Good afternoon friends. A black screen appears on the phone screen, but the phone is working. So are you familiar with this situation? Yes, for me. When touchscreen phones appeared, such displays began to malfunction frequently. It all depends on the malfunction factor. We can figure it out and fix it ourselves, or we will need to take the smartphone to a specialist. In such situations, people most often turn to the service center. In this post, I will tell you what exactly you can do yourself if your smartphone’s display suddenly turns black, but continues to function.
Common touch screen problems
There are several reasons why your phone has a black screen:
- the device fell;
- the microcircuit has failed;
- the connecting cable flew out;
- moisture has entered the device.
It is almost impossible to immediately understand why the phone screen does not work. The only exceptions are obvious damage that leads to the appearance of cracks on the display or deformation of the case. But first things first.
Removing the black screen by resetting settings
If you were unable to find a malfunction when you opened the phone cover, then you need to look for the occurrence of such a display in the phone software. So, let's begin:
- To get to the Recovery tab, you must first turn off your smartphone. If you cannot turn off the phone using the usual method, you should remove the battery from the phone for a certain time;
- Next, we need to press the “Power” buttons or the volume rocker. We hold these buttons until the emblem of the creator of this gadget appears. In some devices, one of the buttons is “Home”. You can press it together with the “Power” key;
- If you pressed the buttons correctly, the logo of the creator or the Android OS should appear. Next, a menu with tabs appears;
- Having entered this menu, you must select “Wipe Data/Factory Reset” from all the tabs. Then, to select items in this window, press “Power”. To move around the screen use the sound key;
- Then, a window opens where the tabs are presented. In this window, select the command called “delete all user data”. To select it, use the “Power” button;
- Our information will begin to be restored, this may take time. The phone will be cleared of all information. For example, from images, settings, applications, your account, etc.
In order to use your mobile phone in the future, you need to enter your login and password for your Google account. After this operation is completed, press the “Power” button to turn on the gadget. Then, enter your details to log into the phone.
If your smartphone has been exposed to water, then I can advise you to study my article “The phone fell into water.” In this article I describe in detail the action in such a situation.
The phone fell
To damage the display, just one fall of the gadget from a small height is enough. The greatest risk is a collision with asphalt or rocky soil, when the impact falls on a certain part of the protective glass.
If after this, the user’s display no longer works, the glass on the device could have cracked, resulting in damage to the touchscreen along with the display, or the cable could have popped out. It would be reasonable to take the gadget to a specialist for diagnosis, making sure to note that you dropped it.
What can you do if your smartphone is working, but the display is black?
- Let's first apply the simplest options for fixing a black screen on your phone. Reboot the smartphone by holding down the “Power” key and keep it pressed until the gadget turns off;
- After that, take out the battery and install it again. Turn it on again. If the phone does not work normally, we will use the keys with which we create screenshots.
This is done like this:
- Press and hold the “Power” key and the volume rocker for more than five seconds;
- No changes? Then press the power button together with the “Increase volume” button for 5 seconds;
- You can also use a combination of different buttons together with “Home” when it is on the body of your gadget.
These methods did not help, in this case, let’s move on to much stronger methods. Let's open the back cover of the phone and look for the breakdown under it ourselves.
Screen control chip failure
Another extremely common occurrence is the failure of the graphics chip. The display stops receiving information from the device and no longer shows images. It is extremely difficult to identify this problem at home. In this case, all components must be completely replaced. This operation will not be possible if the device is smashed to pieces.
If all else fails
If the device vibrates slightly when you press the power button and does not function, there may be a problem with the battery:
- Connect the device to the power supply.
- After 15 minutes, a charging indicator appears on the screen.
- They start the phone.
If the device does not turn on, then check the functionality of the hardware. Connect the smartphone to the computer via a USB cable. The PC should correctly recognize and open the gadget. We recommend connecting the equipment without a battery to a PC or to the network via a charger and observing the reaction of the operating system. When an indication appears on the screen, the cause of the failure is the battery.
The removable battery can be easily recharged using a universal device (“frog”). The element is set for 3 hours, the charge level is monitored and returned to the smartphone. When fully discharged, connect via USB cable to the PC and leave for 60 minutes. Exposure to low-frequency current will gradually “wake up” the device.
