In 2022, Apple ceased production of iPods, leading to the removal of the Home button from the iPod touch. Later that year, the Home button was eliminated from the iPad lineup with the introduction of the 10th generation model. The iPhone line took a bit longer to follow suit, but the time has finally come…
Today, Apple introduced the iPhone 16e, a budget-friendly option priced $200 lower than the previous entry-level model that supported Apple Intelligence. This new model takes the place of both the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in Apple’s offerings.
The discontinuation of the iPhone SE signifies the end of the Home button across all of Apple’s devices. Even in 2025, there was an iPhone model utilizing the design of the 2017 iPhone 8. Starting today, that will no longer be true.
When the iPhone first launched in 2007, the Home button was the sole physical navigation control. Regardless of the app in use, the Home button redirected users to the Home screen, with double and triple clicks unlocking additional functionality.
Upon the release of the iPhone 4s in 2011, pressing and holding the Home button was the only method to summon the Siri voice assistant, although the voice-activated feature would not be available for several more years.
Interestingly, the original Home button featured a squircle icon, designed to match the shape of iPhone app icons. Apple even branded an iPod touch model with a Home button, replacing the squircle with a perfect circle to align with the app icon grid of the iPod nano.
In 2013, Apple upgraded the Home button to incorporate Touch ID on the iPhone 5s, which introduced a metallic ring fingerprint sensor, eliminating the icon. Consequently, passcode use soared.
Beginning in 2016, the physical Home button was replaced with a solid-state variant that did not click but instead utilized haptic feedback from the Taptic Engine to create a near-authentic button press sensation.
This transition addressed a frequent point of failure in iPhones. Given that iPhones maintain their value and are used for extended periods, the Home button was prone to eventual failure. As a result, many users resorted to using a virtual on-screen Home button to preserve resale value or to cope with a malfunctioning Home button.
In 2017, the launch of the iPhone X marked the gradual phase-out of the Home button. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were the final models introduced with a Home button, coinciding with the release of the all-display, premium iPhone X.
Post-2017, the Home button was relegated to just the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3, retaining the design of the iPhone 8. With the launch of the iPhone 16e today, the Home button’s legacy has officially come to an end, bringing gesture-based navigation to all the iPhones now available.
