This article explains how to turn on an onscreen Home button in the AssistiveTouch feature on iPhones running iOS versions 14 and older.

What to Know

  • To enable the Home button on iOS 14 or 13, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and toggle on AssistiveTouch.On iOS 12 or older, go to Settings > General > Accessibility.With AssistiveTouch on, a gray dot appears onscreen; tap this grey dot to access the Home button.

How to Add a Home Button to iPhones Without a Home Button

Newer iPhone models no longer have a Home button, but if that’s a feature that you would like to have back, you can add an onscreen Home button to your device using an AssistiveTouch feature. It’s not the same experience, but it can still be helpful all the same.

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Tap Accessibility. (iOS 14 and iOS 13)
  • On iOS 12 or older, tap General and then tap Accessibility.
  • Tap Touch.
  • Tap AssistiveTouch.
  • Toggle on AssistiveTouch.

Once you’ve enabled AssistiveTouch, a gray button will appear on your screen. Tap this button to open a menu of touch options, including the Home button. When you tap the Home button, it will take you back to your Home screen.

Open the Settings app.

Tap Accessibility. (iOS 14 and iOS 13)

On iOS 12 or older, tap General and then tap Accessibility.

Tap Touch.

Tap AssistiveTouch.

Toggle on AssistiveTouch.

Removing the Other AssistiveTouch Options

You can customize the default AssistiveTouch menu to meet your specific needs. For example, if you want to change the options that appear in the AssistiveTouch menu, you can do that. Or, you can remove all the options except the Home button.

  • Open the AssistiveTouch options using the instructions above.
  • Tap Customize Top Level Menu.
  • Tap any button you want to change to open a list of available functions that can replace that button.
  • Alternatively, you can tap the - (minus) button to remove any menu button you don’t want to use. Don’t worry if you accidentally delete the Home button. After removing all the controls you don’t want, you can edit one of the remaining buttons to be the Home button again.
  • If you remove all of the AssistiveTouch buttons except the Home button, then it becomes a one-touch Home button that you drag around to any location on your screen.

Open the AssistiveTouch options using the instructions above.

Tap Customize Top Level Menu.

Tap any button you want to change to open a list of available functions that can replace that button.

Alternatively, you can tap the - (minus) button to remove any menu button you don’t want to use. Don’t worry if you accidentally delete the Home button. After removing all the controls you don’t want, you can edit one of the remaining buttons to be the Home button again.

If you remove all of the AssistiveTouch buttons except the Home button, then it becomes a one-touch Home button that you drag around to any location on your screen.

  • How do I fix a broken iPhone Home button?
  • If your phone is still under warranty or you have AppleCare, take your phone to an Apple Store. If you don’t have a warranty or AppleCare, find a reputable phone repair shop. In the meantime, use the AssistiveTouch on-screen Home button.
  • What are all of the AssistiveTouch features for iPhone?
  • AssistiveTouch features include shortcuts to your iPhone Notification Center, the iOS Control Center, and Siri. You can even create custom AssistiveTouch shortcuts for iPhone. Check out all AssistiveTouch features on Apple’s website.
  • Why did Apple get rid of the Home button on iPhone?
  • Apple eliminated the Home button to accommodate larger screens without having to increase the size of the iPhone. Since there are multiple ways to access the Home screen, Apple decided that a physical button was superfluous.

If your phone is still under warranty or you have AppleCare, take your phone to an Apple Store. If you don’t have a warranty or AppleCare, find a reputable phone repair shop. In the meantime, use the AssistiveTouch on-screen Home button.

AssistiveTouch features include shortcuts to your iPhone Notification Center, the iOS Control Center, and Siri. You can even create custom AssistiveTouch shortcuts for iPhone. Check out all AssistiveTouch features on Apple’s website.

Apple eliminated the Home button to accommodate larger screens without having to increase the size of the iPhone. Since there are multiple ways to access the Home screen, Apple decided that a physical button was superfluous.

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