It's no different then never changing your oil on your car, then learning how to do it yourself. I replaced a crack screen, and volume assembly with ribbon cable (pry the hardest thing to do on these phones) my 1st time ever opening or working on an iphone... using youtube vids. Paid a fraction for the parts that Apple wanted to charge more then the phone cost new lol. I've bought parts from some Ebay sellers for cheaper then ifixit, some things are priced about the same across ebay/amazon/ifixit though.

BTW I'd use "genius bar" loosely since their as clueless as a normal store employee and only go by what Apple's guidelines are in their system to follow for issues... far from genius lol.

 

I'm just saying that for the average iPhone user - not frequent MR poster - asking them to tinker with the hardware is a bad idea.

 

I get what your saying... but it's really not as hard as people make it out to be, with these phones it's pretty easy to follow vids/instructions. Yeh someone whose never tinkered with something may have a harder time initially, but still way better to learn it yourself vs paying Apple repair prices. Especially if something else fails and you sorta know your way around now, vs paying them the first time and then again when you could have bought a brand new phone with what they charge lol

 

You can download zephyr or activator it will simulate the home button.

 

4 is a little harder to work on then the 3GS. I have a set of micro tools that work for electronics, iphone, macbook, glasses etc.

But here's the ifixit link instructions
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installi...-Button/3144/1

and youtube vid so you could see if it would be too much for you or if you think you could do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARgodzUSEts