Broken iPhone Buttons? How To Use Back Tap And AssistiveTouch Instead

Guide 1n · Restart & Recovery

A broken button doesn't have to stop you. Your iPhone has built-in shortcuts that do the same jobs with a tap.

Works on: AssistiveTouch is on every iPhone. Back Tap needs iPhone 8 or newer.

Turn On AssistiveTouch

1. Open Settings and tap Accessibility.
2. Tap Touch, then AssistiveTouch.
3. Turn it on. A gray round button appears on the screen.

Use It Instead Of Buttons

1. Tap the round button.
2. Tap Device.
3. Tap Lock Screen to lock, or Volume Up and Volume Down for sound.
4. For a screenshot, tap More, then Screenshot.

Set Up Back Tap

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Touch.
2. Scroll down and tap Back Tap.
3. Tap Double Tap, then pick an action like Screenshot or Lock Screen.

Now tap the back of the phone twice to do it. Thick cases can make it miss taps.

Source: Use Back Tap on your iPhone, Use AssistiveTouch (Apple Support, checked Oct 18, 2026).

Franchitti's Fix LLC is an independent repair shop, not affiliated with Apple.