Android home buttons not work (e,g, back button/home and recent apps) I have a nexus 4, got it roughly 5 years ago, and it has been working fine up until today. When I boot it up, I can open the phone but sometimes, when I hit my passcode, it freezes and I have to reboot. When I get past that, I can use apps and get into them, but I can't get out because the bottom buttons don't work. I can still use the app just fine. Those buttons also work when I first restart my phone.
Probably it's no software issue, the home button may have been damaged. However, you can try installing third-party Navbar tools from the Google Play Store or install a custom ROM :)