As discovered by Myke Hurley (via Daring Fireball), some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus users are going to have a tough time unlocking their devices during wintertime. As it turns out, the new "solid-state" Home button on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus requires skin contact or the right kind of capacitive gloves to function.

If you put on a pair of gloves or cover your finger with the sleeve of a shirt and attempt to open the iPhone 7, access the Home screen, exit out of an app, or activate multitasking, the Home button will not respond to a press unless it's touching skin. And because the iPhone 7 uses the redesigned Lock screen in iOS 10, there's no quick and easy way to bring up the passcode entry screen to unlock the phone manually (the quickest way sans Home button is to swipe to the widgets screen and tap one).

iphone7homebutton
We tested with a pair of gloves that are designed for touch screens and while we could unlock the iPhone 6s Plus with the gloves and use the touch screen, that wasn't possible with the iPhone 7 Plus -- the Home button wouldn't activate. There are mixed reports on Twitter from people with capacitive gloves, and while some work, others do not appear to. It may vary based on the material and construction of the gloves. Latex gloves also do not activate the Home button, but will activate the display.


The redesigned Home button in the iPhone 7 is no longer a physical button -- it's flush with the iPhone and uses haptic feedback to give the sensation of button presses. Because it's requiring capacitive contact to unlock the device, it's likely the iPhone 7 is using the Touch ID fingerprint sensor to register touch.

While capacitive contact is required to unlock the phone, the new "Raise to Wake" functionality still allows the Lock screen to be viewed without a touch, so it continues to be possible to view incoming notifications. Fully unlocking the phone will require a free finger that's unobscured by fabric or one of the brands of capacitive gloves that are functional.

Update: As MacRumors forum members point out, there is the option of turning on AssistiveTouch in Accessibility, which offers a way to bypass the home button with screen-only control options.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

larrylaffer Avatar
115 months ago
The other 92% of the surface has the same restriction, so uh, I don't really care.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfingarbo Avatar
115 months ago
Remember folks, some people wear gloves ALL THE TIME...

Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peepo Avatar
115 months ago
Doesn't matter because if one uses Touch ID then needs skin contact anyways.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
115 months ago
Not sure how this is really an issue. All you could do before, assuming you have touch ID enabled, is check the lock screen by pressing the button with gloves on.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tuslaw12 Avatar
115 months ago
"You're touching it wrong"
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zigmund555 Avatar
115 months ago
Buttongate.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...