Home button/fingerprint sensor stopped working

[nickluck]

I am having similar problem. HTC U11 finger print sensor and home button stop working after I have used the home button in light rain. I have tried everything except hard reset as I am still traveling overseas. I'll hard reset this when I am home. If HTC doesn't solve this problem, this would be my last HTC phone.

Don't reset it, it doesn't solve anything. It will recover itself eventually. I had experience of recovery time ranging from 1 to 3 days.
After holidays I will send it to repair.

 

[dfedrik]

Don't reset it, it doesn't solve anything. It will recover itself eventually. I had experience of recovery time ranging from 1 to 3 days.
After holidays I will send it to repair.

I'll wait. It's been 2 days or more already, I think.
Previously it happened as well before firmware update but I managed to solve the issue with holding the option button for a few seconds. This time around it won't work. Anyway thanks for the suggestion.

 

[nickluck]

I'll wait. It's been 2 days or more already, I think.
Previously it happened as well before firmware update but I managed to solve the issue with holding the option button for a few seconds. This time around it won't work. Anyway thanks for the suggestion.

Wait, what? Which option button? I might try it next time.

 

[dfedrik]

Wait, what? Which option button? I might try it next time.

The right side from home button for HTC U11, the square icon. What do you call that? I don't know, I just call it option button. Lol.

 

[nickluck]

The right side from home button for HTC U11, the square icon. What do you call that? I don't know, I just call it option button. Lol.

I will try and let you know if it worked for me

 

[nickluck]

The right side from home button for HTC U11, the square icon. What do you call that? I don't know, I just call it option button. Lol.

Just happened again with light rain. The square button didn't help

 

[etai-ab]

Me sometimes 2-3 times a week it doesn't work, i have to double tap the screen to wake up the phone. After that it works again. It could be the software i guess. Anyone experienced this?

Me too, a couple of days after reboot it stops working until I reboot again.
I always thought that it was related to the boost app that cleans the phone after a couple of days

 

[xMelBurNx]

Hello everyone. I had also the same issue the last week.
The last week I went on a Spa and I used the phone on the water to do some pics and videos. After that the fingerprint wasn't working very well. I washed with clear water and more or less it was still working somehow. 2 hours later the fingerprint stopped to respond. I restarted normally and safe mode and nothing fixed. Then I washed with clear water again and worked for 20 min. Then the fingerprint scanner stopped to work completely.
After two days, I let it dry. Then I made all the possibilities that you guys posted here to fix it. I did factory reset from setting and then also on recovery mode too, but the fingerprint setup disappeared from the settings. Two days ago I contacted to HTC and I they told me to go to Settings > Apps > Fingerprint scanner > Delete data. But it didn't work, so they told me to send them to repair it. I was very sad to read that.
Yesterday I took the U11 with me while I was taking a bath. I made sure to make it wet the phone and the ports. and micro holes, speakers,... And GODNESS, when I dried up and I put my finger accidentally on the scanner, It appeared me on the display a message to set the fingerprint scanner. I was like WTF? I set my fingers, I restarted the phone and It was working perfectly. The fingerprint setup it didn't appear on the setting, but If I go Settings > Security, It appears a tab to configure the fingerprint sensor.
Now, 12 hours later, the fingerprint works normally.
So if someone still has the same issue, just wash it hardly with clear water.
I hope this "story" might help. Good Luck

 

[aLp1n3]

Home button/finger print scanner stopped working after i got a screen replacement. I never had any issues before the screen replacement. After the screen replacement, the finger print option showed up in the settings, but nothing showed up after trying to enter. After formatting/factory reset, it went away completely. What could be the issue? Any solution?

 

[lera777]

You saved my day!

Hello everyone. I had also the same issue the last week.
The last week I went on a Spa and I used the phone on the water to do some pics and videos. After that the fingerprint wasn't working very well. I washed with clear water and more or less it was still working somehow. 2 hours later the fingerprint stopped to respond. I restarted normally and safe mode and nothing fixed. Then I washed with clear water again and worked for 20 min. Then the fingerprint scanner stopped to work completely.
After two days, I let it dry. Then I made all the possibilities that you guys posted here to fix it. I did factory reset from setting and then also on recovery mode too, but the fingerprint setup disappeared from the settings. Two days ago I contacted to HTC and I they told me to go to Settings > Apps > Fingerprint scanner > Delete data. But it didn't work, so they told me to send them to repair it. I was very sad to read that.
Yesterday I took the U11 with me while I was taking a bath. I made sure to make it wet the phone and the ports. and micro holes, speakers,... And GODNESS, when I dried up and I put my finger accidentally on the scanner, It appeared me on the display a message to set the fingerprint scanner. I was like WTF? I set my fingers, I restarted the phone and It was working perfectly. The fingerprint setup it didn't appear on the setting, but If I go Settings > Security, It appears a tab to configure the fingerprint sensor.
Now, 12 hours later, the fingerprint works normally.
So if someone still has the same issue, just wash it hardly with clear water.
I hope this "story" might help. Good Luck

You saved my day!
I've tried all workarounds mentioned above, but only washing the phone in water did the trick.

