Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I think that the problem here is not actually hardware, but it's that iOS has become so bloated and spaghetti coded that it is too busy stuck doing other things so that it just ignores the home button presses until it finishes doing whatever the hell it's doing. And then when it comes around to the backlog of home button presses, you get nonsense.
 
I think that the problem here is not actually hardware, but it's that iOS has become so bloated and spaghetti coded that it is too busy stuck doing other things so that it just ignores the home button presses until it finishes doing whatever the hell it's doing. And then when it comes around to the backlog of home button presses, you get nonsense.

Nope. If that were the case, it would happen on my phone as well. I use it the same exact way as my old phone and I have the same exact stuff on it as well.

You're just going to have to get a new phone. No doubt about it.
 
I noticed this problem with my phone, popped into the Apple store and got a new replacement phone under warranty - the only thing she checked while chatting to me were damn sensors in the headphone and dock connector!

They didnt mention any further details but as my button worked fine if you press the bottom of the home button and mis-fired when pressing the top of the button..
 
I think that the problem here is not actually hardware, but it's that iOS has become so bloated and spaghetti coded that it is too busy stuck doing other things so that it just ignores the home button presses until it finishes doing whatever the hell it's doing. And then when it comes around to the backlog of home button presses, you get nonsense.

I think I am tending to agree with you.
I have the same problem, and it seems to be related to how many Apps are running (or at least in a background state).
With all Apps stopped, the phone wakes up much quicker from a Home key press and I never have a time when it does not work.
As I get an ever increasing number of Apps running the Home button becomes more and more unresponsive.
 
I think that the problem here is not actually hardware, but it's that iOS has become so bloated and spaghetti coded that it is too busy stuck doing other things so that it just ignores the home button presses until it finishes doing whatever the hell it's doing. And then when it comes around to the backlog of home button presses, you get nonsense.

I used to follow the software crowd thinking that was the issue for the home button. After not wanting to get my phone replaced, I had to break down and do it because the button quit working period.

I can assure you, it's not a software issue. It's pure HARDWARE. The replacement has NO home button issues at all. None. It had 4.3.3 and now 5.0 - still - no issues.

Not software, it's definitely hardware. :)
 
I just got mine replaced. The genius guy said the problem was caused by wearing out of the button. The new phone works perfectly now.
 
Funny you brought this up OP. I just recently bought a Verizon iphone 4, and after I had just left the store I took the plastic off the phone. I immediately noticed that the home button was pushed in, and was sticking. I went back into the Verizon store and they checked it out. They said they're not suppose to do this, but stuff happens and they had no problem giving me a new one. So bam, two new iPhones in under 5 minutes. The one I have now is great, except my animations are a little Laggy for some reason.

Anyway, if your button is sticking out not working properly, they are aware of the issue (well my store was) and should have no problem replacing it.
 
I just got mine replaced. The genius guy said the problem was caused by wearing out of the button. The new phone works perfectly now.

Which is unfortunate.You would think these buttons would have a very high limit of presses prior to wearing out

FWIW, I replaced mine a few days back and my home button issues have ceased
 
I used to follow the software crowd thinking that was the issue for the home button. After not wanting to get my phone replaced, I had to break down and do it because the button quit working period.

I can assure you, it's not a software issue. It's pure HARDWARE. The replacement has NO home button issues at all. None. It had 4.3.3 and now 5.0 - still - no issues.

Not software, it's definitely hardware. :)

yes definitely hardware. had my replaced and no issues at all now.
 
Mines been doing this for months, its extremely irritating... I thought it was a hardware fault at first but I tried pressing the button in the same area using the same pressure and it would work sometimes and sometimes it wouldnt..

Seems to do it allot while in an active app...
 
I went to the Apple Store in Westfarms, Connecticut this morning for this issue. I explained my issue to the man helping me and he barely even looked at my phone and replaced it.
 
I went to the Apple Store in Westfarms, Connecticut this morning for this issue. I explained my issue to the man helping me and he barely even looked at my phone and replaced it.

