Can You Turn Your Phone On When The Power Button Is Broken?
For most modern phones, the answer will be No. You won’t be able to turn on your phone without access to the power button. For these users we recommend getting your power button repaired so that your phone can be used again. Turning on your phone when the power button is malfunctioning can also be challenging because the workarounds will vary depending on your device’s model and features.
Understanding the Power Button’s Role The power button is crucial for powering on/off the phone, locking/unlocking the screen, and waking the device from sleep. When it’s broken, these functions become inaccessible. However, various methods can help bypass this issue.
Ways to Turn On Your Phone Without the Power Button
- Using Physical Buttons:
- Using Connectivity Options:
- Charging the Phone: Simply connecting your phone to a charger can sometimes wake up the screen.
- Connecting to a Computer: Connecting your phone to a computer via USB can initiate a reboot, especially if ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands are used.
- Software and Settings Adjustments:
- USB Debugging and Developer Options: Enabling USB debugging in Developer Options can be a vital step. To access Developer Options, go to ‘About Phone’ and tap ‘Build Number’ seven times. This setting allows more control over the device’s functionality and can aid in workarounds for a broken power button.
- Innovative Features on Modern Devices:
- Double-Tap to Wake: Some smartphones come with a feature that wakes the screen with a double-tap. This setting can be enabled in the phone’s settings.
- Waking the Screen When the Device is On:
- Precautionary Measures and Long-Term Solutions:
- Battery and Privacy Considerations: While third-party apps offer solutions, they may impact battery life and privacy.
- Repair or Replacement: Ultimately, repairing or replacing the device is the most effective solution to a broken power button.
Methods That Might Work For A Small Percentage of Users: These methods are more specific and might not work for all phone models.
- Volume Down Button: Pressing and holding the Volume Down button for about 5 seconds can bring up the power menu on some devices.
- Bixby Button: On phones equipped with a Bixby button, holding it down can also access the power menu.
- ADB Commands: For phones running Android 11 or higher, ADB commands can be used to reboot the phone.
- Third-Party Apps: Apps like ‘Power Button to Volume Button’ can remap the power function to the volume button.
Conclusion Though a broken power button can be a nuisance, these methods provide temporary solutions to keep using your device. However, it’s advisable to eventually address the hardware issue for a permanent fix.
FAQs
- Unresponsive Phone: Try a forced restart by holding down the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.
- No Computer Access: ADB commands can still be used with an ADB driver installed on another Android device.
- Alternative to Third-Party Apps: The Volume Down button can still bring up the power menu in some cases.
- Persistent Issues: If the problem continues, a visit to a repair shop is recommended.
- Scheduled Power On: This feature allows setting a time for the phone to automatically turn on daily.
Hi! I’m Eric and I work on the knowledge base at GadgetMates.com. You can see some of my writings about technology, cellphone repair, and computer repair here.
When I’m not writing about tech I’m playing with my dog or hanging out with my girlfriend.
Shoot me a message at ericchan@gadgetmates.com if you want to see a topic discussed or have a correction on something I’ve written.
