iPad Home Button Not Working After Being Repaired

Why is the home button not working after a screen replacement on the iPad?

As cell phone repair technicians, we see a lot of screen replacements that have gone wrong. Some repair technicians spend more than 20 minutes completing the replacement, only to find the home button no longer works.  If this sounds like your experience, the following methods may be helpful:

Scenario A: The home button flex cable is fully defective

1. From a repair point of view, the most common cause is the connection between the home button flex cable and the motherboard. Therefore, we should first inspect whether the flex cable is fully inserted into the socket on the motherboard and if the plastic cover is closed.

2. The second thought should be whether the bracket is taped properly. Some iPad users are children, who may press the home button so hard it can dislodge the connection. Therefore, the stability of the home button is extremely important, especially after being transferred to the new screen. Here is how we glue the home button bracket properly: 

Step 1: Place the home button and flex cable where they fit. Adjust the position of the flex cable and the home button several times to ensure the home button fits right into the hole in the glass. At the same time, the flex cable should be in a flat position without folding or bending.

Step 2: Clean the old glue on the bracket and put new double-sided tape on it.

Step 3: Align the black dot on the back of the home button properly with the center of the bracket.

Step 4: Check if the home button is clickable. If not, repeat the above process from step 1. 

3. The third thought should be to question the home button flex cable. If the flex cable gets damaged, the home button will stop working. But there is still a way to fix a torn home button flex cable. 

We can easily replace the ripped part (within the range shown in the picture) with a new one using soldering. It’s worth mentioning that using this method will keep the Touch ID function working.

Think this might work for your device? Contact us: info@casemogul.com 

4. If you have ruled out all the possibilities above, the issue could be caused by a missing small black dot on the back of the home button. This will result in the home button not clicking properly or even losing the click function.

Here is how we fix it: 

Step 1: Pick a small black dot from another iPad flex cable or any flex cable with the black dot (E.g., Power button flex cable for iPhone 6).

Step 2: Apply a little bit of glue to the missing place of the original one and gently put the black dot there.
 

Step 3: Align the black dot properly with the center of the bracket.

Step 4: Check if the home button is clickable.

Scenario B: A partially working home button

1. Primarily, we need to check whether the plastic ring on the glass is missing. If it is missing, the home button will wiggle and then get stuck. It would be a good idea to find the ring and put it back.
   
    

2. Next, check the distance from the home button bracket to the frame. We can add some padding (e.g., tiny pieces of paper) to fill this distance if the bracket is not able to stay in a stable position.
   
   

3. Also, check if the tape is applied properly or if there is too much glue behind the home button. Excess glue can go to unexpected places. Make sure you use the glue carefully. 

4. In addition, check whether the Touch ID unit on the flex cable is damaged. In this case, the click function might be still working but the Touch ID will not be available.
   

 Our summary of the most possible solutions:

1. Reattach the small black dot or the plastic ring if they are missing.
2. Replace the home button flex cable. (But you might lose the Touch ID function if there is one)
3. Turn on the assistive touch. If the above methods do not work, the only solution is to turn on the assistive touch. This means you will use a home button on the touch screen.

CaseMogul has all the techniques and equipment to fix the damaged part on the iPad. We also provide you with various feasible solutions and hints for digital devices. Please visit out repairs page for more information and book online for a free diagnosis. We have mail-in repair services as well!