iPhone 4 Home Button Replacement & Repair

Do you need iPhone 4 home button replacement? This question has haunted you all day, ever since…

You were listening to music, browsing online, and chilling in the local coffee shop when suddenly that cute hipster guy sauntered over and struck up a conversation. Things went well, and he offered you his digits, so you pressed the home button on your trusty iPhone 4. Nothing happened. You wrote down hipster guy’s phone number the old fashioned way, all the while wondering why your iPhone let you down.

Even if this particular story doesn’t fit your case, a broken iPhone 4 home button can jeopardize parts of your social life, limit the capabilities of your expensive iPhone, and just be an outright aggravation.

Why is your iPhone 4 home button not working?

You might think that iPhone 4 home button breaks down due to one problem, but that’s not the case. While the most common reason is dust or dirt buildup, malfunctions may also occur after water damage or due to aging. The more often a part is used, the more it becomes worn. Dust, dirt, water, and other outside influences simply speed up that deterioration or interfere with internal components, leading you to start looking for iPhone 4 home button replacement parts.

A few things you can try to fix the problem:

Press down the home button and blow around the crevice. You may also use an air compression can. Also, try blowing air into the charger port. Air flow should help dislodge any dirt/dust.
Clean around the home button and charging port with a dampened cloth. Be very careful if you do this, as any liquid that makes it inside your phone can damage it further!
Hold down the power button while your phone is plugged in to charge. Wait until the “slide to power off” screen appears, release the button, then press it down again while sliding your finger across the screen. Reboot.

Available iPhone 4 Home Button Replacement Services

If these simple troubleshooting methods above didn’t correct the problem, the home button may be misaligned with the sensor below or, more likely, the flex cable beneath is probably worn down. Consider iPhone 4 home button repair from one of these service options listed below.

Official Apple Store

iPhone home button is not serviced at the Genius Bar and will cost $149, not for replacing the iPhone 4 home button but rather for replacing the entire device. It is not covered under Apple one-year warranty, as it is typically considered wear/damage through use.

CPR Cell Phone Repair

If your iPhone 4 home button seems to be getting rather cranky, give it to CPR! Cell Phone Repair technicians offer experienced iPhone 4 repair and replacement services at an affordable cost. With typical same day turnaround and a limited lifetime warranty, you’ll have your iPhone 4 back in your pocket working like new and a peace of mind to go along with it!

How to Replace iPhone 4 Home Button (A DIY Guide)

iPhone 4 home button repair cost is cheaper when it comes to doing it yourself. After all, you don’t have to pay for your own labor. You simply need time, patience, and the replacement parts. Of course, this method is the riskiest option and requires disassembling your iPhone almost completely. Any warranty will be rendered void, and there’s a chance you could do more damage if you don’t know what you are doing.

iPhone 4 Verizon Home Button Replacement vs. Others

Replacing the iPhone 4 Verizon home button arises from the same issue as other iPhone 4 models including AT&T and Sprint. All of these phones wear down over time and end up needing home button flex cable replacement.

However, the instructions to DIY vary for each model. Here is a step-by-step guide for iPhone 4 Verizon home button replacement:

Power off your device.
Remove the two pentalobe screws near the Lightning connector.
Slide the rear panel toward the top edge of the phone. It will shift 2 mm or so.
Gently pull the rear panel away from rest of the device. Set it and the two screws aside.
Locate the silver iPhone 4s battery clip toward the bottom left of the battery. Unscrew the two screws attaching it to the logic board (and pay attention to where each individual screw goes).
Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry up the iPhone 4s battery clip. Start from the bottom edge and be sure that it is removed vertically. Attempting to force it sideways could break it.
Insert the plastic tool beneath the bottom right side of the battery and gently pry up, working your way up the length of the battery until it is free from the adhesive.
Pull slowly and smoothly on the clear plastic pull tab until your battery detaches and comes free. If it does not come free, you can use the plastic opening tool on the left side. But be warned that doing so in the wrong place may permanently damage the logic board.
Locate the grounding clip over the antenna (beneath where you just disconnected the battery clip). Unscrew the single screw holding the grounding clip in place, and set the screw and ground clip aside.
Locate the dock connector shield to the left that is being held in place by two screws. Remove the two screws, setting them and the shield aside.
The dock connector cable will be revealed. Gently peel the cable free, but be careful as it is being held on by adhesive.
Beneath the grounding clip, a circular cable was also revealed. Unclip this cable, the antenna cable, from the logic board. Gently pry it up with a plastic prying tool.
The cable will be wound around some metal brackets. Unwind it until it is simply connected by the speaker assembly. At this point, leave it where it is.
Locate the logic board shield (sideways L at the top of the phone). Unscrew the 5 screws holding it in place plus the 6th screw off to the right of the logic board shield (on the wifi antenna grounding clip).
There’s a clip holding the shield in place. Lift by the top edge and gently push down to disengage it and set the shield and screws aside.
Return to the 6th screw and remove it from the wifi antenna grounding clip. Detach the clip beneath it with a pry tool. Note the screw underneath.
Seven cables have been revealed in the removal of the logic board shield and grounding clip. Pop these up by gently lifting with the plastic pry tool.
Lift away the camera.
Unscrew the five screws holding the logic board in place. The one nearest the camera will have a gold grounding clip for the camera under it, so be careful not to lose that part.
Remove the logic board by lifting from the bottom to the top. There is a rubber piece on the top that needs to stay in place for reassembly or your phone could experience wifi and reception issues.
Locate the speaker assembly (at the bottom of the phone). Unscrew the two screws on either side of the assembly. There will be a triangular plastic spacer beneath the one to the left that allows the assembly to sit correctly. Place the spacer, the screws, and the assembly off to the side.
Locate the vibrator assembly (just above where you removed the speaker assembly). Use the plastic pry tool to gently lift it from the device, as it is only held down by adhesive.
Remove the four screws in the four corners of the device. The top left screw may have black tape over it. If so, just peel it off.
There are 6 remaining screws which hold the LCD digitizer in place on the right and left sides of the device. Each of these has a washer and is difficult to get back in once removed. Instead, simply loosen them by 2-3 turns.
To remove the LCD digitizer, you will need to pry the front panel away from the frame using a thin plastic tool. Start at one corner and work your way around, freeing it from the adhesive. Be sure to allow the LCD and digitizer cables to slip through the gap in the frame.
Finally – the home button! Gently pop the clip open that holds the home button flex cable into the dock connector.
Back the flex cable out of its slot, and remove by pulling it through the front of the phone.
Remove the button from the old cable and place it on the new one or insert an entirely new button and flex cable combination into the phone.
Reassemble the phone by following the steps in reverse.

As you can see, the DIY iPhone 4 home button replacement is complex and requires breaking down the entire device and its many tiny, delicate pieces. To perform the disassembly and assembly without any kinks requires a steady hand and experience, so don’t try it if you are not familiar or don’t feel comfortable with these steps. Instead, try one of the repair services outlined above like CPR.