Android phones are quite durable, but they are not immune to the natural wear and tear of regular use. Physical buttons will eventually wear out. After months and years of pressure, they will either break or stop working.
And then you realize it's time to replace your beloved Android phone. But the old one won't open to make a backup. The volume buttons may not work either, but the power button is a bigger problem. Here's how to turn on your Android phone when you find yourself in such a difficult situation.
1. Using your phone charger
This method probably doesn't work on all phones, but it's a fairly simple solution and you should try it first.
If your Android phone is still on and has enough battery, plug it in and your phone's screen should turn on. This will allow you to operate the touchscreen and perform some of the actions below to bypass your power button on a more permanent basis.
If it is not on or the battery is dead, connect it to your charger or a computer using a USB cable. In some cases this will force your device to turn on automatically, but not in all cases.
2. Using an alternative launcher
Thanks to third-party home launchers, which modify the user interface of an Android device, you can add additional features to your device to control your screen. This method requires your phone to be turned on, so you can bypass the power button, although in many cases it will allow you to turn off your screen rather than turn it on.
Evie Launcher, for example, will let you lock your screen by setting up custom gestures, such as double-tapping or swiping up or down. To do this, go to Evie Launcher’s settings and go to “Gestures.” Select your gesture method and select “Lock screen.”
You can choose instant lock (where the screen will lock immediately) or timed lock (which will delay the lock for a few seconds).
If required, click “Activate” to confirm your selection.
3. Using your fingerprint.
For those of you who have an Android phone with fingerprint unlocking, things are very simple. Enable this feature, simply place your finger on the fingerprint sensor and your phone will automatically open. The prerequisite is that it is in standby mode.
4. Use Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
Android Debug Bridge is a tool that allows you to perform actions on your Android device via your computer. You can use it to turn on your phone if the power button doesn't work and if it's completely turned off.
Once you've set up ADB on your computer, including enabling USB debugging on your phone, you'll be able to send commands to your phone.
Assuming your phone is turned off, connect it to your computer and immediately perform the steps to boot into “fastboot” mode. To boot into “fastboot” mode, you will need to press and hold the “volume down” button until the phone’s boot screen appears.
Once this is done, open a command prompt and type adb devices to check if your phone is detected. If your computer detects it, type fastboot continue to allow your phone to boot normally.
Once this is done, you can disconnect your phone and use it normally. You can also use some more common ADB commands like adb reboot to reboot your device.
5. Once your device is on, change the button commands.
The power button doesn't work, but you can assign another physical button to wake the screen. The downside to this method is that it will only work if the phone is still on, so you'll need to make sure the battery never runs out completely.
Apps like Button Mapperwill let you configure other physical buttons, like the volume controls or the Bixby button (available on some Samsung phones).
Open Button Mapper and follow the instructions in the app to grant it the permissions it needs. Once done, you will see a list of your physical buttons.
Tap the one you want (for example, “Volume buttons”) and in the next menu tap “Customize”. Under “Single tap” you can select “Turn screen off”. Under “Long Press”, select “Power dialog” to access the power menu.
Unfortunately, Button Mapper doesn't let you wake your screen and won't activate if your phone is already off.
Power button not working
It is possible to turn on your phone without the power button. Apps like Gravity Screen or Button Mapper allow you to wake your screen or turn it off. However, your phone must be on to use them.
If your phone is completely dead, using ADB is the best method to turn it on under these circumstances. You can use it along with the above apps if you decide to hold on to your phone for a little longer, until it is completely broken!!!
