All gadgets break down sooner or later, and smartphones are no exception. In fact, phones can be extremely fragile – sometimes just dropping them enough to make them useless or badly damaged. But even if the phone has never been dropped, there are still a lot of things that can happen to it. One of them is when, at one moment, the screen power button lockout stops functioning, and then you are simply unable to lock or unlock it.
Obviously, things are not so bad with phones that have a physical reset button, such as the vast majority of Android phones. The Home key can also be used to wake the phone. Phones that can be unlocked by double tapping the screen are beautiful too.
But phones that lack the last function and have capacitive or onscreen navigation buttons become as functional as the potato as soon as their power button lockout stops working. However, there are a few things that can be done to remedy the situation.
Step 1: Unlock Your Phone
There are several ways to unlock the phone without relying on its power button lockout. You need to make someone call you – in most cases, and it will turn on the screen and give you control over the phone. As soon as the phone is working, you can proceed to the second step.
Alternative option: connect your phone to the charger. This will turn on the screen and allow you to access the device. If your phone has a physical camera button, hold it down. This should launch your camera application, which you can simply close and use other functions of the phone.
NOTE: If the power button lockout sticks, as if it is constantly pressed down, shake the phone well, just do not hit it on anything. If you are lucky, the button will go away, and it will work normally. Avoid turning the phone off completely, because then you will not be able to turn it on again without a working power button lockout.
Now that the phone is working, you can replace the lock screen button with one of the special applications.
Step 2: Select Application
There are a number of applications that allow you to reassign the lock function with a faulty button. You can easily select any application that best suits your needs. Here are the most popular and effective ones:
1) Power button lockout to Volume Button
This application reassigns the power button lockout to the volume button. It is compatible with the vast majority of phones on Android and does not require root-rights. The program is absolutely free, so you can always use it.
2) Gravity Unlock
This application is also a great help in case of a screen lock malfunction. It automatically detects your hand position and unlocks the phone if you hold it as if you want to use it. The program works fine with most phones, although some models may have difficulty.
3) Shake Screen On Off
This application unlocks the phone when you shake it well. The program automatically analyzes the situation, preventing accidental and unwanted unlocking, when the phone can pop up in your bag, for example.
Step 3: Find a permanent solution
All of the above, although it will be effective in most cases, is still a temporary solution, not a permanent one. It will be better if you contact the service center if your phone has a faulty screen power button lockout.
Here, for example, the power button lockout of the smartphone does not work. Crashed, broke, etc. And now the question arises, how to turn on the smartphone without this very button?
Old and new, expensive and cheap, on Android or on iOS, trendy and not very much – all smartphones and tablets can break.
Not in the sense of shutting down and hanging, namely, failing, as a rule, as a result of sudden mechanical and other adverse effects. Sometimes – but more often with less tragic consequences, one of which is just a mechanical failure, due to which the power button lockout does not work.
It’s a shame, annoying. It turns out that the device seems to be not very hurt, but the sense of it suddenly became several times smaller.
In fact, if you are “lucky,” say, to drop your smartphone (or tablet) so delicately that it was the power button lockout that most of all got, then this adventure will continue to develop for you along two storylines: turned on, but you cannot unlock it, or it turned off completely, and now it is not clear how to turn it on, because the power button lockout does not work.
Actually, the conditions of the tasks are formulated. Now you can try to solve them. So:
How to turn on the smartphone, if it is off, the power button lockout does not work
The situation, of course, is not encouraging, but there is still hope. However, success is not guaranteed since it will depend on the make and model of a particular apparatus.
First of all, we try to connect the smartphone to the standard charger. This is in case it does not turn on due to the discharge of the battery. Some models can already automatically turn on at this stage (although, unfortunately, the probability of such a quick solution is extremely low).
We connect to the charger and hold the audio button for a while, and suddenly, the boot menu appears on the smartphone screen.
Option number 2
If the battery is not completely discharged (at least 5%, or better, the charge indicator is displayed, even if the smartphone is turned off), disconnect the device from the mains charger and connect it to a computer or laptop via a USB cable. Our Motorola Moto G after that turned on instantly without any buttons.
If you are not turned on, then there is another:
option number 3
In fairness, let’s call it a chance. Since it can only work if you have enabled USB debugging on it before turning off the smartphone, and now you can try to turn on the device via the command line of the computer.
