If we talk about possible reasons why the touch buttons on an Android phone stopped working, the failure is more often on the physical side than the software side. If there are reasons from the first list, most likely you will have to take the device to a service center.
Physical reasons:
- A strong blow to a tablet or smartphone, a fall from a height.
- Prolonged exposure to moisture. Particularly serious damage occurs due to water getting into the area between the screen and the film or under the housing. Contacts are oxidized. After exposure to moisture, action must be taken immediately.
- Sudden temperature changes. Return the device to room temperature. Sensor performance may improve.
- Punching the screen. There are no scratches or cracks. The damage is noticeable when pressed - then glare is visible in the damaged parts of the sensor.
- Replacing the screen with an unsuitable model.
- Serious contamination. Wipe away dirt, dust, moisture, and fingerprints with special wet wipes from an electronics store or a microfiber cloth.
- Poorly applied film. In places where air accumulates under the film, parts of the screen will stop working. Remove the film and, if possible, replace it with a new one.
Software reasons:
- The OS is overloaded with applications or some of them are not working correctly.
- Changes device settings.
- Touchscreen problems are possible if the screen does not recognize touch correctly or poorly. Screen calibration will help here (you can actually do it at home).
- Inappropriate or unstable firmware version.
Why doesn't part of the sensor work on Android? Most likely, the contact has come loose or oxidized.
How to restart Android if the sensor does not work
Most often the problem is with the firmware version. To solve this, update the Android version and, if that doesn’t help, reset the settings. How to do this is in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the instructions in the next paragraph of the article. Why don't touch buttons work on an Android phone? Sometimes the problem is the film. If everything was fine before, try removing it. Sometimes it’s even a matter of new protective glass, which can also be detached yourself. Users say that the bottom touch buttons, which stopped working after calibrating the screen (3rd step of the following instructions), became sensitive again.
Part 3: How to Better Protect Android Data
It's really a headache to know that some Android buttons don't work. To make matters worse, the Android power button or home button does not work, which can lead to data loss or corruption. Therefore, for the sake of your data security, you must take steps to protect your data. It would be wise of you to back up your important data in advance so that you can restore that data if the Android power button does not work or the Android phone fails. Since there are dozens of apps dedicated to data recovery, I would like to recommend the best choice, Android Data Backup & Restore.
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For the convenience of users, Android Data Recovery provides 2 versions: Mac and Windows. It is compatible with more than 5000 Android devices, which is very useful.
With Android Data Recovery, you won't worry about data recovery anymore. Has the ability to backup contacts, messages, images, videos, songs, call logs and other frequently used Android files. Moreover, it allows you to recover your lost data in one click. One of its standout features is the ability to preview the data you want to recover before restoring it. It works fine in different scenarios, just like the Android power button doesn't work.
You may also want to know: How to Fix Android File Transfer Not Working
Common repair options
These steps will help in many cases of malfunctioning of a phone or tablet running Android OS due to software, so you can apply these tips when you doubt the system is working correctly.
- Reboot your device. Perhaps it was under heavy software load or a minor error occurred. Maybe the application just froze, but the sensor is working?
- Update the firmware. To do this, go to the following items: “Settings” – “About device” – “System updates” – “Check now”. More often than not, the problem is solved.
- Reset settings to factory defaults. Save all important data to a memory card, computer or similar storage device. Click “Settings” – “Memory” – “Reset to factory settings” – “Reset settings” – “Erase everything”. If necessary, confirm your choice. Wait a few minutes and the reboot will happen automatically
- What to do if the screen is glitchy? If it works but is slow, just clean the phone as a whole. Remove unnecessary files and applications and the cache (Settings - Applications - any application from the list - Clear cache). To remove other junk and clean up RAM, use CCleaner, Cleaner Master or another application.
The touchscreen on the smartphone freezes in one place
People encounter this problem quite often. When typing text or numbers in one specific place, the screen does not want to work in normal mode. Letters may not be pressed correctly. Instead of one letter “A”, press the adjacent “P” and the like. Such cases are still typical if you have been using the device for more than a year. The reason may lie in the smartphone battery.
