iPhone 7 Home Button Requires Skin Contact to Work

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Posted September 17, 2016 at 3:39am by Shalom Levytam

The new touch sensitive home button on the iPhone 7 requires skin contact to work.

Myke Hurley of Relay FM noticed the issue earlier today.

So here's a thing. Cover your iPhone 7 home button with material (like from a t-shirt) and try to click it.

I think I worked it out, the TouchID sensor is what's making the connection. No sensor connection, no click.

This may become a problem for those in colder climates who will soon be wearing gloves. Early reports suggest that even capacitive touch gloves don't work.

David Smith founder of Developing Perspective tweets:

Just tried my “capacitive touch” gloves, no dice. Looks like we’ll all be using assistive touch this winter.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber notes, "It’s the capacitive ring around the Touch ID sensor that needs contact with skin — that’s what turns on the sensor. This means no home button clicking while wearing gloves — yet another reason cast a stink eye in the direction of this new home button."

Will this be an issue for you? Let us know in the comments and please follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for updates.

iPhone 7 Home Button Requires Skin Contact to Work

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ViewRoyal - September 17, 2016 at 4:32pm

You can't use ANY smartphone if you are wearing gloves. If you are wearing gloves, the fingerprint reader (to unlock the phone) won't be able to read your fingerprints! If you are wearing gloves (except for special ones made for using touch-screens) you can't use the touch-screen on any smartphone to unlock it, or to use the apps.

MacSteph - September 17, 2016 at 4:03pm

Not an issue for me, folks. I take this in order to get better water and dust protection any time...

Justin T - September 17, 2016 at 12:38pm

My capacitive touch gloves work just fine. Just tried them.

Nateb - September 17, 2016 at 11:20am

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you guys are misunderstanding what they are saying in this article. They are saying the home button doesn't work as a home button when it is covered. Not that the touch sensor for fingerprints don't work. With all the other iPhones if you have gloves on or something covering it you can at least click the home button to go back to the homepage and they are saying that doesn't work if it's covered.

Srini - September 17, 2016 at 11:27am

Yes you are correct Nateb, home button is not working with out skin contact !! On wearing gloves we can't operate home button, this gonna impact a lot ..

Me as - September 18, 2016 at 5:16am

It work for me the plastic covering the home button.. I still could press it and it go back home. No skin contact is needed. Check your setting for home button if you turn it one won't work..

D4xM4Nx - September 17, 2016 at 10:05am

Guys like those are only trying to make an impact and get visits/audience with cheap sensationalism but no proven facts at all.. The purpose of Touch ID is scanning the fingerprint which in fact needs to be re added after a reboot. No wonder I dislike news & media overall.

paulMOGG - September 17, 2016 at 4:09am

Absolutely no problem for me at all I live and work in and around Asia and only go to US, Australia , Europe etc. In the summer time

gamerscul9870 - September 17, 2016 at 3:54am

Guys, what's wrong with putting in passcode? After all, the display doesn't act like the new home button (where it needs to read skin for it to work).

stevenlacross - September 17, 2016 at 3:51am

These people act like they don't know how switching to this type of home button should react. Of course it requires skin for it to be activated, they basically took the force and clicking button out and are solely relying on the fingerprint reader for all home button interactions now.

Eduardo Valdes - September 17, 2016 at 3:51am

Um....maybe not a problem for me, but all the time i spent in the hospital due to cancer, i would need to wear their purple non latex gloves which still worked on my 6 . Imagine all the nurses who need to use their phone having the gloves on. I see this becoming a big issue

jane2231 - September 17, 2016 at 6:37am

Probably not the smartest idea to touch your personal items with a latex glove, used, in a hospital setting. You do know some of the strongest bacterium survive there right?

gamerscul9870 - September 17, 2016 at 3:46am

That's one way to prevent fooling Touch I.D. with playdough, tape, etc.!