virtual home button

A home button on a smartphone, tablet or other electronic device that is an icon on the touchscreen. Tapping the home button displays the start screen. Contrast with a "physical home button," which is hardware and must be depressed. See home button.

Physical and Virtual

An iPhone has a physical home button but can also display a series of virtual buttons as one of its accessibility functions. These six white icons are displayed by tapping a single button that always remains on screen when the virtual feature is activated.