Chosen Solution
Hi All, I dropped my iPhone in the toilet (like many have LOL). I did everything I see on the net ie, placed it in rice, placed it in an airing cupboard. After a week, the only things that weren’t working were the home button and speakers. I opened it up and cleaned it with electrical cleaner— then back in rice and the airing cupboard for another 3 days. Everything is working apart from home button. I sent it off explaining what had happened, and they replaced the home button—which didn’t resolve the issue. They said it has extensive water damage to the circuit board!! My question is, if this is true, how is it that everything else working just fine? Could it be something else? I have read here that it could be the docking port. It just seems such a shame that my phone works perfect apart from the above, and I’m being told it is beyond repair. Many thanks for any advice/help, Bev Just a quick update… I got my iPhone back from the repair shop, and it is in a continuous recovery mode loop—and when I try to restore, I get error 29!!! I’ve read about this, and I know I did not upgrade to 3.13. The only thing I did before sending it off was back up all my data on iTunes. I can’t help thinking that they are using the water damage as an excuse because they have caused it to go in this loop…….I really don’t know what to do or where I stand in this matter.
Just add a virtual home button. That works as good as a regular home button. Go to: Setting>General>Accessibility>Assistive touch (put it on mode)… you are all set. Use the virtual home button with all the features.
the power button is most likely shorted - it can be replaced or cleaned (i prefer cleaning, 6$ are 6$ ;-)) most problems after fluid damages are shorted parts - putting a device in a bowl of rice won’t help. cleaning the parts with isopropyl alcohol or electronic cleaners is way more effective.
Quick way of identifying problem. Open and short home button pin pads on dock. If this works then you know it’s a home button flex cable or home button pin problem. If it doesn’t work the it’s the dock or dock connector, or the dock socket.
I have this problem too. To get out of the recovery loop just charge it for about 20 minutes and unplug it. You’ll still get the display telling you to plug it in, but all you have to do is hold the power button to turn it off and then turn it back on. This should start your phone again like normal, but every time it dies you’ll have to let it charge for a while turn it off and on again and it should be fine. It’s a pain but it works for me. As for the home button, there only 6$ on ebay so I’m going to order one and replace it myself. It’s worth a try and It’s a ^@@% of a lot better than paying the greedy bastards at apple 200$ for a cheap fix. Hope this helps. Good luck
ive got the same problem…. i put mine in a puddle and my home button wont work yet voice control comes up when i start. my water indicator things are still white so its showing no sign of contact. im taking it back to telstra to get fixed.. would they fix it seeing the stickers are saying its not water damaged and there still white..
Washing up dishes and listening to a pod cast, whoops, there it went - splash. Got it out before it hot the bottom of the bowl, but it was completely underwater. Read everything here, all seemed to work okay just minutes later - that’s when I noticed the home button was not working. Not having a #00 phillips I tried hitting the circumference of the home button pretty hard with compressed air - function was restored and worked for a few hours. Heading to Lowes to get the screwdriver to take it apart and hot the inside, but for those with similar issues give compressed air a try.
Error 29 is usually a bad battery which should always be replaced when it gets wet. Lithium ion does not like water. Ifixit sells the correct part # 616-0435
@sao If you double tap the virtual home button, it will act the same way as the actual home button, enabling one to close the apps.
