What to do if your Samsung Galaxy's home button isn't working

Your Home button is one of the most important parts of your Samsung Galaxy®. It's how you navigate your device, launch apps, and much more. So it's really inconvenient when you notice that it's stuck or not working properly. Don't worry, we can help.

At Asurion, we make tech easy. From fixing your devices to showing you how to get the most out of them—we've got you covered. Here's how to repair a Samsung Galaxy Home button that's not working.

Restart your Samsung Galaxy

Sounds simple, right? It is. Restarting your phone can clear most minor glitches without much effort, making it the perfect first step as you troubleshoot.

To restart your Samsung Galaxy, follow these steps:

1. Depending on your device, press and hold the Power button (right edge) or both the Power button and Volume Down button until the Power off prompt appears, then release.
2. Tap Restart, then tap Restart again to confirm.

Clean your Home button

If your phone has a physical Home button, make sure there's no grime or debris hanging out around the edges.

To give it a quick cleaning, all you need is a microfiber cloth and some solution (50% water and 50% alcohol).

Check for software updates

Sometimes, your device's software is to blame. Your Galaxy needs regular updates to make sure its software can handle any potential trouble that might come its way.

Here's how to check and see if your device needs an update.

1. On your phone, head to Settings > Software Update > Download and Install.
2. If the software is up to date, the device will prompt you. When there's a software update available, you'll tap Download > Install Now.

Restart your Galaxy in Safe Mode

Safe Mode makes it so only your essential apps—those responsible for making the phone run—are active. It's a great way to test whether a specific app is causing your Galaxy Home button to stop working. Don't worry, it won't delete any data like photos or videos.

Here's how to restart your device in Safe Mode:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off prompt appears, then release.
2. Tap and hold Power off until the Safe Mode prompt appears.
3. Tap Safe Mode. The Samsung Galaxy will reboot in Safe Mode, where you can test out the Home button. To leave Safe Mode, restart the phone.

If your Home button works in Safe Mode, that means an app is causing trouble. You'll have to delete the app to get the button working again. Start by removing the most recently installed ones.

Wipe your cache partition

You probably have a drawer of old receipts you hold on to in case you need them. Your phone's cache partition is sort of like that drawer. Occasionally, you'll have to clear out all the stuff you don't need anymore.

Wiping your phone's cache clears unnecessary files, some of which may be corrupted, without deleting anything important. To clear those files, follow these steps:

1. Turn off your phone, then press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button. Once the Android™ Recovery screen comes up, release the buttons.
2. Use the Volume Down button to highlight “Wipe cache partition," and press the Power button to select it.
3. Follow the prompts on screen to clear the cache. It'll take about a minute to wipe the cache.
4. Press the Power button to reboot the device.

Try a factory reset

A factory reset should be your last resort—it'll delete everything on your phone, except what was on it when you first took it out of the box.

Before you start that reset, back up your phone. When you're ready, follow these steps to start the factory reset process:

1. Open Settings, then tap General management > Reset.
2. Tap Factory data reset > Reset > Delete all.