Apple has introduced a lot of changes to its iPhone 7. Not all were as controversial as the removal of the headphone jack. Nonetheless, one major change was a new home button.
Previous iPhone models had a physical button users can press. Apple decided that the iPhone 7 will feature a non-physical, solid state pressure-sensitive button which is found on the surface of the phone. This type of button may prove more difficult to repair in case it stops working.
However, an iPhone 7 user has discovered a quick workaround implemented by Apple. The user named iwayne posted the fix on the MacRumors forum. He uploaded an image of the iPhone 7 lock screen which shows a message. It stated that the home button may require service. The message only shows if the phone’s system has detected something wrong with it.
The fix consists in the fact that the onscreen home button will be automatically shown on the phone’s display. This will allow iPhone 7 users to keep using their device until they get actual home button repaired.
The home button being displayed on the screen is not an entirely new feature for the iPhone It can be activated in the Accessibility options of the iOS software. The onscreen icon can be dragged to anywhere on the display. According to experts, Apple replaced the physical button for two reasons. First of all, it has a higher chance of failing after prolonged use compared to the new version. Second of all, by replacing with a non-physical one, the iPhone 7 was able to receive the IP67 waterproof rating.
However, the new home button does have some disadvantages. The most important being that it requires the user to make skin contact with it to be activated. This may produce some discomfort for people who use gloves in the cold days of winter.
The replacement of the physical version of the home button may even be a sign of Apple’s future plans. One major change that Apple might be considering is the complete removal of any type of home button. However, one such change might be a few years away as it is improbable to see on the iPhone 8.
Have you had any problems with the home button on the iPhone 7?
Image source: Wikipedia