What is the iphone home button

Use the side, Home, and other buttons on your iPhone

Learn about the buttons and switches on your iPhone.

From left to right: iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 8, and iPhone X and later

Sleep

On iPhone 6 and later, press the side button to wake your iPhone or put it to sleep. On iPhone SE (1st generation) and earlier, press the top button.

Ring/Silent

Use the ring/silent switch to mute sounds and alerts.

If the switch shows orange, it means your iPhone is in silent mode and will vibrate for incoming calls or alerts. When in silent mode, the alarms you set in the Clock app will still sound, and calls from Favorite contacts will still ring.

Volume up/down

Use the volume up/down buttons to adjust the volume when listening to music, watching videos, or playing games.

When you press the buttons, you’ll see the Volume under the indicator. When you’re not using other apps, the buttons will adjust the ringer volume and you’ll see Ringer under the indicator.

Home button/Touch ID

Use the Home button to unlock your device or make purchases using Touch ID. Press the Home button once to go to the Home screen. Press the Home button twice to bring up the App Switcher.

Restart

On iPhone X and later, press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons to restart your iPhone. On iPhone SE (2nd generation), 8, 7, or 6, press and hold the side button. On iPhone SE (1st generation) and earlier, press and hold the top button.

Siri

Press and hold the side button or Home button to use Siri.

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The Many Uses of the iPhone Home Button

Everyone who’s used the iPhone for even just a few minutes knows that the Home button, the only button on the iPhone’s front, is crucial. But relatively few people know just how many things the Home button can do — and how to do those things on the iPhone models that don’t have a Home button. Read on to learn all about the many uses of the iPhone Home button.

What the iPhone Home Button Is Used For

The Home button is used for all kinds of apps and actions including:

• Access Siri: Holding down the Home button will launch Siri.
• Multitasking: Double-clicking the Home button reveals all running apps in the multitasking manager.
• Music App Controls: When the phone is locked and the Music app plays, clicking the home button once will bring up the Music app controls to adjust volume, change songs, and play or pause the track.
• Camera: From the lock screen, a single press of the Home button and a swipe from right to left launches the Camera app.
• Notification Center: From the lock screen, press the Home button and swipe left to right to access Notification Center widgets.
• Accessibility Controls: By default, the Home button only responds to single or double clicks. But a triple-click can also trigger certain actions. In order to configure what a triple-click does, go to the Settings app, then tap General >Accessibility >Accessibility Shortcut. In that section, you can trigger the following actions with a triple-click:
  • AssistiveTouch
  • Classic Invert Colors
  • Color Filters
  • Reduce White Point
  • VoiceOver
  • Smart Invert Colors
  • Switch Control
  • VoiceOver
  • Zoom.
• Dismiss Control Center: If Control Center is open, you can dismiss it with a single click of the Home Button.
• Touch ID: On the iPhone 5S, 6 series, 6S series, 7 series, and 8 series the Home button adds another dimension: it’s a fingerprint scanner. Called Touch ID, this fingerprint scanner makes those models more secure and is used to enter passcodes, and passwords for purchases at the iTunes and App Stores, and with Apple Pay.
• Reachability: The iPhone 6 series and newer have a home-button feature that no other iPhones have, called Reachability. Because those phones have large screens, it can be hard to reach from one side to the other when using the phone one-handed. Reachability solves that problem by pulling the top of the screen down to the center to make it easy to reach. Users can access Reachability by double-tapping (not clicking; just a light tap like tapping an icon) the Home button.

iPhone X and Up: The End of the Home Button

While the iPhone 7 series delivered some big changes to the Home button, the iPhone X removes the Home button completely. With the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR also lacking Home buttons, it’s safe to say that the Home button is on the way out. Here’s how to perform tasks that used to require the Home button on the iPhone X:

• Unlock the phone: You unlock the iPhone X using either the Face ID facial recognition system or by entering an onscreen passcode after waking the phone by raising it, tapping the screen, or clicking the Side (aka sleep/wake) button.
• Return to home screen: To leave an app and return to the home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (Control Center is now accessed by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen).
• Multitasking: To access the multitasking view of all open apps, swipe up from the bottom like you’re returning to the home screen, but pause partway through the swipe.
• Siri: Instead of pressing and holding the Home button to launch Siri, press and hold the Side button.
• Taking screenshots: The Home button is no longer involved in taking screenshots. Instead, squeeze the Side button and volume up button at the same time to capture a screenshot.
• Force restart: Force restarting the iPhone X requires more steps now. Click the volume up button, then the volume down button, and then press and hold the Side button until the iPhone restarts.

