A smartphone that suddenly stops working can seriously ruin your mood. It seems that everything was fine half an hour ago, but now the phone won’t turn on and doesn’t want to respond to any key presses. And understanding what to do and where to go is not so easy. It was the same thing before, at the dawn of the era of mobile phones: you could take out the battery, charge it in a “frog” (external battery charger), press the keys to understand what exactly the problem was. And it was much easier to disassemble the device - you arm yourself with a simple Phillips screwdriver and get to work. Now everything is more complicated: a modern smartphone that has turned into a “brick” simply plunges the owner into a stupor. What's happened? Maybe the sensor is not working? Battery dead? How to get to it if the phone cover cannot be opened? And sometimes the smartphone starts to vibrate with a black screen, pauses at the moment of loading and for a long time shows a branded apple or an androman.
There is good news: in some cases, the problem can be dealt with without turning to specialists. There's no point in burying a phone that won't turn on right away. In this article we will talk about why this happens and explain how to deal with the problem yourself, at home and without complex tools.
Check if liquid has entered your smartphone
If the smartphone screen is dark, it does not respond to the power button, but begins to vibrate, perhaps water has got inside the device. If you gave the phone into the wrong hands, check to see if it was dropped into liquid or exposed to rain. If this happened, then it is better to turn off the phone and dry it. You can read how to do this here. You should not try to turn on a flooded phone or charge it. Water is an excellent conductor of electric current; if directed in the wrong direction, it can burn the contacts of microcircuits.
How to fix the problem in a couple of clicks
After several unsuccessful attempts to turn it on, we recommend using Dr.Fone. This Android system repair tool is intuitive, requires no technical knowledge and solves all problems quickly, especially successful on all the latest Samsung devices. Don't forget to back up your device.
Step I: Prepare the device and connect it
Step 1: Launch Dr.Fone on your computer. Once the installation is complete, click the Repair option on the interface. Connect your mobile to your computer.
Step 2: From the range of options, select Android Repair. Click the Start button to begin troubleshooting.
Step 3: Above the device information box, make sure you provide accurate information. To continue, click the Next button.
Step 4: Continue after confirmation by entering "000000".
Stage II. Enter Download mode
Step 1: Put Android into DFU/Download mode. A device that has a Home button must be turned off, then press the Volume Down, Home and Power keys simultaneously for 5-10 seconds. For a phone without a Home button, first turn it off and hold the Volume Down, Bixby and Power buttons for the same amount of time. Then release them and press Volume Up to put your phone into download mode.
Step 2: Clicking the Next button will download the firmware and move on to the next step.
Step 3: dr.fone will check the firmware and then take some time to automatically fix any problems found.
Check charging and battery
The phone is dead and won’t turn on again, even after you “feed” it with electricity. The situation is quite common. There are several options here. First: it's a matter of the charger. You may be using the wrong charger, or the wire may be frayed somewhere. It happens that the outlet does not work. Therefore, the first thing you should do to exclude seemingly obvious options: try to charge the phone from a different charger, connect to a different power source. Waited an hour and nothing helped? The problem may be with the battery. For example, the phone was too discharged (you tried to turn it on after discharge several times, the device was left discharged for too long, it was in extreme cold or heat). Sometimes in such cases the smartphone will not charge from a regular outlet. In this case, you either need to remove the battery and use an external charger to revive it, or try to charge the phone from a power bank.
Obvious advice: don’t rush to turn on your phone and panic. If the battery is almost empty, the device will take some time to start working. It's better to leave the phone alone for a couple of hours.
Damaged operating system
If system files are damaged, the phone will stop booting. Use the special ReiBoot software for Android, which offers to put your device into recovery mode in one click.
Connect your phone to your computer, launch the program after installation and select the Repair Android System function, designed to solve any system problems.
Click the Repair Now button, enter your device information, and click Next. Wait while the firmware downloads. Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. Disconnect the device from the computer after the problems have been resolved.
How to restart an iPhone that won't turn on
For the new iPhone X model, you need to quickly press and release the volume up button, then do the same with the volume down button. After this, keep the power button pressed.
On iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models, simply hold and release the Volume Up key, then do the same with the Volume Up button. Then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
For models 7 and 7 Plus, you need to press the side button and the one that decreases the volume together, also until the “apple” logo appears. On older models, you need to press the Home button and the top button together.
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The phone is not charging: what to do and why this might happen?
Press and release the power key
As a rule, the previous methods to turn on a dead phone work if the problem is not serious. However, there are alternative methods that help some. One of these is to hold down the power key for ten seconds and then release. You need to repeat this for 3-4 minutes. Sometimes this allows you to turn off a blocker that prevents access to the device when the battery is empty.
Press and release the power key
Also try to remove the SIM card and memory card, and then start the phone without them. Perhaps some contacts in them have become oxidized or dirty, which prevents them from turning on. If the system works after this, carefully wipe the contacts on the cards and insert them back. If the problem reoccurs, replace the SIM card or flash drive.
Reset your phone to factory settings
If your phone is behaving strangely, vibrating, the screen turning on and off, you can perform a factory reset. This will help if the error occurs due to a malfunctioning application or memory overload. Attention, in this case all the data that is on the phone’s disk will be lost: contacts, photos, messages, passwords, etc. If you haven't created a backup, this could be a potential problem. But if other options still don't help, it's better to lose some information than the device. In any case, we recommend backing up your device more frequently—at least once every two weeks.
