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Repair information and guides for the iPhone 6 that was released on September 19, 2014. Model Numbers: A1549, A1586, and A1589

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Any possibility to replace Homebutton AND have Touch ID still working?

I do a lot of phone repairs and I have some customers who tried replacing the screen on their iPhones by themself and brokr their home button (mostly the flex cable).

Is there any possibility to get Touch ID working again without getting it repaired or replaced by Apple?

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It is possible but only apple center can do that and I did replace my customer screen and home button at apple store and it worked after they replaced that. it needs to be repair after replace it but don't know how.

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Does anybody know how much a home button replacement costs at the Apple center? And is Apple Care specifically required for the replacement?

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To replace the home button with Apple it would cost $80

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I ordered a replacement iPhone SE a few days ago since my old one broke, and when it came I found out it was refurbished. Touch ID wasn't working since the home button had been replaced, and so I swapped in the one from my original phone, and then put the phone into DFU mode and reset it. Even though I have an original, working home button, it doesn't work.

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Thank you Tyler for that information, I didn’t know that myself either. Also, as I do repairs through iCracked, do you know what information I’d need (if any) in order to get that Touch ID component corrected and fixed as it is not my personal property?

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Literally not possible if you replace the button.

It is possible to splice the broken home button back together if you have the skills. However there is no "chip" on an iPhone 6 home button. The only chip is the sensor chip fused to the sapphire face of the button, it is not possible to remove the chip from the button or extract any data from it.

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Thanks very much for the info' bro

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@tomchai you seem very reputable so I would love to ask you a question regarding iPhone 7/7+ Home buttons. When I did a replacement on my 7+ screen I was reckless and tore the upper half of the flex a bit and now Touch ID and clicking function no longer works. My plan is to take a iPhone 7 home button that is not damaged and swap the U10 so that I will have the original U10 on the new flex cable, it appears this will only fix the clicking function but not the Touch ID. Do you know which chip is for the Touch ID on the home button flex? I would like to know so I can swap both that chip and the U10 on to the new flex so that my phones home button will function properly. Thanks so much.

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The sensor under the button itself hosts the Touch ID encryption, so only the original button will work.

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Good share..

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Ethan, it will not. Turtle (U10) will not work if MESA does not match, and Turtle is not paired to the device anyway so moving it would be pointless.

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I actually got a new one to work , I first disconnected the battery , disconnected the lcd , battery back on let it start up connected to a computer so you know when it has started up , then disconnect battery again , on the lcd disconnect the home button , then reattach the lcd , let it start up then shut it down again , connect the home button again and start up , then shut down and restore in dfu mode , then it will work , it basically rewrites the the code for the home button , I have done this on many many phones now with 100% success , hope it helps

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Did you tried it with original Apple home button from other device or with some replacement part?

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I tried your method and in my case on iPhone 6S wont work

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Can you retype what you said plz I can’t really understand what your saying

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was it a home button from Apple, very interesting

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How do you identify an Apple original home button. I have about 20 Apple original screens and none have a home button with an apple on it.

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Not that I have found and I've for sure tried. Best I can figure out is there is a chip in the Touch ID button that is paired with the logic board at the factory. That information is stored somewhere at board level, since a wipe/restore doesn't reset it.

Touch ID is pretty freaking solid security. I'll give Apple a win on this one.

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That may only apply to iPhone 5s. iPhone 6 home button has only one chip, the sensor chip itself.

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There has to be something storing the identifier.

Doesn't there?

I mean...its not stored on unicorn farts. There has to be something that stores the identifier of the home button, or swapping home buttons would be possible.

Right?

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Yes. The iPhone 5s button has 2 parts, the sensor chip behind the crystal and the controller chip on the flex, also the other end of the chain would be the A7 CPU. However starting with iPhone 6, Apple started using a one-chip solution, the sensor chip and the controller chip are one and only.

