Phone won't turn on: what to check yourself

You press the button and the screen stays black. Don't panic: often it's not a fault but a deeply drained battery or a freeze.

Step 1. Charge for 30 minutes

Plug in a charger and cable you know work and leave it for 30 minutes. When deeply drained, a phone may show nothing for the first 10–15 minutes.

Step 2. Force restart

The phone may be on but frozen with a black screen.

iPhone 8 and later: quickly press and release volume up, then volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears (10–20 seconds).
Android: hold power and volume down for 10–20 seconds.

Step 3. Look for signs of life

Call the phone: is there vibration or a ringtone?
Put it on charge: does it get warm, does a battery icon appear?
Shine a torch at the screen at an angle: can you see a faint image?

If calls come through but the screen is black, the problem is most likely the screen, not the phone. See lines and spots on the screen.

Common causes

A worn-out battery: the phone was shutting down at 20–30% and eventually stopped turning on. See battery health at 80%.
The charging port: the phone simply isn't charging. See won't charge.
Water, even if it got wet a few days ago.
A drop: damage to the display cable or board.
A failed update: stuck on the logo. See iPhone stuck on the Apple logo.

What not to do

Don't cycle through different "powerful" chargers from a laptop or car.
Don't heat the phone.
If it got wet, don't turn it on at all; bring it straight to a technician.

How we help

Free phone diagnostics show whether it's the battery, screen, port or board. You get the price before the repair. More: phone won't turn on. Message us on Telegram with what you've tried.

Phone won't turn on: what to check yourself and when to see a technician