How to Turn On an Android Phone With a Broken Power Button

If an Android phone is completely powered off and the power button no longer activates its internal switch, there is no universal Android shortcut that can always turn it on. Your best options are to charge it, see whether it starts automatically from USB power, try the manufacturer’s boot-key combination, or use Fastboot if the phone can reach a compatible bootloader. If none works, the power-button assembly usually needs repair.

First, check whether the button cap or the switch is broken

If only the outer button cap has fallen off but the tiny switch underneath is intact, you may be able to press that switch gently with a clean, nonconductive plastic tool. Use very light pressure and press straight inward. Do not use a metal pin or dig into the opening. Stop if you see torn flex cable, exposed circuitry, corrosion, or other damage.

1. Charge the phone before trying anything else

A deeply discharged battery can make a phone look completely dead. Connect it to a known-good wall charger and cable and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Google’s Android support guidance recommends checking the cable, adapter, charging port, and outlet; a very low battery may need several minutes before the screen responds. See Google’s Android charging and power troubleshooting guide.

Some Android phones start automatically when external power is connected. Others only show a charging screen and still require the power key, so this is worth trying but is not guaranteed.

2. Try a volume key while connecting USB

On some Android devices, a hardware key combination can enter the bootloader, Fastboot, Recovery, or another service mode. The exact combination varies by model. The Android Open Source Project bootloader documentation notes that some phones can enter the bootloader with a key combination, commonly involving Volume Down while the device boots.

1. Charge the phone, then disconnect the cable.
2. Hold Volume Down.
3. While holding it, connect the phone by USB to a computer.
4. Wait several seconds for a boot or service screen.

If nothing happens, disconnect it and check the manufacturer’s support page for your exact model before trying another combination. Volume Up is used on some devices. Do not select Factory reset, Wipe data, Unlock bootloader, or flashing options.

3. If the phone reaches Fastboot, reboot it from the computer

If the screen shows standard Fastboot or bootloader mode and the computer can detect the phone, you can restart it without using the broken power key. Download the current Android SDK Platform-Tools, open a terminal in the platform-tools folder, and run:

fastboot devices
fastboot reboot

The first command checks whether Fastboot sees the device. The second asks a compatible bootloader to reboot normally. You do not need to unlock the bootloader for a normal reboot, and you should not run unlock or flash commands.

Samsung Galaxy phones commonly use Download Mode rather than standard Fastboot. Samsung describes it as a technician-oriented service mode, so these Fastboot commands generally are not the right path for a Galaxy that only enters Download Mode. See Samsung’s Download Mode support page.

Why ADB usually cannot turn on a powered-off phone

The old advice to “turn on a dead phone with ADB” is misleading. ADB communicates with Android only when the operating system or an ADB-capable recovery environment is already running. For normal Android use, USB debugging must have been enabled, and the computer generally must already be authorized. Google documents this in its USB debugging instructions.

If the phone is still running but the screen is off, and ADB was already configured, adb reboot can restart it. ADB cannot supply power to a fully shut-down phone.

If the phone is still on, keep it on until repair

If the button broke while Android is still running, avoid letting the battery reach zero. Use a fingerprint sensor, tap-to-wake, lift-to-wake, or another screen-wake feature your model supports. Back up important data now, because once the phone powers off you may lose access until the button is repaired.

When repair is the reliable answer

If the phone is fully off, does not auto-start from charging, cannot enter a usable boot mode with the remaining buttons, and the power switch itself is physically broken, software cannot replace the missing electrical button press. A power-button flex cable or side-key assembly repair is then the dependable fix. If the phone is swollen, unusually hot, wet, corroded, or physically deformed, stop trying to power it on and have it inspected professionally.