How to Fix a Stuck Button on a XBox 360 Controller

There are a small number of malfunctions that can affect your Xbox 360 controller. Luckily, a button being stuck is one of the easiest to fix and then avoid throughout future play sessions. Typically, an Xbox 360’s controller buttons will begin to stick due to a mixture of dirt, debris and sweat that builds up between the buttons, or the buttons may have come lose and will need to be rotated.

Clean the sticky controller buttons. It is most likely a mixture of dirt and sweat that is keeping the button stuck down. Take a cotton swab and dip it into rubbing alcohol. Rub the alcohol around the crevices of the button. The alcohol will help dissolve the dirt that is holding the button down.

Open the controller and rotate the button carefully. If you are using a wired Xbox 360 controller, you will be able to unscrew the back and open it up. Take your Phillips head screwdriver and unscrew the six screws located on the back of the controller. Carefully open the controller case. Clean the sides of the buttons using your cotton swab and alcohol. Carefully rotate the stuck button clockwise. Close the controller.

Send your controller out for professional repair or return it as defective. If the two previous steps did not work for you, the controller will need to be professionally repaired by an independent contractor or returned to the retailer you bought it from if the product is under warranty.