The surface of the battery may be swollen. After some time this happens to them. Bloating should not be clearly visible. It can be determined by removing and placing the battery on a flat surface. Press on two opposite corners of the battery to see if the bulge can be detected. A working battery should lie flat on a flat surface and not dangle. And since there are already bulges on it, with one side it presses on the sensor from the inside. What could be causing poor screen responsiveness?
Also check whether a wire or an extra object has gotten under the battery. Any unnecessary or interfering objects can put pressure on the screen from the inside. You won't be able to replace the battery right away. And for a few days you can do a little trick. It consists of incomplete installation of the back cover. Hang it on the top mounts. Don't press down the bottom ones. So as not to pinch the convex battery.
How to fix your device
It is unlikely that you can fix your phone yourself. You will succeed when the problem is in the software. In this case, read the methods below.
If you have any questions, please let us know Ask a Question
- Calibrate your screen. Depending on the manufacturer, there may be a built-in utility for this, or you may have to download the application yourself. There are several ways. For HTC models: “Settings” – “Language and keyboard” – “HTC Sense Input”. On other smartphones: “Settings” – “Display” – “Display” – “Screen calibration”. If desired, you can calibrate the screen through the engineering menu. It is used by developers to test and change system components. We do not recommend this method as it can cause problems and takes longer than other methods. A third-party screen calibration application from the Play Market can improve the display's response. For example, Touchscreen Calibration or SGS Touchscreen Booster (you can set parameters manually in it).
- The bottom touch buttons on an Android phone do not work, what should I do? You can install an application to create soft buttons with the same functions, but in a different location. We recommend Back Button - it does not require root rights.
- Contact the service center. There they will more accurately determine the cause and repair the device.
If your phone's power button doesn't work, it can be difficult to activate the display. To solve the problem, there are several methods that can be used without the help of a wizard.
- Why touch buttons on an Android phone do not work: how to solve this problem
Content:
The power button is one of the most vulnerable places on almost any phone. This has nothing to do with the manufacturers or quality of the device; all the reasons lie in the active use of the button throughout the day. In addition, many users experience mechanical damage after the phone is hit or dropped. It is clear that the power button is responsible for turning the device on and off, so it is important that it works correctly. However, even with a broken button, you can start Android. Moreover, there are several ways to turn on the phone without the power button, which we will discuss in this article.
Solutions to the problem
- Determining the state of the buttons.
In order to understand how serious the problem you are facing is, you need to determine whether the bottom buttons respond to touch. To do this, you need to enable a function called “Vibration Confirmation”. To activate it, go to the “Settings” - “Sound” menu, and at the very bottom of the list that appears, check the box next to the “Vibrate confirmation” function.
Your smartphone should now vibrate every time you press the bottom buttons. If this happens, proceed to the next step. If not, try steps 3, 4 or 5 from these instructions.
- Screen calibration.
To do this, go to the “Settings” menu - “Language and keyboard” - “HTC Sense Input”.
Select "Advanced Settings" - "Calibration Tool". After this, a sentence will appear on the screen that must be typed on the keyboard. Follow the green circle.
If you can’t calibrate the keyboard, or you do it incorrectly, then go to “HTC Sense Input” - “Advanced settings” - “Reset calibration”. This will return the screen calibration to factory settings. Then you can perform the calibration again.
- Software Update.
The problem with non-working buttons may be due to outdated software on your smartphone. Update the software, this method often helps.
- Soft reset to factory settings.
Having previously saved all the data from the internal memory of the smartphone to removable media, reset the device settings to factory settings. We recommend performing a reset only for those users who were unable to resolve the problem using the two previous methods. To reset the settings, go to the “Settings” - “Memory” - “Reset to factory settings” menu.
Then a menu will appear in which we select “Reset phone settings” - “Erase everything”.
