This is the first ever implementation of an on-screen button on the iPhone.
The iPhone 7 has no home button. It has a taptic engine and a pseudo home button that responds to different levels of touch. But what do you do when this button fails? Turns out, Apple has a workaround in place for this. If the taptic home button malfunctions on the iPhone 7, you’ll get a pop-up message asking you to get it serviced, while also adding an on-screen home button to your phone in the meanwhile. This is the first ever implementation of an on-screen home button on the iPhone.
Macrumours forum user iwayne was the first to detect the workaround. Posts on the thread also ascertain that the Touch ID doesn’t work on the on-screen implementation.
It may also be considered as a big nod by Apple to rumours suggesting that the home button is all but dead. Next year’s iPhone 8 is expected to house a touch sensitive button, instead of a physical key as earlier iPhones.
Apple has implemented touch response on its home button before as well. The company’s implementation of one-handed mode on the iPhone 7 Plus is activated by double tapping the home key, instead of pressing it. This works the same way on both the iPhone 7 family, and earlier iPhones.
Interestingly, Apple’s new design for the iPhone 7, theoretically makes the button tougher to break down. The fact that you don’t actually press down on it, should in theory allow longer lifetime. However, Apple seems to have noted possible issues and has provided a solution just in case.
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