Your iPhone (or other iDevice) has but one button you use constantly: the home button. It has many functions, and as a result it’s prone to becoming unresponsive. Designer Khoi Vinh has discovered that this problem is easily resolved with a little WD-40:
Title photo remixed from an original by Joshin Yamada.
As he explains on his blog:
In my experience, on not just my own iPhone 4 but also on my girlfriend’s, WD-40 restores the responsiveness of the iPhone’s home button to basically like-new condition. I just sprayed a little bit of WD-40 directly on the button, then pressed the button rapidly a few dozen times, tested its responsiveness afterwards, then repeated the process two or three times until it began to improve. Then I used the phone for a day or two to see how well the button did in actual use; I found that after a few days the problem ebbed back slightly, at which point I applied more WD-40. After the second or third application, the responsiveness remained indefinitely.
Khoi also notes that spraying WD-40 could possibly void your warranty. If you’re concerned, contact Apple Support or head into an Apple Store before you give this a try.
The Miracle of WD-40 [Subtraction]
Corey
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:19 PMThe home button is bassically air tight with the rest of the phone, how would it even get inside? Sounds like a placebo to me.
StevoTheDevo
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:43 PMI’d go with compressed air to blow out any dust and them if that doesn’t work, a dry Silicon spray rather than the oil based WD-40.
I’d anticipate WD-40 would just end up clagging the switch mechnism even more over time!
southpatt
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:44 PMprobably gunk between the button and housing. I can see how you could get muck here as I have done it myself with grubby fingers while eating.
Inform
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 3:18 PMWorst idea ever. Nobody wants the smell of WD-40 on their thumb everytime they press it – aswell as the grease.
Your phone my be a peice of engineering marvel but you dont need to treat it like an engine.
As mentioned above – try compressed air. If that fails I’ve used CyberClean (cleaning producat as cheap as it gets). Works like a charm.
Karl
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 5:21 PMIsopryl Alcohol is the thing to use. Don’t use WD-40.
Had to do this on my iPhone 4 before I upgraded to a 4S
mdjnewman
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 5:11 PMhttp://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/02/dont-take-to-your-iphone-with-wd-40