- Hard reset to factory settings (this method will be useful for those users whose touch buttons do not work and have similar problems with the touch screen). First save all personal data from your phone to removable media. Now press and hold the Volume Down button. Without releasing it, press and hold the Power button. Release both buttons when the splash screen appears. The menu that appears is controlled using the volume down and up buttons. Pressing the volume down button select “Restore original settings” (“Factory Reset”). To confirm your choice of action, press the Power key.
If the above methods did not help you, make sure that you followed all the steps correctly and consistently, try doing each step again. Also remember that often the malfunction of the bottom buttons of HTC smartphones occurs due to a faulty display module or hardware problems of the device.
The “menu” button in a Samsung and many other Android phones can be touch, physical, and of course, like almost everything, sometimes it doesn’t work.
If it is physical, it is often solved by cleaning the contacts. There seems to be a video on YouTube on how to do it yourself.
If your menu button is part of the sensor and does not work, then it is worse than if it were physical. Such repairs are more expensive.
However, you can try to calibrate the screen of your smartphone - maybe it will help and there will be no need for repairs by specialists.
The phone is not turned off, but is in sleep mode
If the phone has not turned off, but is simply in sleep mode (the screen is not active), you can turn it on without a button in several ways. The main rule in this case is to prevent the battery from being discharged. For gadgets with sufficient charge, we perform several actions in turn:
Double tap on the screen
Turning on your phone in this way is not possible for all manufacturers, but this feature may be available on your device.
Home button
Press and hold the Home button, if your phone has one. You need to hold down Home for at least 10-15 seconds, and on some devices it may take about a minute.
Calling a locked device from another phone
In this case, you need to pick up the handset and reset, as a result of which the screen should be unlocked without a button.
Volume control
Another way to turn on the device. To do this, just hold down the knob to increase the sound or decrease it. If the screen is still locked, try holding down the volume control at the same time as the device's power button or the Home button.
Connecting the charger
One of the simplest methods for turning on a gadget. On some smartphones, developers provide the option to activate the screen when the charger is connected, but this function is not available to everyone. The good news is that even if the phone does not turn on, it will definitely not run out of power, which means that the problem can be solved in another way.
If, while performing any actions, the smartphone starts in Recovery mode, this indicates that the problem is not mechanical damage to the button. In this case, in the Recovery menu you need to select “Reboot system now” or simply “Reboot”. After this, the device will reboot and the problem should be resolved.
- How to make your smartphone's physical buttons more useful? Five best apps
Note! If you managed to turn on your phone using one of the described methods, the solution to the problem does not end there. To avoid such difficulties in the future, you need to install a special program on Android that will replace the lock button and activate the screen if necessary.
What to do if the screen is partially working on a Redmi smartphone
In some cases, the sensor on your smartphone may respond but be unstable. There may be delays in response, virtual buttons remain pressed, and so on. We will now try to solve this problem by replacing the ineffective dielectric gasket. It is located under the battery of smartphones of these models.
An example will be given on the Redmi 5 model:
- Remove the screws on the back cover to open it;
Remove the back cover of the smartphone. Carefully remove the cover and pull out the cable that extends from the device’s camera. It can be pulled out of the socket on the phone board;
Remove the cover carefully so as not to damage the cable. Remove the battery and pull out the dielectric gasket, which is located on one of the cables;
Power button diagnostic apps
Unfortunately, it is not possible to solve the problem of a non-working power button using a program at the time of a breakdown. However, there are several applications that can be installed in advance, for example, at the first sign that the button is acting up. The following applications and programs are currently available to users:
- Power button to Volume button. Already from the name it is clear that the main task of the program is to transfer the power function from the start button to the volume control.
- Gravity Screen – on/off. The application increases sensitivity to device movement. If the phone is left on a horizontal surface for a long time, the screen will automatically lock. However, as soon as you lift or move the device, it turns on.
- Shake Screen on/off. A simple and easy-to-use application that can turn on the phone even without touching the screen. Just shake the device lightly to activate the display.
- Proximity Actions. A program that allows you to control your smartphone using special motion sensors.
