Here are all the steps you need to take if your iPhone power button is stuck or not working.
The power button is one of the essential elements of your iPhone. If the iPhone side button is not working, you can’t perform basic tasks like activating Siri, locking your screen, shutting down or turning on the device.
There is nothing new about the problem of iPhone power button not working as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.
Fortunately, if your iPhone power button is stuck or not working, you don’t have to book an appointment with Apple Genius Bar just yet. Here are a handful of troubleshooting steps and fixes you can try to revive your iPhone power button if it’s stuck or not working. If the power button is broken, we’ll also show you how to use an iPhone without power button.
7 Solutions to fix an iPhone power button that is stuck or not working
1. Remove your iPhone from its case
So this looks like it doesn’t make a difference, but it might be all what you need to fix the iPhone power button problem you are experiencing. Some iPhone cases are poorly designed around the buttons areas.
In addition, your phone’s case might be old and, consequently, hardened around the Side button. This also makes it stuck and difficult to press. So you might need to take off your iPhone from its cover or case and try using the Side button again.
If you discover that your phone’s case is the cause of the problem you are having, it’s time to purchase a new one with precise cutouts around the buttons.
2. Restart your iPhone
There’s a good chance that the iPhone power button is not working due to a software glitch. The easiest fix is to restart your iPhone. Yes, an action as simple as turning off your device and switching it back on can take care of several small problems!
If your iPhone volume buttons are stuck or not working, you can obviously control your iPhone’s volume with the volume slider in the Control Center, but how do you restart your iPhone if the Power button is broken or not working? Well, Apple makes it pretty easy to turn the iPhone off and on without the Power button. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Hit Shut Down.
- The Slide to Power Off screen will pop up. Drag the slider to the right and your iPhone will shut down.
If the Power button is broken or not working and your iPhone is off, you can’t easily jump into the Settings app to hit a switch. Thankfully, Apple has thought of this situation as well.
Turning your iPhone back on without the power button is pretty easy: just plug it in to charge over USB. Your iPhone will start up a few seconds after it starts charging (as long as the battery isn’t dead, in which case it takes longer).
3. Is the iPhone Power Button Stuck? Try Cleaning It
If you have your iPhone in your pocket regularly, then it’s probable that the power button is blocked with pocket gunk. You know, bits of skin, dust,, dirt, grime, lint, and whatever else you’ve got going on there in your pocket can sometimes get under the buttons, especially if you aren’t using a case.
Press down on the power button a few times to check if the button is stuck. If the iPhone Power button is stuck or doesn’t seem to click down, you might need to clean it.
You can clean the power button by simply blowing into them really hard, and giving the phone a good shake. Alternatively, get a can of compressed air and give the power button a good blast and a good shake.
If the power buttons is working now, great! If it’s only working a bit better, that’s a sign that it was dirty and you should keep cleaning it. Maybe also consider cleaning your pockets on a more regular basis?
4. Update Your iPhone to the Latest Version of iOS
We remind you to update your iPhone in almost all of our troubleshooting guides. This is because updates fix bugs, introduce new features, and enhance the user experience. Since your iPhone power button is not working, it’s a good idea to check for pending software updates and install it, if any. You can update your device by following the steps below:
- Open Settings.
- Go into General.
- Tap Software Update. Here, you can see if a new update is available or if your device is up to date.
5. Use AssistiveTouch instead of pressing side button
The AssistiveTouch menu gives you access to functions that you would otherwise control by pressing the Side button. With AssistiveTouch, you can:
- Activate the Accessibility Shortcut
- Lock the screen
- Summon Siri
- Restart the iPhone
- Capture a screenshot
If you’d like to be able to lock your iPhone screen (put it to sleep), take screenshots, and more and don’t have a working power button, you can do that with AssistiveTouch on your screen. This is also useful if either of your volume buttons or mute switch are broken.
- Head to Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Select Touch.
- Choose AssistiveTouch to turn this feature on.
- When you turn on AssistiveTouch, you see a button appear onscreen. You can drag the button to any edge of the screen, where it stays until you move it again. By default, tapping the button once opens the AssistiveTouch menu. Tapping once anywhere outside of the menu closes the AssistiveTouch menu.
- Tap Device.
- Tap Lock Screen.
You can also use Siri to turn on AssistiveTouch on iPhone. Say “Hey Siri,” “Turn on AssistiveTouch”
AssistiveTouch can also be added to the Accessibility Shortcut for quick access from Control Center.
6. Reset or Restore Your iPhone
Sometimes, firmware updates can change how the buttons on our phones work. If you recently updated your iPhone and the power buttons stopped working, try restarting your device by turning it off and on again.
If this doesn’t work and you did recently update your phone, you might need to reset your device. This means backing up your iPhone and erasing all the content and settings. A full reset might also work if your iPhone power button stopped working after an app download or a jailbreak attempt.
To do this, first, back up your iPhone. After doing so, follow the steps below to erase your iPhone settings:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go into General.
- Choose Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
This will wipe your phone clean and essentially make it like new. Before restoring a backup, go into the device and test the Power button. If it’s working properly, restore your backup.
There are some cases where restoring your backup might make it not work again. If that’s the case, it might have been an app you tried to download or your backup could be corrupted. Sadly, this means starting from scratch, unless you have an older backup you can try restoring.
If your photos and contacts are in iCloud you won’t need to transfer those over manually.
7. iPhone Power button not working still? Contact Apple Support
If none of the above troubleshooting steps fixed your iPhone power button problem, your last hope is to contact official Apple Support for further help. You will most likely have a hardware issue that can only be fixed by Apple. If you still have a valid warranty on your phone, you may even be able to get the phone replaced if the Power button problem is not fixable.
Successfully fixed iPhone power button not working issue!
Did any of our troubleshooting steps help you fix your iPhone Side button problem? If so, we’d love to hear which one! Let us know in the comments below.