Here’s what will happen if the home button on your iPhone 7 smartphone stops working: The device will prompt you to use an on-screen home button instead. An iPhone 7 and MacRumors forum user, iwayne , discovered his handset gave him the option to enable an on-screen home button after the physical home button on the device malfunctioned.
Gizmodo notes that iPhones have long featured a virtual home button as an accessibility feature. However, the new development is its connection to the physical home button malfunction.
If your iPhone 7 home button breaks don't fret! Apple have added a little feature which enables an on-screen version https://t.co/iQ8lnXuNYK pic.twitter.com/XDOr9y7C8l
— Red Maple (@AskRedMaple) October 17, 2016
Pundits have connected this feature to rumors Apple may completely do away with the physical home button for good on future devices, such as the iPhone 8. On the iPhone 7, what appears to be a physical home button actually isn’t. It is simply a marker for a home sensor, which works similar to a home button without the need to press down the on the component.
The iPhone 8 may include a button and Touch ID fingerprint sensor located underneath the smartphone’s display, without the circular marker of a home button. This possible new design is expected to accompany a complete revamp of the iPhone look, in accordance with the device’s 10th anniversary. If true, the iPhone 8 would be the first iOS device (iPhone or iPad) to completely do away with the physical home button.
In addition to the home button and fingerprint sensor, the iPhone 8 is also expected to feature its earpiece and selfie camera concealed underneath its display. The screen may also do away with on-screen bezels and have an edge-to-edge design.
