Phone won't turn on? Start here (iPhone, Samsung and Android)

A phone that will not turn on feels like the worst case, but it rarely is. In most cases the battery is fully drained, the phone froze with the screen off, or the charger is the real problem. Work through the checks below in order. They take about 45 minutes in total, most of it waiting for the battery to charge, and none of them delete anything from your phone.

Why won't my phone turn on?

• Fully drained battery: when the battery hits zero, the phone may need several minutes of charging before it even shows a battery icon.
• Frozen software: the phone is technically on, but a crash left the screen off. A force restart fixes this.
• Bad cable, adapter or port: the phone never actually charged, so it has nothing to start with.
• Heat or cold: phones shut down to protect the battery when they are too hot, or in freezing weather, and will not start until they return to room temperature.
• Hardware damage: a drop, water or a worn-out battery. These need a repair, and the signs are listed further down.

How to force restart your phone

• iPhone 8 and later: press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. That can take 15 seconds or more.
• Samsung Galaxy: hold the side key and volume down together for about 10 seconds, until the Samsung logo appears.
• Google Pixel: hold the Power button for about 35 seconds. Google suggests trying a 5 to 7 second press first in case the phone was simply off.
• Motorola: hold the Power key for 10 to 20 seconds. Try it again while connected to a wall charger if the first attempt does nothing.
• OnePlus 6T and later: hold Volume Up and Power together for 10 seconds. On OnePlus 6 and older, hold Power alone for 7 seconds.

Other Android brands, such as Xiaomi, Oppo or TCL, usually respond to holding the Power button, or Power and Volume Down, for 10 to 20 seconds. Check the support page for your exact model if neither works. If the phone vibrates or shows a logo after the restart, let it finish starting before you unplug it, since a drained battery can shut down again straight away.

Still not turning on? Pick your phone

• iPhone won't turn on: recovery mode, black screen with sound, overheating and when to book a repair.
• Samsung phone won't turn on: charging checks, Samsung recovery mode, moisture and battery problems.

Dead phone or just a black screen?

This one test tells you which problem you have. Call the phone from another phone. If it rings, vibrates or shows as ringing on your end, the phone is on and only the display has failed. You can also plug it into a computer: if the computer makes a connection sound or shows the phone, it is running.

• It rings but the screen is black: the screen or its cable is damaged, often after a drop. A screen repair usually fixes it, and your data is safe.
• No sound, no vibration, no charging light: the phone is truly off. The cause is power: the battery, charging port or the board.
• It shows the logo, then restarts or freezes: that is a boot problem, not a power problem. Recovery mode or a software reinstall usually fixes it.

Too hot or too cold?

If the phone was in a hot car, in direct sun or out in freezing weather, let it reach room temperature for 30 minutes before trying again. Do not put it in a fridge or near a heater to speed things up; fast temperature changes can cause condensation inside the phone. Once it is at room temperature, charge it and force restart it as above.

If the phone got wet

Do not charge it and do not keep pressing the power button. Power running through wet parts causes most of the damage. Wipe it dry, remove the case and SIM tray, and leave it to air dry with the port facing down for at least a day. Skip the rice and the hair dryer. Our guide to a phone that got wet walks through each step. If it still will not start once fully dry, book a repair soon, because corrosion spreads over the following days.

What not to do

• Do not factory reset or choose Restore in recovery mode unless your data is backed up. It erases everything, and it rarely fixes a power problem.
• Do not open the phone yourself. Modern phones are glued shut, and a punctured battery can catch fire. Opening it can also void your warranty.
• Do not use cheap gas-station chargers to revive it. A weak or faulty charger can make a drained battery look dead.
• Do not keep a swollen phone on a charger. Stop, keep it away from anything flammable, and take it for repair.

Signs it needs a repair

• No charging icon or light after an hour on a known good charger and cable.
• The back or screen is lifting, which can mean a swollen battery. Stop charging it.
• It got wet and now shows nothing, or only flickers.
• It gets hot while plugged in but never shows a logo.
• A computer does not detect it at all, even in recovery mode.

Repair or replace?

Before paying for anything, check what cover you already have: AppleCare+, Samsung Care+, carrier insurance such as Verizon Mobile Protect or AT&T Protect Advantage, or the card you bought the phone with, since some credit cards include phone protection. A new battery or charging port is usually worth fixing on a phone under four years old. Board and water damage cost much more, and on an older phone that money is often better put toward a replacement.

If your photos and messages are not backed up, ask the shop whether they can recover the data first. A phone that will not start can often be revived long enough to copy it, even if the repair itself is not worth doing.

How to stop it happening again

• Avoid letting the battery drain to zero often. Charging when it reaches 20 percent is easier on the battery.
• Check battery health once a year. On iPhone it is in Settings › Battery › Battery Health; on Samsung, run a battery check in the Samsung Members app. A worn battery can shut the phone down suddenly, even with charge left.
• Install software updates. They often include fixes for crashes that leave the screen black.
• Keep automatic backups on, so a dead phone never means lost photos.