Troubleshooting: iPhone Home Button issues?

Some iPhone users have been reporting problems with their Home Button not registering their clicks properly. For example, a double-click only registers as a single-click and a single-click is not recognized at all.

I have actually been dealing with this very issue for the last couple weeks on my iPhone 4. I thought maybe I wasn't pressing the button firmly enough, but that had never been an issue before. I then thought it could be that the button had some debris or other gunk under it. Essentially, I figured it was something caused by my own doing.

After this report from TiPb, I see this issue could be a bigger problem.

TiPb believes the issue could be software related, noting that many of the complaints started just after the iOS 4.1 update. The issue then remained through the iOS 4.2.1 update just weeks ago.

I cannot recall when the issue first appeared for me, as it was fairly intermittent at first. Now, however, it seems to happen at least half the time.

For software issues on your iOS device, the basic method for troubleshooting is this:

• Reset your device. Hold the Home Button and the Sleep/Wake Button until your screen goes blank and the Apple logo appears.
• Restore your device from a backup. Plug your iPhone into your computer and open iTunes. Click to Restore your iPhone and choose to restore from your last backup when it reboots.
• Restore your device as new. Plug your iPhone into your computer and open iTunes as before. Click Restore and when your iPhone reboots, choose to set it up as a new phone. This will delete your information and media.

I have done all three of these and still seem to be experiencing the same issue. That leads me to believe the issue is hardware-related. In the case that none of the software fixes work, you can set up an appointment at your closest Apple Store Genius Bar, AppleCare-certified technician, or call AppleCare at 1-800-APL-CARE to set up a replacement unit.

Of course, if you're not thrilled about sending your device away or getting it replaced, you could wait for Apple's next iOS update and hope that fixes it.

Have you had this happen on your iPhone? iPad? Let me know in the comments!