I've heard people fixing home button flexes by splicing broken ends together, replacing malfunctioning caps/chokes/resistors on it, or even migrating the controller chip for iPhone 5s (not confirmed) but chip migration would not be possible for home buttons on iPhone 6 and above because there is only one chip and it is not possible to pull it off the crystal.

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is it glued to the crystal? As I have a home button which has small cracks but works i.e. TOUCH ID etc. had to replace screen and got a new home button with the new screen. Need to replace the button only does not look good with the cracked button, please help.

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You could get a Touch ID receptive “sticker” to protect the home button and it’s functionality. I have one as well as a 5D tempered glass protector and the sticker sits flush. Almost like I don’t have that extra 3mm layer of protection. It also works with Touch ID security and all things Touch ID oriented.

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Unfortunately not (that I'm aware of). It is linked to the processor with a unique ID, so if both do not match, touch ID will not work. Apple did this for security reasons.

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I heard that there is a method with soldering(?) the chip from the flex or something like that.. And wouldn't it be possible to get to know the unique ID of the processor and change it on the homebutton?

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How nerdy do you want me to get? I have a pretty good understanding of how it works, I just don't know how to explain it in a simple manner.

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In theory, yes. If you could read the ID of the processor, and had software to change the ID on the chip on the home button, you could. As far as I know, this hasn't been done yet.

It might be done in future, but as Josh says, Apple is very tight with their security. To put it this way, still cannot find a way to reprogram SMC chips from MacBooks made years ago, so I can't buy them new and instead have to pull them from broken boards...

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@joshw Please try to explain :)

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This is my logic:

Apple does not make the Touch ID scanner and logic board together but you cannot use non matching parts, so at some point they are paired. The Touch ID does have an IC and the phone has its ICs, so at some point the two are paired together through programming. It would only make sense that when the software is loaded on the phone, it finds the Touch ID identifier and creates a unique internal code. If either of those parts are swapped, the code doesn't check and Touch ID fails.

Since no amount of of software hacking has been able to decode or encode this, its almost certainly a one time event that can't be redone without using whatever method is used at the factory. I am used to Android programming, so in my mind its some sort of MD5 check.

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There is a way to keep the touch ID when reparing a iPhone home button. I refurbish phones and sell then on eBay. I have a bunch of home buttons and mixed them up and needed to find the right home button for the phone I was working on. I called Apple and they told me it could be done, but never got to tell me how, because I had to hang up and really I just thought the representative didn't know what she was talking about.

Well, that night I was fixing a phone with a black screen and just grab any button to test it and I put the phone in recovery mode and after I started to set it up the finger scan didn't fail and I was able to use the Touch ID. The they was I had used a white button and the Touch ID was working and it couldn't have been the original since my screen was a black screen. I called Apple again and was told that yes it should work. What the rep explained to me was that some companies don't put the correct hardware on the home buttons they sell to save money, but if you purchase a quality one it will be able to reset the Touch ID to work by doing a full system restore in DFU mode. So who knew you can restore the Touch ID it just depends on the home button you purchased. They did say that the Apple Store and Best Buy can repare it for you and keep your Touch ID.

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That white home button, was it original Apple home button, just from other iPhone?

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I am not sure but the Apple rep said it has to be high quality. My guess is would have to be Apple. I would call the iPhone help line every time I call they are very helpful.

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I can't confirm what Richard said. After your post I was very curious if this method would work, so I put two iPhones apart and tried the Homebutton from the one iPhone on the other one, but also after a normal reset and a reset in DFU mode the phone still gives me a touch ID error...

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I am pretty sure it happened maybe a lucky one which I doubt. I read if that it can be done with jailbreak. If this is true then this to me is the most likely reason. I read if you jailbreak it then even if you go back to Apples firmware button stays linked. I tried to also duplicate what happened to me and it hasnt worked again. I took buttons with original buttons put them on another phones and nothing. I called apple again they again told me it can be done. I started to feel like they were trying to get me to go change the screen and button at the apple store. They said that definitely works. I dont know if that is true. Thinking of going to app store with a phone with nonworking home button and getting screen and button replaced. This way I will know if they are just switching the button pretending to program it but I have spoken to 4 Apple reps on the phone and all of them practically quaranteed to me it could be done. I will research jailbreak method. I think I can have a better chance that way.