Turn on the phone via USB cable to PC
Users who have the debugging function enabled in the settings can turn on the device using a PC, without pressing the phone's power button. To do this you need to follow these steps:
- Download and install Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on your computer, a program designed for flashing touchscreen phones.
- Connect the device to the computer using a USB cable.
- Open the ADB console and enter “adb reboot” in the line.
In addition, the application allows you to configure root rights and reflash the phone if necessary. A simpler version of the program is ADB Run. With its help, you can also restart Android, even if the power button does not work.
Where are screenshots saved on Samsung phone?
Typically, the received images are saved in the “DCIM” system directory of your phone, in the “Screenshots” subfolder.
You can view the result using the functionality of the “Gallery” system application or similar visual applications.
This is useful to know: what to do when the message “Could not save the screenshot” appears. The drives may be busy."
The phone is completely turned off: what to do?
If the lock button on your device does not work, and the battery has already run out, it will be a little more difficult to bring your phone back to life. Some devices turn on automatically after connecting the charger. If this does not happen, you can try holding the adjustment button on and off and hold it for a few seconds or a minute.
The second option is to connect the phone to the computer via a USB cable and repeat the same steps. If your device has USB debugging enabled, the ADB app will be able to reboot it even with minimal charge.
Thus, there are enough ways to turn on the phone if the button does not work. Have you tried all the suggested options, but none of them worked? Your device probably needs consultation from a professional technician with subsequent repair or replacement of the power button.
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Touch screen with physical damage: how to fix it?
If your phone or tablet has been bumped, dropped, or otherwise damaged, chances are the sensor will stop working 90% of the time. Don't rush to run to the service center! Before replacing your new display, try these free tips first:
- Preliminary damage diagnosis
What to do if the touch screen does not work after a fall? A diagnostic test won't fix the problem, of course, but it will help determine which areas of the screen are truly unresponsive. To access the diagnostic tool, you need to enter the specific USSD code in the phone number dialer.
All codes are different for Android devices of different manufacturers, models, and OS versions. Here are some proven codes that are usually used (the “-” symbol after the “#” symbol is NOT written):
*#7353# - most Android smartphones, especially Samsung;
* # * # 3424 # * # * - for HTC;
* # * # 7378423 # * # * — Sony Xperia series smartphones;
* # 0 * # — Motorola and affiliated devices.
For example, here's how the test runs on Samsung Galaxy S4, Android 4.0:
TSP Dot Mode will show small dots when you tap on the screen, while TSP Grid Mode allows you to check every area of the screen in a grid overlay. Using both of these modes, you can determine which part of the display is affected the most.
If the device has been dropped, the digitizer cable may become loose (come loose) and the touch screen may not respond. This can be fixed fairly easily by lightly tapping each corner of the touchscreen a few times. In 50% of cases this method helps.
Lock (power) button does not work
Regardless of the device model, a similar defect occurs on any device. The lock button often fails due to mechanical damage. For example, dropping the phone on asphalt or other hard surface. In addition, with prolonged use the cable breaks. In case of such a breakdown, you will need to contact a service center. The second option is to visit Huawei or Honor technical support. The smartphone may also malfunction due to liquid getting inside. If you dropped your phone into water, take it apart into parts and be sure to dry it. We recommend taking the gadget to a specialist to examine the condition of the mobile phone. To avoid this situation and protect your mobile phone from moisture and dust:
- do not handle the phone with wet or damp hands;
- do not leave equipment in dusty places;
- Avoid splashing water.
How to remove vibration on Honor and Huawei keyboards: instructions
For prevention, wipe your Android with a napkin daily to prevent the accumulation of small debris.
Reason 3 – contact – the contacts of the keyboard cable connector have oxidized or peeled off
The reasons for this malfunction are, as in the first point, liquid filling or aging of the contacts. Also, due to microvibrations, the surface contact layer of connectors can wear out over time or become dirty from dust. In this case, cleaning the contacts with an eraser (if the contacts are not graphite) and wiping with alcohol helps.
