How to Go Back to the Home Screen on iPhone 12

If you have an iPhone 12 or a later iPhone version, you won’t have a dedicated home button on your phone. Apple first introduced iPhones without a home button in 2017 with the release of the iPhone X. However, some iPhones, such as the iPhone SE 2nd generation, still had a home button.

It was only in 2025 when Apple officially stopped selling new iPhones from models that featured a home button. If you don’t have a home button on your iPhone, here is how to get back to the home screen.

Use the Basic Swipe Up to Return to Home

To return to the home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen towards the middle of the screen. This will cause you to exit the app you are using and go back to the home screen. You can use this gesture regardless of which app you are using.

Navigate to Home From Lock Screen

If your iPhone is locked, you will first need to unlock it. You can do that via several methods. If you have Face ID or Touch ID enabled, you can use your face or fingerprint to unlock your phone. You can also manually enter a passcode.

Once you have unlocked your phone, you can then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to the home screen.

Use App Switcher When an App Misbehaves

If an app is frozen, and swiping up is not working, you can try opening the App Switcher instead. To do that, swipe up from the bottom of the screen but hold it in the middle of the screen instead of letting go. The App Switcher should appear, allowing you to close the frozen app by swiping it up towards the top of the screen.

Once you have closed the app, try returning to the home screen again.

Enable an On-Screen Home Button With AssistiveTouch

Did you know that iPhones have something called AssistiveTouch, which adds a digital button to your screen that you can use instead of gestures?

Various features on iOS, such as Spotlight and returning to the home screen, require gestures. For example, returning to the home screen requires you to swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

However, what if these gestures aren’t working properly for you? In that case, you can enable AssistiveTouch instead.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch. A circular button will appear on your screen. Click on it to open additional options, such as returning to the home screen or opening the App Switcher. You can now return to the home screen without using the swipe-up gesture.

Troubleshoot When Swipes Don’t Return to Home

If swiping up doesn’t work, try these fixes:

Clean the screen, as dirt and smudges may interfere with gestures.
Clean your hands and make sure they are not greasy or dirty.
Make sure Guided Access is not on. If it is, turn it off by clicking on the side button three times and then authenticating yourself with your Face ID or passcode.
If nothing else works, force your iPhone to restart.

Conclusion

I hope this guide was helpful! Navigating to the home screen on an iPhone is relatively straightforward. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen. However, if that is not working consistently and reliably for you, consider activating AssistiveTouch instead.