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Jailbreaking will not work, the security pairing works below the OS level. There is a pairing routine in the firmware but requires Apple server signing the request like when you update the system. Unlike system updating, this server is usually not available to the public. Maybe a glitch happened so somehow you actually reached it and it signed the request for you.

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Don’t ask how I found this out, but the chip in “official” TouchID buttons isn’t actually OTP after all.

Its actually an e2prom but with the external write voltage line routed through a cell fuse so when written it gets “Zapped” and goes open circuit or at least very high resistance in order that any attempt to rewrite it would then fail.

The way to fix this would be wiping the chip with X-rays. Needless to say it would be dangerous but UV light may work as it has done with many smaller chips of which this is likely to be. Cell size is probably in the micrometre range so should be feasible with something like a Cool-X or similar.

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I wonder if a degauser would wipe it. Bet it woulda

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What if you transfer original home button from other iPhone 6, will touch ID work?

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No. It has been tired countless times.

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Hello,

just to let you know how.. My Home button on my iPhone 6S cracked, and I needed to buy another one. I got one from eBay, for around 5$. Have installed it, and its working just fine. Except Touch ID. I tried with restore in DFU mode, as some users here suggested, but had no luck to get Touch ID to work. Maybe its possible just with original home button from Apple. If someone found the way to get Touch ID to work after home button replacement, please let me know.

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yes if you have the old home button still

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I replaced screen on my iPhone 5s Touch ID failed luckily had the flex of original fingerprint scanner put that back on the phone Viola was working again, can definitely say it’s chip pairing with logic board. Got a iPhone 6 Plus to try on next will let you know the results soon

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apple would have to swap your home button, I’ve even tried an oem iPhone 6 home button and put it on another six but Touch ID will only work with the home button the logic board came with

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its possible if you have the tool that i have

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So all you guys asking about "does the 5s have a storable chip info"

The thing is, imagine an abacus. You have three reds and then three blues.

Of course it is a row of chips reading 1's and 0's. But the chip reader

inside the phone sees the three red and three blue and says ok.

It is hard wired, in chips. It is not a readable programme as such

the chip just read a series of chips under the home button, it then

does it's thang and says yep, ok that's the right chips in the right order.

Maybe to expand a little, there is an algorithm that , after the chip on the home button

is "read", it puts the algorithm into play and says yep, 37 that's the one.

The bottom line is, there is no programmable information to be stored

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Actually the Touch ID sensor chip has programmable internal storage, it has upgradeable firmware and possibly secure key storage area for pairing key. It is written at the factory and also possible to be written by Apple service technician during screen repair. Now the problem is that a digitally signed command is required to reprogram this thing, only Apple has the master key for it. Also it seems that no one has figured out how to force read or write that area of the chip yet.

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i have ip6s 64gb MKQP2J/A, i check that must be silver 64gb, but my iphone are GOLD with gold ring around the home, touch id workss fine! strange enough huh? any idea what s going on with my iphone?

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Where did you find the info (ip6s 64gb MKQP2J/A)?

If it was in your settings, you maybe have another mainboard and Homebutton than the one your iPhone was produced.

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hi, I have the same problem to. But there's no sense in paring the original touch button with CPU since the fingerprint info is located somewhere in the logic board.

With some internet search, I've been able to find some solutions, just entering in DFU mode and reset the iphone, or disconnect the power to flush it.

Could be luck or not but since they did it, it worth a try.

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This guy is the most clueless of the lot

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Why to make things complicated, my Ipad works with the finger print of my Wife,s Finger, so every time want to use this Ipad Touch ID , she should be there for me ,???

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You can actually add more than one finger print for TouchID access or disable TouchID and use a 4-digit or 6-digit passcode instead.