In general, if the conditions are matched, then install ADB on the computer and open the window with the command line. After that, we connect the smartphone via USB, in the command line write adb reboot and press Enter.
How to turn on the smartphone, if the screen is locked, and the power button lockout does not work
As they say, so lucky, so lucky. If the power button lockout has stopped working, but the smartphone has not turned off, then everything is somewhat simpler.
But you still have to be quick and turn off the screen of the device, so as not to waste the battery in vain (just in case).
Owners of the Samsung Galaxy and iPhones may not be very nervous at all, because even with the smashed power button lockout they can unlock their smartphones with the Home button.
In addition, many modern models, including those in which the Home button is not designed by design, can be woken up by double tapping on the screen (of course, if this option is active).
Another thing is when there is no Home, and the screen does not want to turn on (or cannot). Then you need to either connect the smartphone to the charger or ask someone to call it.
Also. If the power button lockout does not work, you can press the physical camera key, if there is one, start the corresponding application in this way, and then just exit this program to the main menu.
Important Note
This is not very convenient, but then you can download a suitable program to quickly unlock the screen, which will simplify the problem for a while. The main thing – it does not forget in all this fuss about the battery level.
As a result of a strong physical impact or at the end of its service life, the mechanical Power button lockout on a mobile device can fail. It would seem that without this element, it is simply impossible to turn on the smartphone, but in reality, it is not.
There are several ways to enter the device menu when the power key is not working. Let’s take a look at how to turn on a phone or tablet without an Android button.
Ways to start Android without the Power key
In theory, there are several methods for loading a gadget when the power button lockout is broken. However, to give a full guarantee that at least one option will work, it is impossible. Here, much depends on the model of the mobile device and on the state in which it is located – active or deactivated.
You can try to turn on Android without the Power key using:
- Charger and volume rocker;
- Computer and debug ADB bridge;
- Special software.
How to download Android if the phone is turned off?
If your smartphone is in an inactive state and there is no power button lockout on it, the first thing to do is to connect a charger to it. On some models of devices already at this stage, the operating system may start.
If the desired did not happen, try to hold the Volume Down (Volume Up) or simultaneously two volume adjustment keys while charging is on.
These actions may lead to the loading of the recovery environment. This menu will allow you to restart the gadget, that is, enter the Android graphical interface.
When the Power key is working, restarting the smartphone through the reanimation area is performed by the reboot system now command.
If this button does not function, having entered Recovery, wait a while – the phone should reboot itself.
Turning on the smartphone using the ADB debug bridge
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a special program that allows you to manage your mobile device through a computer.
With it, you can unlock root-rights, change the firmware, enter Recovery mode, and perform a number of other actions, including restarting the phone. The only condition is that Android debugging should be activated on Android.
If, before the power button lockout fails, you enabled this function, we try to enable the device using ADB:
Instead of ADB, you can use the ADB Run utility to enable the gadget via PC. It is a simplified analogue of the SDK Platform Tools since almost all control commands are already written in its code. They only need to run with a certain number.
To enter Android via ADB Run, you must have to reboot the device.
How to download Android if the phone is in sleep mode?
If the smartphone is on, but is in sleep mode, getting into its menu without the Power key will not be difficult. The main thing – do not allow the battery to completely discharge on your mobile device so that it does not turn off.
There are several ways to activate the screen on Android:
- Connect to the mobile phone charging;
- Tap it twice on display ( this function is not supported on all smartphones);
- Press the mechanical Home button, if it is provided for your phone;
- Call the device from another smartphone.
In order not to restrict your actions in the future due to the non-working power key, its function should be transferred to another button (to Volume Up or Volume Down).
This is done using special software that can be downloaded from the Play Market absolutely free. One of these programs is Power button lockout to Volume Button. It works as follows:
Now your phone will turn on the sound control rocker.
Further instructions
You can also turn on Android with the help of built-in space orientation sensors. To do this, you need to download the program Gravity Screen, and then adjust the sensitivity of the indicators of vertical and horizontal orientation.
You can fully work with the phone without the Power button lockout. However, when it breaks, it is better to take the device to a service center, especially if it is under warranty.
Be it old or new gadgets, they break, and smartphones are no exception. A simple fall on a hard surface is enough to cause damage.