 

[sipe1]

Hello guys.

I had same issuse.

I had wet hands and pressed home button with wet hands in extensive period (1 hour) and home button stopped working.

I tried every advice in this thread.

• Left it 3 days, restart every day, home button still didn't worked
• Cleaned cache, factory reset, RUU restore, clean data fingerprint apk
• Getting home button wet again with water

Nothing helped.

My solution was next. Get rubbing alcohol ( isopropyl ) containing 70% or more percentage of alcohol.

Soak only home button with it and left it untouched whole night with phone turned off. It will soak in and dissolve any water left and impurities such as oils from your thumb skin.

I turned on my phone in the morning and home button was working, and I got window asking me to set up fingerprint (it was missing before in settings).

To get better idea.


I put enough drops of alcohol to cover entire home button, but not to spill on charge port. Left it over night with phone turned off.

Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, which is good solvent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol#Uses

Thanks all for advices in thread, and I hope someone will be able to fix home button as I did

 

[Scouse]

Hello guys.

I had same issuse.

I had wet hands and pressed home button with wet hands in extensive period (1 hour) and home button stopped working.

I tried every advice in this thread.

• Left it 3 days, restart every day, home button still didn't worked
• Cleaned cache, factory reset, RUU restore, clean data fingerprint apk
• Getting home button wet again with water

Nothing helped.

My solution was next. Get rubbing alcohol ( isopropyl ) containing 70% or more percentage of alcohol.

Soak only home button with it and left it untouched whole night with phone turned off. It will soak in and dissolve any water left and impurities such as oils from your thumb skin.

I turned on my phone in the morning and home button was working, and I got window asking me to set up fingerprint (it was missing before in settings).

To get better idea.


I put enough drops of alcohol to cover entire home button, but not to spill on charge port. Left it over night with phone turned off.

Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, which is good solvent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol#Uses

Thanks all for advices in thread, and I hope someone will be able to fix home button as I did

Big thanks for this, although I did have to do this twice for it to work
Gary

 

[Tibeti]

Htc U11 fingerprint scanner stop working.

Hi guys.
For my U11 happened just a couple minutes ago.Just went to settings,delelte all your fingerprints and re-add.For me was working.​

 

[robocopvn]

is there anyway to enable onscreen navigation bar on HTC U11?

 

[mightywhites29111971]

Has anyone had this problem recently? I have a 128GB 6GB U11 running LeedDroid and Magisk, and recently had this problem. After three days it appeared to fix itself. However this week it's happened again and it's been five days now. I have tried all the methods in the thread (apart from using alcohol on the button) and nothing has worked.
I have not got the phone wet, it may have got some moisture from my arm band after going to the gym, but I do not think that would have caused it. I am unable to go into fingerprint scanner in settings either. Have run out of idea's.

 

[hammered58]

Has anyone had this problem recently? I have a 128GB 6GB U11 running LeedDroid and Magisk, and recently had this problem. After three days it appeared to fix itself. However this week it's happened again and it's been five days now. I have tried all the methods in the thread (apart from using alcohol on the button) and nothing has worked.
I have not got the phone wet, it may have got some moisture from my arm band after going to the gym, but I do not think that would have caused it. I am unable to go into fingerprint scanner in settings either. Have run out of idea's.

I have had to use the alcohol trick twice now and both times it has worked great. My only twist was I waited until it evaporated and that worked too,, about 2 hours. Good luck

 

[mightywhites29111971]

I have had to use the alcohol trick twice now and both times it has worked great. My only twist was I waited until it evaporated and that worked too,, about 2 hours. Good luck

Thanks, I'll give this a go. The strange thing is that the fingerprint scanner in settings doesn't open either. Is rubbing alcohol on the home button going to fix this as well?

 

[hammered58]

Thanks, I'll give this a go. The strange thing is that the fingerprint scanner in settings doesn't open either. Is rubbing alcohol on the home button going to fix this as well?

That part was not a problem for me as finger print settings menu would open but would not function as it showed my finger constantly pressing the sensor.

 

[mightywhites29111971]

Left some alcohol on the button overnight and when I woke up most of it was still there. Wiped it down and dried it off. Went to settings and tried to open the fingerprint scanner settings - and they opened! Couldn't believe it, but my joy turned to dismay when I couldn't add any fingerprints. Have just got back from the gym and thought I'd try it once more before applying alcohol tonight and it is now fully operational. Very happy, but there is obviously an issue with the button if we're having to self repair.

 

[fyase]

Left some alcohol on the button overnight and when I woke up most of it was still there. Wiped it down and dried it off. Went to settings and tried to open the fingerprint scanner settings - and they opened! Couldn't believe it, but my joy turned to dismay when I couldn't add any fingerprints. Have just got back from the gym and thought I'd try it once more before applying alcohol tonight and it is now fully operational. Very happy, but there is obviously an issue with the button if we're having to self repair.

What a great news... I'm out for work and tried all the advised solutions with no issue... Was waiting for you and the alcohol solution... Looks promising