It must be a well known fault that they just swap right away no questions.

I took my iPhone to the Trafford Centre Apple Store this afternoon.
Explained that the Home button was misbehaving, but I could not get it to fail while in the store, so could not show the Genius.

No problem, he said 'I believe you'.
Did not check for water damage, had only 7 days left on the warranty.
Just gave me a new iPhone, no problem at all.

This leads me to think they know there is an issue and if it happens, they just do a swap.

Excellent service!!!
 
This past weekend I took my iPhone 4 running iOS 5 beta to the Apple Store because I had been having problems with the home button for a few months prior.

Basically the home button wouldn't respond as well as it used to. I'd have to click it harder because light clicks wouldn't register, or sometimes I'd double-click and it would register as only one click or as a triple click (which I have set to invert colors). So I knew it had worn out prematurely.

I set up a genius bar appointment and told them the issue. The Genius checked inside the dock connector with some sort of tool and for water damage, but didn't find any. Then he told me that he would be able to replace it except he couldn't because I was running iOS 5 beta which wasn't supported by them. They said that it was their beta, but they still didn't support it and that restoring the phone would just leave it back at iOS 5 beta, so the only way would be if I had saved a file on my computer that I would need.

I knew he was talking about the blobs, so he said if I could get it back to iOS 4.3.3 and bring it back they would swap it out. So I did that, which was more difficult than I expected since I kept getting error messages when attempting to restore, but I finally did it and took it back. A different genius looked at it and told me that they don't have parts to replace the home button, so they would just have to swap out the phone. I was glad as I had some light scratches on my screen, back, and bezel. The battery was also a year old since I only had 10 days left of my warranty, so I was glad to get a refurbished phone that was basically brand-new. So now I have a new phone that works perfectly! :)
 
haha the home button pisses me of still. I've been holding out to get some more usage on my 4 before I get it swapped.
 
They need to get rid of that cheap plastic button, replace it with an illuminated indicator.
 
They need to get rid of that cheap plastic button, replace it with an illuminated indicator.

I like the physical button, the concept of the iPhone is to only have one button. I would hate having a touchscreen one, but the quality of the button should be increased. I was at the Verizon store, and right out of the box the button was broken when I bought the phone, but they exchanged it for a new phone.
 
Believe me having no physical home button would just look better seeing as the glass would be flush and additionally in dark areas you'd be able to know which side the button is.

Hate having to figure out which side it is and in the process hitting the wrong side countless times.
 
This just started last week on my iPhone4 too. It is 7 months old, having gotten it on release day in June or July or whenever it was.

I backup regularly to iTunes in fear of the day that it all of a sudden ceases functioning.

Talk about a catastrophic philosophy :eek:
 
My co-worker has an iPhone with a finicky home button. Sometimes it will launch the multitasking bar with a single click, other times it won't respond at all. Unfortunately, when taking it into the Genius Bar they have to be able to replicate the issue to replace your phone, and he can never get it to do so when we goes, since its intermittent.

My home button, on the other hand, works just fine, so I think its just a roll of the dice.
 
Other than the douchey 3 1/2 inch screen, the only other complaint that I have for the iP4 is the inconsistency of the home button. Night/Day compared to the 3GS.
 
My home button was annoying me, so I took it to the genius bar this afternoon, was given a replacement phone, and was out in like 5 minutes.
 
I've started having this issue and didn't realise it was as widespread as it appears to be, my question is can I take my iPhone to an apple store to get it looked at (and potentially replaced) even if the phone didn't come from an apple store originally?
 
I've started having this issue and didn't realise it was as widespread as it appears to be, my question is can I take my iPhone to an apple store to get it looked at (and potentially replaced) even if the phone didn't come from an apple store originally?

Yes Apple will honour the warranty regardless of where the device was bought.
Mine was swapped out at the Apple Store, but it was purchased at O2.
That is very good as really it is O2 who are responsible for your purchase under UK law (it is the store not that manufacturer who must deal with the issue under the UK Sale of Goods Act).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.