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Not possible, iOS is so clever it can tell if the prints are the same person or not ;) :)

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If anyone happen to come across my situation, do let me know whats the best way to solve my situation. i really have problems regarding with my iphone 6 home button where specifically it's completely spoilt. And i remember having a spare of an iphone 6 but only its motherboard(internally) damaged. No damages externally. Mainly, the reason to why i wanted to do this only because of my spoilt touch id and the other spare iphone 6's touch id works perfectly fine. is there any possibility of replacing my current motherboard to the spare one so i can have my phone work complete fine with working touch id, functioning motherboard and other relatable parts that is function, specifically works like a brand new iphone 6.

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U said the other board was damaged...

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My phone is iphone 5s. what if i get the working home botton of iphone 5s and i tranfer it into another iphone 5s.can i used the touch id again

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No touchid is unique

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NO, the touch ID will not work.

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NO, ive got a tool that can do it

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Does anybody know how much a home button replacement costs at the Apple center? And is Apple Care specifically required for the replacement?

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130 euros or phone replacement or in the worst situation just 20euros for nothing (here in Cyprus)

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home screen by itself the estimate is $ 169 but “other” damage is estimated at $ 349 (US dollars)

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If you transfer the original home button it will definitely work. So if you take it to a store to fix the screen make sure you tell them to switch the home button, so you can keep your touch assist

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There must be some method of programming new touch id since there is a QR code printed over the socket. I strongly beleive this is the clue. But how? I have no clue!

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QR code is used for logistics tracking only, it is not related to the key.

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There are 5 or 6 pieces with a QR code, so Apple nows if one of these pieces are changed. When changed no longer Apple service.

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I do repairs consistently and apple security is still a bit fuzzy for me. But from my understanding the nand,gpu,cpu,home button, all these plus more all have a certain encryption code that needs to line up with the other. Once it leaves the factory there's no real way i know of that will change that. Best thing is if you buy a phone or replace the screen make sure its the original home button.

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Hi, does anyone know which chip it is on the flex cable that is paired to the logic board? I have the old flex cable but it’s ripped so was thinking of desoldering the old chip and put it on the new replacement home button flex cable. So which chip is it ?

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when you find owt let me know lol

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Firstly hello,

Hope you guys can help as it's similar to all above questions so thought I would ask here:

Can I use another ribbon from another 6S (non OEM) as a replacement, but keep the existing original button, would the button id work?

Thanks Ben

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I don't see a problem as long as you use the original home button.

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If you replace your home button it will work but touch I.d will not work.

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Any other damage for the iPhone would be estimated around the same cost. So for the home screen by itself the estimate is $ 169 but “other” damage is estimated at $ 349

From Apple Tech Support

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My iphone 5 cracked and my home button has fallen off. The homebutton however is still in good condition just that its broken off from its cables. Can i still fix the screen, whilst reviving touch id using the original home button? How would it connect to the replacement lcd? Give me ur takes on my issue pls.

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Iphone five does not have a fingerprint sensor,so I do not see the problem. That is the only functionality lost when you change the home button. The homwe button works,it is only unable to read fingerprint unless it is installed in conjunction with the CPU in which the code is rewritten to add fingerprint functionality a dynamic that occurs when the CPU is installed for the first time.

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A good chunk of phone repair stores have a machine that pairs your home button with the phone. Apple charges $80 and other stores will too because apple makes the machines that they can buy faulty so that they have to repair it and it’s expensive.

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Yes this is posible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IjC7rbH...

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This is possible; however difficult and tricky. There are a couple ways to achieve this, One would be to remove the broken screen while leaving the assumed working home button intact. The other involves removing and resoldering so i wont touch that

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My iphone 6s home button has been broken , this is why i have to replace it and my touch id is not working

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ive got i tool that can do it here is a link were you can get one for $133 JC V1S V1 LCD Screen true tone Repair Programmer for Phone 11 Pro Max XR XSMAX XS

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I have iphone 8 its touch id is working but home button is not , so is there any way to fix it ?

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