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Settingly

Legacy iPhone behavior

Home button navigation

Most people call this how older iPhones move between apps.

On an iPhone with a Home button you press it to go home, press twice for the app switcher, and there are no edge swipe gestures.

Available

This setting is present on your iPhone.

  • We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.

Where to find it - iOS 11 and later

  1. Settings
  2. Accessibility
  3. Home Button

What it does

Every gesture based instruction written for newer iPhones needs translating. Swipe up from the bottom becomes press the Home button. Swipe up and hold becomes double press. Control Centre comes from the bottom edge rather than the top right corner.

What changes

When it is on

Not applicable. This is hardware behaviour.

When it is off

Not applicable.

Should you turn it on?

Battery

No real change

Privacy

No real change

Performance

No real change

Cellular data

No real change

Storage

No real change

Out of the box: Fixed by the hardware.

What your iPhone needs

  • Only on iPhones with a Home button

Questions people actually ask

How do I open the app switcher on an iPhone with a Home button?
Press the Home button twice quickly.
Why will my Home button not click?
iPhone 7 and later use a solid state button that simulates a click. It needs skin contact, so gloves stop it working.

If it is not working

  • Control Centre is swiped up from the bottom edge, not down from the corner.
  • Reachability is a light double touch on the Home button, not a press.
  • A solid state Home button does not work through gloves, because it senses your finger rather than moving.

Related settings