Android phone won’t turn on? We find out why and fix the board.
A black screen that won’t wake, a phone stuck on the logo, or one that died overnight. Before you write it off, try the steps below. If they don’t work, we diagnose it free and repair the board.
- Often same day locally
- No fix, no fee
- 90-day warranty
- Free insured mail-in shipping
Signs you need this repair
Sound familiar? The diagnosis is always free.
- Black screen with no response to the power button or a charger
- Stuck on the Samsung or Google logo, or restarting in a loop
- Gets warm on the charger but never turns on
- Died after a drop, a spill or a software update
- Turns on only while plugged in, then shuts off
- Rings or vibrates when called, but the screen stays dark
Try these steps first
- Plug it into a wall charger with a cable you know works, and leave it for at least 30 minutes. A fully drained battery can take a while to show any sign of life.
- Force a restart. On a Samsung, hold the side key and volume down together for more than 7 seconds. On a Pixel, hold the power button for about 30 seconds. On most other Android phones, holding power and volume down for 10–20 seconds does the same thing.
- Try a different charger, and wireless charging if your phone supports it, to rule out the port.
If it still doesn’t respond, stop there. Don’t factory reset it from the recovery menu if you want to keep your data. A reset erases everything, and afterward the phone asks for the Google account that was on it.
Is the phone dead, or just the screen?
Call the phone from another number. If it rings, vibrates, or you hear notification sounds, the phone is running and the display is the problem. That’s a screen repair, not a board repair. A phone that feels warm or vibrates when you press power is also usually alive behind a dead screen.
If there’s no sound, no vibration and no warmth, and nothing on the charger, the fault is in the phone’s power path: the battery, the charging circuit or the main board.
Stuck on the logo or restarting in a loop
A phone that keeps restarting at the logo can have a software problem, such as an interrupted update or corrupted system files. It can also have a hardware fault that crashes it during startup, like a failing battery or memory chip. If it started right after an update and the phone was otherwise fine, software is more likely. If it started after a drop or spill, hardware is more likely. Our free diagnosis tells you which, without wiping your data.
If the phone lands on a recovery or download screen you didn’t mean to open, a forced restart usually gets you out of it. Avoid any menu option that wipes data or performs a factory reset.
What causes a board failure
Most phones that won’t turn on have one failed component on the main board, not a board that’s gone completely. Common causes are liquid that’s corroded a power line, a drop that cracked a solder joint, a damaged charger that hurt the charging chip, or a shorted capacitor that drains power the moment the battery connects.
We find the fault by measuring how much current the board draws, using thermal imaging to spot the component that heats up, and checking the power lines under a microscope. Then the failed part is replaced with microsoldering. Heating the whole board or swapping random chips isn’t a reliable repair.
Why fixing the board is the way to save your data
Modern Android phones encrypt your data, and the key is tied to that phone’s own hardware and your lock screen. The storage chip can’t just be moved to another phone and read. The way to get your photos back is to repair the original board so the phone boots, then unlock it with your passcode. This is why we repair boards rather than swap them. See Android data recovery if data is your main concern.
Price and turnaround
The diagnosis is free, and we confirm the price before any work. No fix, no fee. If the fault turns out to be the battery or charging port, you pay for that simpler repair instead. We diagnose mail-in phones within 24 hours of arrival. Board work can take longer than a simple part swap, so plan on mail-in typically taking 7–10 days door to door. You can follow along on the tracking page.
Mail it in from anywhere in the US
No repair store near you? Book online and we'll email a free, prepaid, insured shipping label. We diagnose it within 24h of arrival, repair it once you approve the price, and ship it back insured. How mail-in works.
Questions
Can you unlock a phone that asks for a previous Google account?
No. We don’t remove or bypass Google account locks (FRP) or any other account lock. The account owner has to sign out of the phone, or prove ownership to the manufacturer to have the lock removed.
My phone died during a software update. Is it fixable?
Often. If the hardware is fine, the software can usually be restored. Whether that can be done without erasing data depends on how far the update got. We tell you before anything is erased.
Will you need my passcode?
Only to test the phone after it’s repaired, and only if you choose to share it. You can also unlock it yourself once it’s back. We never need your Google password.
Can a dead battery stop my phone from turning on?
Yes. A battery that’s completely worn out or damaged may not hold enough charge to start the phone, even on a charger. We test the battery first. If that’s the only problem, it’s a battery replacement, which costs much less than board repair.
Is it worth repairing a phone that won’t turn on?
Often, especially if you need what’s on it or the phone is fairly recent. A single failed component usually costs less to fix than a new phone. If it isn’t worth it, we say so.
More Android Phone repairs
Something else not quite right?
Screen replacement
Cracked glass, black screen, lines or green tint
Battery
Dies fast, shuts off early, swollen battery
Charging port
Loose cable, slow or no charging
Back glass
Shattered back panel, wireless charging checked
Camera & camera glass
Blurry, black or cracked camera lens
Water damage
Diagnosed free. You see the price before any work.
Broken today? Start your repair in two minutes.
Three quick questions: your model, what's wrong, and how you'll get it to us. See your price, then book a nearby store or mail it in.