Home button

The Home button was the defining feature below the front display of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models. It was pressed to turn on the device or to invoke the Home screen.

History
The Home button was introduced with the first iPhone by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2007. In 2013, Apple introduced the iPhone 5 S with Touch ID integrated into the Home button.

Alternative input
A defective Home button can compromise the usage of an Apple device and require costly repairs. A temporary workaround is to use AssistiveTouch to enable a virtual onscreen button to function in place of the physical Home button.

Replacement
In 2017, the iPhone X was the first iPhone model to be introduced with Face ID instead of a Home button with Touch ID. iOS 11 introduced a swipe up from bottom gesture as an alternative to the Home button for all models, whether they had the button or not.

The 3rd-generation iPhone SE is now the last remaining iPhone model with a home button. The 9th-generation iPad is the last remaining iPad model with a home button. The 7th-generation iPod touch, the last remaining model of the iPod line, was discontinued in May 2022.