Quick answer: Plug the phone into a known-good wall charger for 30 minutes, then do a force restart (the button combination is below for iPhone, Samsung and Pixel). If it vibrates or rings but the screen stays black, the phone is on and the screen has failed. If it shows the logo and gets stuck, it is software, and an update through recovery mode usually fixes it without erasing data. If nothing works, or it got wet or dropped, the battery or board is likely damaged. Do not factory reset it. Our phone repair shop in Eagan can often fix it and recover your photos.
Key takeaways
- A fully drained battery can take 15 to 30 minutes on the charger before the phone shows any sign of life.
- A force restart fixes most “dead” phones that are actually frozen.
- Sounds or vibration with a black screen mean the screen is the problem, not the phone.
- Never factory reset a phone just to get it working if you have not backed up. A repair shop can often save the data first.
In this guide
Is Your Phone Really Off, or Is It the Screen?
Before anything else, figure out whether the phone is actually off. Call it from another phone, plug it into the charger or flip the silent switch. If it rings, vibrates, makes the charging sound or you feel a buzz, the phone is running and the display has failed. That is good news: a screen replacement usually brings it back with all your data intact.
Step 1: Charge It Properly
Use a wall charger and cable you know work (test them on another phone), plugged directly into a wall outlet. Leave the phone for at least 30 minutes. A battery that was run to zero, or left in a drawer for weeks, can need that long before the phone will start. Clean the charging port if there is lint in it; see why won’t my phone charge if the phone does not show a charging symbol at all.
Step 2: Force Restart
A force restart cuts power to the software and starts it fresh. It does not erase anything.
| Phone | How to force restart |
|---|---|
| iPhone 8 and newer (including all iPhone 11 to 17 models) | Press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears (up to 30 seconds). |
| iPhone 7 | Hold Volume Down and the Side button together until the Apple logo appears. |
| Samsung Galaxy | Hold the Side (power) button and Volume Down together for 10 to 20 seconds, until the phone restarts. |
| Google Pixel | Hold the Power button (and Volume Up on newer models) for 10 to 30 seconds, until the phone restarts. |
Try the force restart while the phone is plugged in, and hold the buttons longer than you think you need to.
Step 3: Recovery Mode (Without Losing Data)
If the phone shows the logo and then restarts, freezes or goes black again, the software is likely damaged, often after an interrupted update.
iPhone
Connect the iPhone to a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (the Apple Devices app or iTunes). Do the force restart steps above, but keep holding the Side button past the Apple logo until you see the recovery mode screen (a computer and cable). On the computer, choose Update, not Restore. Update reinstalls iOS and keeps your data. Restore erases the phone.
Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel
Android phones have a recovery menu opened with a button combination, which varies by model. From there you can “wipe cache partition” on many Samsung models, which does not erase your data, or reboot to safe mode to rule out a bad app. Avoid “wipe data / factory reset” unless you have a backup or have accepted losing the data.
If none of this works, stop here. Repeated restore attempts can make data recovery harder.
7 Reasons a Phone Will Not Turn On
- Fully drained battery. The most common cause, especially in cold weather. See why your phone dies in the cold.
- Software freeze or failed update. Fixed with a force restart or recovery mode.
- Dead or damaged screen. The phone is on, but you cannot see it.
- Worn-out battery. An old battery may no longer hold enough charge to start the phone, or may cut out at 20% to 30%.
- Charging port failure. The phone is fine, but the battery cannot charge.
- Water damage. Corrosion on the board can stop the phone from powering on, sometimes days after the spill.
- Board damage from a drop. A hard drop can crack solder joints or components on the logic board.
If It Got Wet or Was Dropped
Do not keep plugging it in or pressing buttons. Charging a wet phone can short the board. Leave it off and bring it in as soon as you can, ideally within a day or two. The sooner corrosion is cleaned, the better the chance of saving the phone and your data. For iPhones, see dropped your iPhone in water; for any phone after a fall, see cracked or dropped your phone? What to do first.
How to Save Your Photos and Data
If your photos were backed up to iCloud, Google Photos or Samsung Cloud, they are safe even if the phone cannot be fixed. Check from another device. If they were not backed up, do not factory reset the phone and do not let anyone “restore” it without asking. At our Eagan shop we often get a phone working long enough to back it up, by repairing the charging circuit, the battery connection or a damaged component with micro-soldering. Our data recovery in Eagan service is for exactly these cases.
Repairs and Prices in Eagan
| Cause | Repair | Price at Helpertech Eagan |
|---|---|---|
| Screen is black but phone is on | Screen replacement | iPhone $120 to $365; Samsung Galaxy S20 to S25 $240 to $400 |
| Battery will not hold a charge | Battery replacement | iPhone $100 to $175; Samsung S-series $142 to $147 |
| Will not charge | Charging port repair | iPhone $119 to $220; Samsung S-series $138 to $143 |
| Water damage or board fault | Water damage repair, micro-soldering | Quote after free diagnosis with any repair |
| Need data from a dead phone | Data recovery | Quote after free diagnosis with any repair |
Prices are from our repair pricing page, with a 90-day warranty. The diagnosis is always free with any repair. For iPhones specifically, see our iPhone repair in Eagan page and our guide on iPhone not turning on.
Related phone repair guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if my phone won’t turn on?
Charge it on a known-good wall charger for 30 minutes, then do a force restart. If it shows the logo and gets stuck, update the software through recovery mode. If nothing happens at all, or it got wet or dropped, bring it to a repair shop before trying a reset.
How do I force restart a phone that won’t turn on?
On iPhone 8 and newer, press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On Samsung, hold Power and Volume Down for 10 to 20 seconds. On Pixel, hold the Power button (and Volume Up on newer models) for 10 to 30 seconds.
My phone vibrates but the screen is black. What is wrong?
The phone is on, but the screen or its connection has failed, usually after a drop or pressure. A screen replacement normally fixes it, and your data stays on the phone.
Will recovery mode erase my phone?
Not if you choose Update. On an iPhone, recovery mode offers Update, which reinstalls iOS and keeps your data, and Restore, which erases the phone. Always choose Update first.
Can you recover photos from a phone that won’t turn on?
Often, yes. If the damage is to the battery, charging circuit or a board component, a repair shop can usually get the phone running long enough to back it up. Helpertech in Eagan offers data recovery and micro-soldering for these cases.
How much does it cost to fix a phone that won’t turn on in Eagan?
It depends on the cause. At Helpertech in Eagan, iPhone batteries cost $100 to $175, charging ports $119 to $220 and screens $120 to $365. Board-level and water damage repairs are quoted after a free diagnosis with any repair.
Phone Won’t Turn On? Bring It to Our Eagan Shop
Bring your phone to Helpertech at 2040 Cliff Rd #103, Eagan, MN 55122. We diagnose it for free, tell you whether it is the screen, battery, port or board, and protect your data first. Most repairs are same day, with a 90-day warranty.
About the author: This guide was written by the Helpertech repair team, the technicians at our Eagan phone repair shop at 2040 Cliff Rd #103. Helpertech has been repairing phones, tablets and computers in the Twin Cities since 1995. Prices were checked against our repair pricing page in September 2026.