A modern smartphone that has turned into a “brick” simply plunges the owner into a stupor. Photo: pixabay.com
"Shock therapy"
This method is applicable only when, when you try to turn it on, a splash screen appears on the screen and immediately disappears. Do the following:
- Connect the power adapter to a power outlet.
- Press the power button on your phone and wait for the screen saver to appear.
- When this happens, connect the power cable to the device.
- If the screensaver disappears, disconnect the cable and repeat the procedure again.
Some recommend doing this for about five minutes so that the phone “accepts” charging.
"Shock therapy"
Perhaps the cause of the problem lies in the power key itself, which is simply stuck and stopped working. This also happens over time on some devices. In addition, a software error or manufacturing defect may be to blame. If none of the methods to wake up your phone works, try doing a hard reset.
This action will return the smartphone to factory settings and the way you bought it in the store. This will also delete absolutely all your data from memory, so you should use this method only as a last resort. You can do a full reset through the recovery menu. How to enter there is described above.
If no option helps, go to a service center. Most often, the battery is to blame for everything, which has simply served its purpose. In this case, it will have to be replaced.
Update your phone's firmware or, conversely, roll back to the old operating system.
If the phone does not turn on, you will have to download the firmware from the Internet on your computer. Then proceed as in the previous paragraph. For iPhone, the firmware can be downloaded directly from iTunes. At the very beginning of the work, you need to select the “update” option and indicate the path to the downloaded firmware. For a phone, you need to download the firmware in advance, connect the device to the computer with a cable and follow the instructions that appear.
Use official software
If Android freezes on the loading screen, connect it to a computer with official software from the manufacturer installed.
So, for Samsung smartphones you should download and install Samsung Kies, for LG - LG PC Suite, and for Xiaomi - Mi PC Suite. Copy all data. Now you can update your phone. The method can also work in cases where the phone turns on, but turns off after a minute or two.
How to wake up a smartphone or tablet from standby mode
The following methods will help you unlock your device:
- Using a biometric authentication system.
- Connecting the power cable or headphones.
- Gesture activation.
- Turn on the phone using the MiKey button.
Method 1: Using a biometric authentication system
Modern smartphones and some tablets are equipped with fingerprint scanners - on the body or built into the screen. If you enter a fingerprint into memory, then to unlock the screen you just need to place the corresponding finger on the sensor. A similar action will lock the screen.
Fingerprint scanner on the front side of the Motorola G6.
To enter biometric data, click on the fingerprint scanner.
The system will prompt you to enter your fingerprint.
You should place your finger at different angles for the best scanning. In total, the system allows you to remember up to 5 fingerprints.
An alternative unlocking option is by facial recognition. Moreover, this method is relevant provided that the blocking is removed automatically as soon as the user’s face enters the field of view of the camera/sensor.
Method 2: Connecting the power cable or headphones
When you connect a charger or headphones, the screen briefly lights up, allowing you to unlock it.
Method 3: Gesture activation
Some models allow you to light up the screen using gestures, such as double-tapping the lid or screen. For example, on Motorola smartphones, swiping your wrist twice activates the camera, which after exiting the program allows you to get to the main menu.
Method 4: turn on the phone with the MiKey button
The accessory, installed in the headset jack, contains a customizable button. In the application settings, a parameter is specified - the number and duration of pressing to lock and unlock the screen. This method will be a good alternative if the device does not have a fingerprint scanner or if you need to wake up the smartphone to use the sensor. The button can also be used to wake up the device and then unlock it using internal means or biometrics.
Method 5: Remapping Keys
Changing the assignment of keys, for example using the volume up or down button, will also help to fully unlock the screen. Some devices have a function for changing key assignments; in most cases, you will have to use third-party programs:
- Almighty Volume Keys.
- Button Mapper
- Buttons Remapper
- Button Savior
- Remap Buttons and Gestures and others.
What to do immediately after a fall?
Depending on the situation in which the fall occurred, some specific actions are distinguished:
- If your mobile device falls into water, it must be removed immediately. The smartphone cannot be turned on; the battery is removed from it and placed in the sun or battery. The iPhone must be de-energized for at least a day. After drying, the battery is inserted into the device and turned on. If you don’t know how to remove the back cover on an iPhone, we suggest you watch the video below.
Clearing cache
Clearing the cache frees up additional space in the device's memory, eliminates problems with the launch or operation of applications, and deletes corrupted files that could cause the phone to turn off. Enter recovery mode by pressing a key combination that varies for different devices. Here are some examples:
- Samsung: Power, Volume Down and Home;
- Nexus: Power, Volume Down and Volume Up;
- LG and HTC: Power and Volume Down.
To clear the cache, follow these steps (using the Samsung Galaxy as an example):
- Press and hold the Power, Volume Down and Home buttons at the same time.
- When the Android splash screen appears, release the Power button, but continue to press and hold the other two buttons until the system recovery screen appears.
- You will see a menu with many options. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the Wipe Cache Partition option and select the option using the Power button.
Once the wipe is complete, the phone will automatically reboot and new cache files will be created. If the device does not turn on or does not charge, you should consider resetting it to factory settings.
