How To Use an iPhone Without the Home Button

The home button has been an iPhone standard for quite some time. It performs many different functions, and iPhone users quickly became familiar with how to use it.

With the release of the iPhone X, the home button disappeared. If you were comfortable with the home button but are now a bit confused with your iPhone X or later model, we’ve got you covered. This article will teach you how to perform some of the iPhone’s most common functions, all without the home button. We’ll also offer some suggestions for those with older models whose home button no longer works.

How to Use an iPhone Without the Home Button

With Apple’s decision to eliminate the home button starting with the iPhone X, you may be confused as to how to do all of the things you once did with the trusty home button. Fortunately, you can still do the things you used to be able to do, all without using a home button. Listed below are some common functions you used to need the home button for along with how to do them without it.

Return to Home Screen With an App Open

For users of an iPhone without a home button, do the following:

1. Place a finger on the lower center part of the screen.
   
2. Swipe your finger upward toward the top of the screen.
   

For those with an older iPhone with a broken home button, you can always power off and power on your phone. However, that’s inconvenient, and there’s a better way to do it. Follow these steps to learn how:

1. Tap the “Settings” icon and go to “Accessibility.”
   
2. Press “Touch” and then toggle “Assistive Touch” to the on position.
   

You’ll now see a semi-transparent square button with a circle inside. This is the Assistive Touch button. You can press on it and move it to different locations on the screen. To return to the home screen, follow these instructions:

1. Double-tap on the “Assistive Touch” button.
   
2. Tap your screen anywhere outside of the smaller screens that appear. Your open apps will remain active in the background, and you’ll be taken back to the home screen.
   

How to Switch Between Apps

It’s common to leave often used apps open on your iPhone so you can easily get to them when needed. But how do you switch between them with no home button? To switch between apps using an iPhone X or a later model, there are two ways to do it. Both methods require finger swipes and you can choose which one you like best.

Here’s the first method.

1. Place a finger on the lower center section of the screen.
   
2. Swipe your finger left or right to cycle through the apps you have open.
   

Here’s an alternate way.

1. Put your finger on the lower center part of the screen.
   
2. Swipe your finger halfway up the screen and release. You’ll see all of your open apps stacked as smaller windows. Tap on the one you want active.
   

If you’re using an older iPhone with a nonfunctioning home button, you’ll need to have the Assistive Touch button enabled. How to turn it on is described in the above section. You can switch between open apps by following these instructions:

1. Double-tap the “Assistive Touch” button.
   
2. Your open apps will appear as small windows stacked on top of each other. Tap the one you want to use.
   

How to Open Apple Pay

Apple Pay is a safe and secure way to make payments using your iPhone. But how do you access it without the use of a home button? To do so on an iPhone X or later model, follow the instructions below:

1. Double-tap the iPhone’s power button.
   
2. Confirm your identity with “Face ID.” The Apple Pay app will open.
   

If you’re using an older iPhone with a broken home button, you can access Apple Pay manually by doing the following:

1. Swipe your finger to the right until you get to the screen that has the “Search Window” on the top.
   
2. Type “Apple Pay” in the search window.
   
3. Press the “Wallet” icon below the search window. Locate and tap the image of the credit card you have connected to your Apple Pay account.
   

Where’s Siri?

Even without a home button, those with an iPhone X or higher can still access this popular feature. To learn how to do this on newer models without a home button, follow the steps below.

1. Press the “Volume down” and hold the side button on your phone.
   
2. Ask Siri a question and then release the button.
   

If you have an older phone and the home button isn’t working, you can still ask Siri questions. To do so, follow these instructions:

1. Click on the “Settings” icon.
   
2. Navigate to “Siri” or “Siri & Search.”
   
3. Toggle on “Allow Siri When Locked.”
   

With these settings, you’ll no longer have to hold down the home button to ask Siri a question. Just say “Hey Siri,” and then ask your question.

How to Take a Screenshot on an iPhone Without the Home Button

Screenshots are a quick and convenient way of saving some valuable information without the need to physically write it down. Whether it’s an address of a restaurant you want to visit or some information you want to reference at a later date, screenshots are a great way to save things. But how do you take a screenshot without a home button?

To take a screenshot with your iPhone X or later model, do the following:

1. Press the side button and “volume up” buttons at the same time for a moment.
   
2. Your screen will flash and if you have sounds enabled, you’ll hear a camera shutter sound. The screenshot will be saved in your Photos app.

How to Put an iPhone in Recovery Mode Without the Home Button

On rare occasions, you may need to put your iPhone into recovery mode. Recovery mode will erase all data from your phone allowing you to set it up again. You can then restore the data from whatever backups you have saved it to. Here’s how to do it on iPhone X and later models.

1. Press and release the “Volume Up” button.
   
2. Press and release the “Volume Down” button.
   
3. Then press and hold the “Power Button” until the recovery screen appears.
   

For those with older iPhones with a nonfunctioning home button, you can get into recovery mode by following these steps:

1. Connect your phone to a computer. On your computer, go to your iTunes website.
   
2. Using your iPhone, hold down the “volume down” and “power button” at the same time. Hold the buttons down until the recovery screen appears.
   

No Home Button? No Problem!

It doesn’t matter if you are using an iPhone X or newer that doesn’t have a home button or if your older model’s home button isn’t working. By following the tips and suggestions in this article you can do all that you need to do without the use of a home button. Swiping your finger upward or to the sides will get you where you want to go on newer models. On older models with a broken home button, sometimes all you need to do is enable iPhone’s Assistive Touch feature.

Have you been confused about how to do certain things on your iPhone without a home button? Did you use any of the methods we outlined in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.