If you can’t restore the functionality of your smartphone, then contact a service center for help. Any interference in the functioning of the operating system will remove the warranty from the new copy. Manipulations with equipment should not be carried out without identifying the culprit of the problem.
Vyacheslav
For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.
Ask a Question
Question to the expert
While installing the official firmware, the smartphone turned off due to low battery. The gadget does not start, how to fix it?
Connect the device to a computer or charger for 3 hours. If the OS does not start, then reset the settings through the Recovery menu.
The phone fell and does not turn on, what should I do?
A strong shake, impact or fall damages the parts (cable, conductive elements) on the board. Mechanical defects are repaired at the service center.
How do you know if your battery is dead?
A USB tester is used to measure the current level. The miniature screen displays standard indicators and measurement results.
4.5/5 — (22 votes)
Worn or disconnected cable
Compared to most hardware components, the cable can be replaced without additional re-soldering of the device board. Usually, solving such a problem takes several hours, even when the cable is completely broken.
It is possible that the display no longer lights up, not because of a broken cable, but because it was disconnected from the main board as a result of a strong impact. Repair work will take only a few minutes, the cost will vary depending on the complexity of the gadget’s internal structure.
How to fix technical problems
First, you should check your device for problems related to the operation of the OS or third-party applications.
Reboot
Rebooting the phone is the easiest way, which in some cases can restore the display to functionality. If the screen is not responding due to some minor OS issue, this method may help you. Here's how you can do it:
- Turn off your phone. This can be done even with a non-functional display. To do this, hold down the power key for five seconds, the phone will either turn off or reboot.
- After the screen goes dark, wait a few minutes.
- Then press and hold the Power button to turn on the device.
Now check whether the touch screen is working or not.
Removing the memory card and SIM card
Sometimes screen damage is not the actual cause of the problem. There may be some problem with the memory card or SIM card. In this situation, you should try removing the SD or SIM card from your phone:
- To do this, turn off your phone.
- Then remove the memory card and SIM card.
- Insert them into place and turn on the smartphone again.
Safe Mode (if the screen is just glitchy)
You can try booting your phone into Safe Mode to fix the problem. This will help you determine if your touch screen problem is caused by any of your recently installed apps.
Moisture and liquid entering the phone body
One of the worst scenarios for why the screen won't light up is if the hardware comes into contact with moisture. Whether it is steam or a few drops of liquid, they can cause destruction of board contacts, cause short circuits, or manifest themselves in a specific way when the sensor does not respond to your touch or divide the image into several zones.
The solution to this problem will depend on the amount of oxide formed. If you delay repairs, thorough cleaning may not be enough and you will have to resort to replacing damaged modules.
Oxide Elimination
It is possible to fight oxide on your own. Immediately after moisture gets into the gadget, it is recommended to completely disassemble the device and check it for the presence of electromechanical corrosion. The affected area is treated with 96% medical alcohol; for the best effect, use a toothbrush soaked in alcohol and dry the board.
It’s worth warning right away that such personal intervention can only worsen the condition of the smartphone. It is better to give the device to the specialists, where they will treat it with a water-repellent solution and provide high-quality washing using an ultrasonic bath. Dry it in a heating cabinet at a certain temperature. It is often impossible to say for sure whether the device can be saved due to extensive damage to the hardware of the board.
Solution 1: Charge the battery
The absence of any response to unlocking, turning on or forcibly rebooting the system is a sign of a low battery. Therefore, you should put the phone on charge and leave it for 15-20 minutes, and then try to start the device again.
USB tester with indication of voltage, current and power.
In some cases, a completely discharged battery stops charging, which can be determined by a USB tester with a charging indication. In this case, you need to recharge the battery from an external source. And considering that most models have a non-separable battery, a trip to the workshop is guaranteed. However, it is worth trying other methods described below.
A smartphone with a replaceable battery makes it much easier to charge a completely dead battery.
Advantages of specialized service centers
The obvious advantage is a complete diagnosis of the device followed by replacement of failed parts.
Unlike carrying out these manipulations at home, the risk that the master will touch an important unit through negligence is minimized. Additionally, you will receive a warranty for the entire device, and not for an individual part that had to be replaced. As replacement parts, only original spare parts are used, without using low-quality Chinese analogues.
Rather than try to fix the problem yourself, it is better to immediately contact specialists who have experience in restoring mobile devices and the necessary tools for this. This is especially true for those who need an urgent screen replacement.