If the connector contacts have peeled off, it is extremely difficult to glue them back into place, so you should consider replacing the cable. As a last resort, you can try to solder the cable directly to the board by removing the connector. Sometimes you have to do this due to the inaccessibility of cables.
Buttons in the status bar of Huawei and Honor do not respond?
The phone stopped working when you touched the status bar? Basic steps to detect a breakdown:
- check the panel for the absence of liquid - perhaps water has got under the display;
- restart your smartphone;
- press the “Power on” and “Emergency reboot” button;
- install an antivirus program and do a full analysis of the system;
- perform a factory reset.
Hard Reset is a radical method of eliminating the problem. The phone is cleared of all parameters. To do this, open the “Settings” folder and click on the “Reset” button. Before performing the operation, save the data to a separate medium. Use external media or the “cloud on the Internet”.
Problem with Home and Call button
If the previous methods did not help, buy WD-40 cleaner. It must be used strictly according to the instructions:
- pick up your mobile phone;
- Spray the area around the Home key once;
- put a paper napkin and click on the key 5-10 times;
- wait a minute and repeat the steps;
- wait until it dries and check your work.
Follow instructions and safety precautions. Do not perform the procedure in bright sunlight. Spray the product only on the key. There should be little water, otherwise liquid will get under the display. Gradually blot off any remaining product.
How to fix the problem?
It is quite difficult to fix the problem at home. Did the above methods not help? Contact the service center. Describe the reasons for the failure to simplify the work of the technician. The touchscreen may need to be replaced.
If you have any questions or complaints, please let us know.
Not in all cases. Yes, pressing the POWER key may indeed not turn on the smartphone, but this does not mean that the problem is in the button itself. We know of cases where a similar problem arose as a result of a software failure, and after the gadget was launched, no more problems were observed with the key. It’s another matter if you dropped your phone and after that it stopped responding to presses on the mechanical keys - it cannot be ruled out that there was a breakdown. However, first things first.
Reset your phone to factory settings
Every digital device has a subsystem that regulates system boot, selects boot media, and sets parameters for connected devices. Your smartphone has it too. And we will use it to restore the device settings to factory settings if the sensor in your mobile phone is faulty. And also the previous methods did not help eliminate the problems with it.
Since now we are talking about any phone model, you will need to independently fulfill all the conditions after which you can enter the “Recovery” menu:
| Condition: | Explanation: |
| To get into this mode on the smartphone, you need to press two or three buttons at the same time and hold them until you see a menu that is unusual for your device. | This could be the power button pressed together with the volume up button. And the volume down and power button. You should experiment with combinations. |
| Before trying, be sure to turn off your smartphone. | You can launch the menu only when the smartphone is not working. |
| Connect the smartphone with the non-working sensor via USB to the computer and transfer the data to its memory. | If you have access to system folders, gallery, make copies of important files. |
Only after all conditions have been met, launch the Recovery menu:
- When the menu appears, select “Wipe Data/Factory Reset”;
Select “Wipe Data/Factory Reset” On the next window, select “Delete all user data”;
Select “Delete all user data”
The mobile phone memory will be completely cleared. Perhaps the problem was at the software level. And after restoring the system settings, there is a chance that the device will again work stably and without glitches on the screen. Turn on your phone and check if the sensor responds to your touch. If, after applying the methods described in this article, your device does not work correctly, we recommend contacting service. Because most likely the problem lies deeper. And you can’t do without inspecting the device by competent people.
Very often, the touch screen on a smartphone begins to work incorrectly, incorrectly, or simply not respond to touches. As a rule, all problems in this case can be divided into 3 groups:
Let's try to understand the causes of such breakdowns and try to eliminate them without resorting to specialized service departments. No matter what model or brand of phone you are experiencing the problem with, this guide will help you solve almost any problem.
Press the volume down or up keys
Many of the users know that to force a reboot or turn off an Android smartphone, they usually use the power key, as well as the volume down or up key. Here we advise you to first press the volume down and POWER keys simultaneously for 10-20 seconds to turn on the smartphone.