You can also create shortcuts that take the place of the Home button. These shortcuts allow you to access the features you use most frequently. Find out how in our article How to Create and Use iPhone X Shortcuts.

The Home Button on iPhone 7 and 8 Series

The iPhone 7 series phones changed the Home button dramatically. On earlier models, the button was truly a button: something that moved when you clicked it. On the iPhone 7 and then the 8 series, the Home button is actually a solid, 3D Touch-enabled panel. When you press it, nothing moves. Instead, like the 3D Touch screen, it detects the strength of your press and responds accordingly. Because of this change, the iPhone 7 and 8 series has the following Home button options:

• Rest Finger to Open: Earlier versions of the Touch ID-enabled Home button let you rest your finger on the button to unlock the phone. That changed with the 7 series, but you can restore that option by going to Settings >General >Accessibility >Home Button > and moving the Rest Finger to Open slider to on/green.
• Click Speed: Change the speed needed to double or triple-click the button in Settings >General >Accessibility >Home Button.
• Click Settings: Because the button is now 3D Touch-enabled, you can choose the kind of click feedback you prefer by going to Settings >General >Home Button.

Uses of the Home Button in Earlier Versions of the iOS

Earlier versions of the iOS used the Home button for different things — and allowed users to configure the Home button with more options. These options aren’t available on later versions of the iOS.

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How to Add Touchscreen Home Button on iPhone, iPad

The home button is the biggest button on iOS devices and probably the most important one. It’s a great example of what makes the iPhone and iPad so easy to use — that single button will always take you to the homescreen no matter what you’re doing. On many Android devices, home is a software button that disappears inside apps, leaving you feeling stuck, but the physical home button on iOS devices is always there. At the same time, power users can double and triple tap the button for additional functions.

Unfortunately, this extensive usage means that the home button can become unresponsive. This can really make using the device frustrating, particularly if you’re using an older device that doesn’t support gestures. If you’re facing the same problem, then you should enable the software home button option on your iOS device, and this is how you do it:

How to Add Touchscreen Home Button on iPhone, iPad

Open Settings.

Go to General > Accessibility

Scroll down to the section labeled INTERACTION and tap on AssistiveTouch.

On the next screen, toggle AssistiveTouch to the green On position.

A white circle with a grey box will appear on screen. Tap this circle to expand it to a big box on screen. The square Home button at the bottom of the box functions exactly like the physical home button — you can use it to single tap, double tap, or long press the home button even if there is a hardware problem. The grey box remains visible and usable in all apps.

This is a simple and effective fix for an unresponsive home button. Does your iOS device have an unresponsive home button? How did you deal with this problem? Let us know via the comments. For more tutorials, head to our How To section.

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How to get a virtual home button on your iPhone screen with AssistiveTouch, if your iPhone doesn’t have a physical one

Apple has been trying to move users away from the home button for some time now.

In fact, the most recent iPhone models don’t have a home button at all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t put a virtual home button on the screen (we’re looking at you, Donald Trump).

Whether your iPhone lacks a button or you have an older iPhone and the home button no longer works reliably, you can put one on the screen with just a few taps.

Here’s how to do it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to get a home button on-screen on your iPhone

You can add a home button using an accessibility feature called AssistiveTouch.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap «Accessibility» on an iPhone running iOS 13. On an iPhone running iOS 12 or earlier, tap «General» and then «Accessibility.»

3. Tap «Touch.»

4. Tap «AssistiveTouch.»

5. Turn on AssistiveTouch by swiping the button to the right. The AssistiveTouch button should appear on the screen.

You can also reposition the AssistiveTouch button anywhere on the screen by dragging it where you’d like it to appear.

How to customize AssistiveTouch

You can customize this AssistiveTouch menu as well by adding, removing, or changing the buttons. If you delete all the buttons except one, the AssistiveTouch button can function as the home button with a single tap.

1. Open the AssistiveTouch settings and tap «Customize Top Level Menu.»

2. On the Customize Top Level Menu page, you can tap any button and change it to perform a different function.

3. If you only want to see the home button and want to get rid of the rest of the options, tap the minus sign until it only shows one icon. Then tap that remaining button and choose «Home.»

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iPhone X Home Button Basics

What Happened to My iPhone X Home Button?

Perhaps the most significant change Apple introduced with its iPhone X was the removal of the Home button. Since the iPhone’s debut, the Home button had been the only button on the front of the phone. It was also the most important button because it was used to return to the Home screen, access multitasking, take screenshots, and much more.

