“My phone is dead and won't turn on or charge. This is a common request from Samsung and iPhone users. But who has never been in this situation? To summarize, the most common reason why mobile phones die is because the batteries are exhausted.
You were playing a mobile game or watching a movie and you weren't monitoring the battery level. The battery drops below 1% and turns off automatically. Normally, your phone is supposed to start charging as soon as you plug in a charger and turn on after a few seconds or minutes. But one of the reasons why it won't charge or turn on might be that you plugged in a wrong charger when the battery was already dead. As a result, the battery continues to discharge instead of charging. Then it reaches a point where it takes more than the remaining juice to turn the device on.
It's even worse if you have a phone with a built-in battery. But in this article, as always, we are going to see why you are in this situation and how you can charge your phone and turn it back on.
Read also: iPhone doesn't charge but turns on when you plug it in? The best solutions
Top reasons why your phone is dead and won't turn on or charge.
Before we show you how to fix the problem, here are the reasons why your phone is dead and won't turn on or charge:
1. Not enough battery to charge or power on
Three times my phone broke and wouldn't turn on or charge while studying. In all cases, it was because of a bad charger and continued use while the battery was low. Note that a phone that has been dead for days, weeks, or months may also not turn on or charge. When your battery drops below the level where it can recharge on its own, no charger can revive it unless you directly boost the battery.
Most electronic devices that do not have a mechanical way to start use a battery system to start. This is why, when the battery of your portable generator is flat, you must start it manually with the recoil starter. Likewise, if your car battery is dead, you need to have several people push it to get it started. But a smartphone does not have an alternative mechanism to start without a battery.
You just need to find a way to “jump” your battery. In my case, I did it at a repair shop. But I'll show you some tricks to help your battery get the juice it needs to recharge or start.
2. Your charger is defective
If your phone's battery is dying and won't charge or start even with a charger plugged in, it may be high time to change the charger. When some chargers are burned out or the cables are damaged, they are not able to provide sufficient voltage to the battery. In this case, the battery ends up uncharged or discharged. If the phone shows no signs of charging, it may not turn on. And even though the wrong charger appears to be charging the phone, when it turns on, the phone quickly turns off. And sometimes the battery won't add juice anymore.
3. The charging port is bad
Many things could have happened between the last time you charged your phone and now. For example, a poorly inserted cable connector could have damaged your phone's charging port. And now that it's dead, it no longer charges. We have an article that shows you other signs that your Android or iPhone's charging port is faulty and tips for fixing it.
4. The phone has fallen or entered water
If you have dropped your phone on a hard floor or in water and it does not turn on, you need to take it to the repairer. This is probably a hardware problem. Or maybe you can't see that it's charging or on because its screen is broken. The screen may also have become disconnected from the motherboard connector after a fall.
5. The battery is defective
Is your battery leaking or swollen? Is it overheating? Have you ever noticed that the battery level drops from 90% to 10% in just a few minutes? If your phone no longer turns on or no longer charges, the problem could also be with the battery. A battery problem usually happens gradually, but it can also happen suddenly, especially if your battery is swollen or leaking. Check the back of your phone. Does it look bloated or a little heavier?
If there is a way to open the back of your smartphone, inspect the battery from all angles to see if it is in good condition.
Read also: iPhone shows charge but battery percentage does not increase? The best solutions
6. Software issues
Is your phone showing signs of software issues? Does it break down, or have you noticed that it sometimes doesn't turn on? A software problem could also be the cause. A software glitch can also cause your battery to suddenly drain. It would help to boot your phone into safe mode by pressing and holding the power and volume down buttons. Once you can restart it, perform a firmware or operating system update.
Phone is dead and won't turn on or charge? Here are some tips to fix it
Fixing the problem should be easier now that we know why your phone is dead and won't turn on or charge. But I'll give you more details on how to fix whatever the problem is here.
1. Leave the battery to charge for up to 30 minutes
Of course, the first thing to do once your phone automatically turns off due to a dead battery is to charge it. So you have to find a charger or cable, plug in the device and charge the phone. Let's say the battery is dead (your child may have turned it back on after it turned off). In this case, it may take a few minutes of charging before your phone is ready to turn on. So leave the phone plugged in for 10 to 30 minutes to see if it charges. If the problem is still not resolved, try the second tip.
2. Force restart the phone
Force restarting the phone could also bring it back to life as it may be stuck. To do this, press the power button for at least 10 seconds. You should see a startup logo appear on your screen. If not, it may be a hardware failure.
Read also: How to fix my Samsung A70 and A71 that is not charging?
3. Change the charger
If the phone still won't charge, you may need to change the charging adapter or USB cable. This time, make sure you get the right power rating, fast charger, or cable. For Android users with phones that charge with USB C (especially Samsung Galaxy users), I recommend this 3A fast charging cable from SMALLelectric, while for even faster charging, try this charger and Superfast Type C to Type C cord. However, for iPhone or USB A device users, this MFi certified charging cable is a best-seller online. In case you're not sure, here's why your iPhone charging cable isn't working.
4. Remove and dry the battery and charging port if they are wet.
If your phone falls into water, it may not charge if water enters the circuitry. You should note that some phone functions will not allow your phone to charge. One of them is the humidity notification on some Samsung series. If your phone detects moisture in the charging port, it will not charge.
First, you need to make sure the phone is turned off. Next, remove the battery if possible and clean any water drops visible on the phone and in the ports. Finally, try pushing the phone with or without the battery into a container of dry rice. Dry rice can absorb moisture. Leave it in the rice for 48 hours or at least overnight. If you are facing issues related to moisture sensing even after cleaning and drying the ports, we have written an article on how to disable moisture sensing which will be helpful for you.
5. Recharge the battery
If the battery is dead and cannot charge or help turn on the phone, before you start charging the battery, try reviving it. If it's a removable battery, you're in luck!
How to revive a dead battery
- Wrap the excess plastic bag around the battery.
- Place it in a freezer for 12 hours or overnight.
- The next day, take it out of the freezer.
- Wipe off any moisture that may be on the battery.
- Insert the battery into your phone. But don't turn it on
- Insert a charger that you have tested to work, and it should charge.
Advice
- If the battery won't charge or turn on, you can also restart it with an external universal phone charger, like this one.
- If you have a non-removable battery, there are several ways to get it started. But if you are not a phone technician, there is a high chance that you will damage the phone. So I recommend you take it to a repair center or the official service center of your phone brand.
6. Change the battery
The last resort is to purchase a replacement battery. You can contact your phone brand to order a replacement battery if it is a removable battery. Otherwise, you can go to a certified center approved by your phone brand to have the battery replaced. If the phone has a non-removable battery, go to an authorized repair center to have the battery replaced, charged and turned on.
Also Read: Is It Worth Replacing iPad Battery?