If it doesn’t help, do the same, but instead of the volume down key, press the volume up key and POWER for the same 10-20 seconds.
In this case, the smartphone may turn on in one of the modes, usually Recovery mode. This is already good, because this indicates that the problem is definitely not in the power button.
Now you need to restart your smartphone. This can be done using the Reboot or Reboot system now menu item.
How? The answer is below.
Clean the button from dirt
Your phone's hardware keys are regularly exposed to external influences. And dirt is no exception. Therefore, it is possible that the gaps around the buttons have accumulated dirt, which may interfere with their operation. Dirt can also get under the button, but here we wouldn’t recommend disassembling the phone without special knowledge. It is also possible for fat to get under the button, which in turn also causes deterioration in the operation of the contacts. In this case, you should turn off the phone, drop a drop (but not more!!!) of alcohol on the button, turn the phone over so that the alcohol flows out of the buttons and wait 30 minutes. This will clear the contacts. But under no circumstances use water or water-based solutions. Alcohol evaporates quite quickly, which cannot be said about water. If anything, we warned you.
Use charger
If the previous two options did not help you, use the charger: just connect the switched off device to it so that the smartphone starts charging. After a while it should turn on, and in normal mode. Unfortunately, this method does not work in all cases.
But there is another way that almost always works. Take the charger, connect it to the network, then hold down the volume up or down key on your smartphone (depending on what key combination is used on your device to load the recovery menu), and connect it to the charger using the cable, while continuing to hold the adjustment key sound, for example:
What's next? We need to open the recovery menu, so we are waiting for it to load, and it should load if you did everything correctly. Next, in recovery, select Reboot or Reboot system now - using the mechanical sound control button. As a rule, the action is selected using the POWER key, but it does not work for us. What should I do? Select Reboot or Reboot system now and just wait - within 15-20 minutes this menu item will be selected automatically and the smartphone will reboot in normal mode.
Users say that this method also works when you connect your smartphone to a computer or laptop.
Well, if you have a TWRP recovery, consider yourself lucky - just click on the Reboot item (touch controls are used).
How to save data when the display is not working
If the smartphone screen has completely stopped working and you want to save the files on the phone, you will have to use a regular PC and a special program.
Broken Android Data Extraction
iSkysoft have developed a program that allows you to save or restore necessary information from broken phones. To do this, install the Android Data Extraction application on your computer and follow the instructions.
Instructions
- Connect your smartphone to your computer using a wire.
- Open the program, section “Data extraction” (Damaged devices).
- Select the file type to recover.
- Indicate the current state of the smartphone: a) “Sensor does not work”; b) “Black/broken display.”
- Enter the smartphone name and model. Then click "Next" and "Confirm".
- Turn off your smartphone.
- Continue the process of saving data on your computer.
The touch screen of modern smartphones is quite fragile, so it can easily malfunction. You can always try to restore the touchscreen yourself or send it in for repair if the breakdown turns out to be complex.
Very often, the touch screen on a smartphone begins to work incorrectly, incorrectly, or simply not respond to touches. As a rule, all problems in this case can be divided into 3 groups:
- The touch screen has stopped working on the smartphone and is completely unresponsive to any presses.
- The touch screen doesn't work properly: when you press "a" you get "b".
- Delays when pressing, braking, distortion on the screen, color replacement.
Let's try to understand the causes of such breakdowns and try to eliminate them without resorting to specialized service departments. No matter what model or brand of phone you are experiencing the problem with, this guide will help you solve almost any problem.
Using special applications
We will tell you about an application that allows you to turn on your smartphone using the volume keys - if you were able to turn on your smartphone.
We go to the Play Market and use the search to find the Power button to Volume Button application. Download it and install it.
We launch the application, check the box next to Start Volume Power on boot up, and also click on the gear so that the message Volume Power is currently ebabled appears.
It should work. However, judging by the reviews, not all versions of Android work.