Smartphones are fragile in nature. Even if they do not break, they are subject to many problems. One of these problems, which is very common among Android users, is when the power button lockout stops working.
Think about it, the power button lockout – the button that we press countless times a day – stops working. This is enough to create chaos in our lives. When you press the button again and again – what can you expect – it will stop working one day.
This does not happen to everyone, but those who are faced with this problem know how it complicates the work of the phone. Here are some solutions to this annoying problem.
1. Automate the on / off feature with Gravity Screen
Gravity Screen is an awesome app. Using various phone sensors turns the screen on and off. A function, such as a sensor for a pocket or table sensor, involves detecting when you are holding your phone and when not.
She learns to understand when you are going to use the phone, and accordingly, turns it on or off, to be honest, it always works, but the accuracy can vary from device to device.
If you are not particularly interested in how the application works, and you just want it to turn the phone on and off, then go ahead, download it, and it will work perfectly without over-discharging the battery if you set it up correctly.
2. Moto display
The application is limited by the fact that only owners of Motorola devices can use it, but we had to add it to the list because it is simply amazing. In Moto display, you can see notifications, not including the phone.
But it can be used not only to view notifications. Just do not touch the phone for a few seconds, and then take it, and you will see how the Moto display turns on. At this point, you can slide your finger down towards the lock icon to unlock it. It works great.
Moto display does not block the phone, and it must be done manually. But since the power button lockout does not work, we recommend setting the phone’s sleep time to the minimum, that is, 15 seconds.
3. Turn On / Off Power to Volume Button
Yes, you read it right, there is an application for this too, and the best thing is that it works, even if the phone is not ruled. This application is called Volume Unlock Power button lockout Fix, that is, “unlock the volume, fix power key.”
This is a very, very long name, but it completely defines the purpose of the application.
First of all, install it on your phone. Now open the application and grant it administrator rights. This is necessary, otherwise, the application will not work. Open the app and turn on “Enable Volume Unlock” and “Screen off” using the switches on the right.
If you turn on both options, you can turn off the screen on the notification panel and turn it on using the volume button.
In the settings of the application, you can also enable such functions as automatic start at boot and auto on / off, which will work in a set time interval. For example, setting the time from 06:00 to 04:00, the application will function only during this time.
We used it for 2 days and did not find any unnecessary battery discharges. This is a fantastic app.
Mechanical damage to the phone leads to problems in his work, and sometimes there is no possibility of switching on. Breaking the main button of the smartphone is not as tragic as it seems, depending on the situation, the problem is completely solved.
How to turn on the phone without the power button lockout – if the phone is turned off
There is no full guarantee of switching on the phone in this situation since it all depends on the depth of the damage, but you can try. Consider the most effective options.
- We connect the phone to the charger; usually, the screen at this time shows the charge level. Press the audio adjustment key on the side of the phone, some models at this stage include the boot menu. You can also act while charging through a computer using a USB cable.
- The cable is useful even if the USB debugging option is enabled, this method applies to all Android devices. Download the program Android Debug Bridge and install it on your computer, connect the phone to the PC.
- Run the command prompt and enter adb reboot, press the enter key. The program is designed for debugging devices and emulators; in other words, this is a great chance to turn on the phone with a non-working power button lockout.
How to turn on the phone without the power button lockout – the phone is on, but the screen is locked
Take care that the phone is not discharged before the lock is released. To turn on the phone, in this case, is much easier than in the previous one.
- We connect the phone to the charger and perform the steps described above. If the smartphone has a home icon, the lock after clicking on it is removed in seconds. Turns on the phone and the physical button of the video camera.
- Ask a friend for help, and his phone call will make the screen wake up.
How to turn on the phone without the power button lockout – special applications
After successful inclusion, you need to install one of the free applications that launch gadgets without a power button lockout.
- Gravity Screen turns on the phone when the user picks it up. The application works on the basis of the device sensors, and if they are not of very good quality, the program will not work properly.
- Power button lockout to Volume Button enables the phone through the physical volume button.
- Proximity Actions activates the device by proximity sensor.
- Shake Screen turns the smartphone on and off when shaking.
The above methods are convenient and safe, but using them all the time is not very convenient and correct. We take the phone, and at the first opportunity we carry it to the master for repair.
Video tutorial on power button lockout