You can still do all of those things on the iPhone X, but how you do them is different now. Pressing a button has been replaced by a set of gestures that trigger those familiar functions.

Information in this article applies to the iPhone X series and the iPhone 11 series.

How to Unlock the iPhone X

Waking the iPhone X from sleep, also known as unlocking the phone (not to be confused with unlocking it from a phone company), is still simple. Just pick up the phone and swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

What happens next depends on your security settings. If you don’t have a passcode, you go straight to the Home screen. If you do have a passcode, Face ID may recognize your face and take you to the Home screen. If you have a passcode but don’t use Face ID, you enter your code. No matter your settings, unlocking just takes a swipe.

How to Return to the Home Screen on iPhone X

With a physical Home button, returning to the Home screen from any app required pushing the Home button. Even without that button, though, returning to the Home screen is pretty simple.

Just swipe up a short distance from the bottom of the screen. A longer swipe does something else, but a quick flick takes you out of any app ​and back to the Home screen.

How to Open the iPhone X Multitasking View

On earlier iPhones, double-clicking the Home button brought up a multitasking view that let you see all open apps, quickly switch to new apps, and easily quit apps that were running.​

That same view is still available on the iPhone X, but you access it differently. Swipe up from the bottom to about a third of the way up the screen. This motion is a little tricky at first because it’s similar to the short swipe that takes you to the Home screen. When you get to the right place on the screen, open apps appear.

Depending on your settings, you may also feel a slight vibration when you’ve reached the one-third spot that activates the multitasking view.

Switching Apps Without Opening Multitasking on iPhone X

Instead of opening the multitasking view to change apps, switch to a new app with a swipe.

At the bottom of the screen, swipe left or right to jump to the next or previous app from the multitasking view—a much faster way to move.

Using Reachability on iPhone X

With ever-bigger screens on iPhones, it can be hard to reach things that are far from your thumbs. The Reachability feature, which was first introduced on the iPhone 6 series, solves that quandary. A quick double-tap of the Home button brings the top of the screen down so that it’s easier to reach.

On the iPhone X and later models, Reachability is still an option, although it’s disabled by default. When it’s activated, access the feature by swiping down on the bottom of the screen.

To turn on Reachability in iOS 13:

Open Settings on the iPhone.

Tap Accessibility.

Select Touch.

Choose Reachability and move the slider next to it to On/green.

Swipe down at the bottom of the screen to lower the screen elements within reach of your thumbs.

To turn on Reachability in iOS 12 and earlier, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reachability.

New Ways to Do Old Tasks: Siri, Apple Pay, and More

Tons of other common iPhone features use the Home button. Here’s how to perform some of the most common ones on the iPhone X:

• Take Screenshots: Click the side and volume up buttons at the same time.
• Turn Off/Restart: Press and hold the side and volume up buttons at the same time until the power off slider appears.​
• Activate Siri: Press and hold the side button.
• Confirm Apple Pay and iTunes/App Store Purchases: Use Face ID.

So Where Is Control Center?

Control Center offers a handy set of tools and shortcuts. On earlier iPhone models, it’s accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Since swiping around the bottom of the screen does so many other things on the iPhone X, Control Center is located elsewhere on this model. ​

To access it, swipe down from the top right side of the screen to the right of the notch, and Control Center appears. Tap or swipe the screen again to dismiss it when you’re done.

Still Want a Home Button? Add One in Settings

You can’t get a hardware button for your iPhone X, but in the phone’s settings, you can come close.

The AssistiveTouch feature adds an on-screen Home button for people with physical challenges that prevent them from easily clicking the Home button or for those with broken Home buttons. Anyone can turn it on and use that same software button.

To enable AssistiveTouch:

Tap Settings > Accessibility in iOS 13 or Settings > General > Accessibility in iOS 12 and earlier.

On the Accessibility screen in iOS 13, tap Touch and then AssistiveTouch. Turn on AssistiveTouch by moving the slider to the On/green position.

On the Accessibility screen in iOS 12 and earlier, tap AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch by moving the slider to the On/green position.

You can also say, «Hey Siri, turn on AssistiveTouch.»

A button that performs some of the Home button’s tasks appears in the lower right corner of the screen, although you can click and drag it to any edge of the screen, where it stays until you move it again.

In the AssistiveTouch settings screen, you can change the default options for Single-Tap, Double-Tap, Long Press, and 3D Touch by selecting from a list of available options.

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