What To Do When The Power Button Of Your Android Phone Is Broken?
A damaged power button seems to be the end of the line for your device. But don’t worry; there are plenty of alternatives to keep your device in a working state even when your Android phone’s power button is not working. In this article, we have compiled several ways to deal with a broken power button.
If you feel that your power button is acting up, the most important thing you need to do to ensure that you don’t lose access to your device is to turn on USB debugging and Scheduled Power On.
How To Turn On USB Debugging on Android?
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Developer Options. If you don’t see Developer Options in Settings, you can turn it on by going to About phone, tapping on the Build number seven times till you see a toast that reads “You are now a developer”.
- Toggle Developer options on.
- Find USB debugging and tap on it to toggle it on.
How To Turn On Scheduled Power On?
If your device supports Scheduled power ON/OFF, you can turn it ON in Settings to automate power ON and power OFF. If you have a damaged power button and your device shuts down, then you can rest assured that it will boot up at a pre-set time.
- Go to Settings. Search for “Scheduled power ON/OFF” in the search button shown in the upper right corner.
- Toggle Power ON and set the time you want it to power ON every day.
How To Unlock Your Android Device When Power Button Doesn’t Work
We can consider two scenarios where you can be stuck with a damaged power button. Your device may be in the On state, or it may be switched Off. If it’s the former, try not to let your device shut down as the steps to gain control of your device without a power button are much easier when the device is On.
Three Ways To Restart Your Device with a Broken Power Button When It’s Off.
- Once all your charge is depleted, simply connecting your device to the charger may restart your device. You can also try to press your volume buttons in different combinations to boot into the recovery menu. There you can select “reboot system now” by tapping on the Power button.
- Try connecting to a PC or a laptop via USB cable. This action might reboot the device too.
- If you have USB debugging enabled, then you can restart your device using ADB commands. You can find ADB drivers here or here. Install your device drivers and then you can reboot your device by typing the “adb reboot” command. Follow online tutorials for your specific device.
Unlock Your Device When your device Is Powered On
It is relatively easier to wake your screen when the device is switched on. You can try calling your device from another number to light up the screen. Connecting the charger or a USB cable may also turn on the screen. Devices with fingerprint sensors will wake up with the touch of a fingertip.
Use Double-Tap To Wake
Other features can help you turn on the phone without a power button. For example, if you have the double-tap to wake feature enabled, you can wake the screen and enter the password. So, try to enable it in the settings if you haven’t done it already.
Furthermore, you can use apps to compensate for the power button. These apps can turn OFF your screen, wake up the display or, perform the most necessary task of booting up your device.
Apps That Can Replace Your Power Button
Note: Apps of this kind generally use device administrator rights. Before uninstalling them, you have to go to Settings>>Device Administrators and untick the app from the list.
Shake to Lock/Unlock
It is a lightweight app that does exactly what the name suggests. A gentle shake can wake up your display and can also turn it OFF.
Gravity Screen
Gravity Screen is a handy app if you have a broken power button. It can automatically turn your screen OFF when you put it in your pocket or on a flat surface. You can choose to keep the screen ON while the device is in motion. The gravity screen allows you to set your parameters to calibrate its various sensitivities to your preference.
Power Button to Volume Button
This app can make your volume button act as a power button to wake up your screen from sleep. But you cannot use it to restart your device. It can also show a persistent notification in your notification panel, which can turn your screen off when you tap on it.
Although these apps are helpful, they might take a toll on your device’s overall battery life and your privacy (Since they need Administrator access to run). Hence, don’t consider these apps and techniques as a permanent solution and get your device fixed immediately by visiting any third-party or official service centers.
So, these are some practical methods that you can follow to unlock your Android phone when the power button is not working. As far as fixing your broken power button is concerned, there are two ways.
Hard Reset Your Android Phone
Or there could be nothing wrong with your power button but the software of your smartphone. In which case, consider resetting your device to restore things to working condition.
Check your manufacturer’s website to see if they created a device reset tool that will work for your phone. I once found one for my Sony Xperia when I soft bricked the device while installing a custom ROM.
Send It For Repair
Resetting the phone won’t solve the problem if the power button is physically damaged. The next logical step is to send your phone for repair. It’s possible that your phone is still under warranty, and if your phone manufacturer is generous enough, you could get it fixed at an official service center.
Why Is My Power Button Not Working?
If your power button is intact and is still giving clicky feedback when you press it, but it isn’t working, there’s a high chance that the ribbon cable that connects the power button to the motherboard of your device has snapped. If that’s the case, you have to either use your phone by installing the apps mentioned above or give it for repair.
Did you find these ways to deal with a broken power button helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments.
FAQs
Moden Android UI’s ship with a double-tap to wake and lock feature. You can enable the same and use your device. Or else, apps like Gravity Screen, Screen Lock/Unlock, and Power button to Volume Button can get the job done.
There could be plenty of reasons why your power button is not working. It could be due to a bad connection between your motherboard and power button cable, and it could also be due to the wear and tear of the power button connector.
Yes, like any component on the phone, the power button can also be replaced or repaired. However, the job’s difficulty depends on the device and its manufacturer.
