How to fix a Samsung Galaxy J3 that won't turn on, stuck on black screen (easy steps)

When your Samsung Galaxy J3 refuses to power on, it likely denotes a hardware issue otherwise, software malfunction. If the problem occurs after you dropped your phone or got it wet, then most likely it’s hardware damage and therefore needs repair or service. On the other hand, you may consider it a software issue if it suddenly occurs to your phone that couldn’t power on without any prior instances of dropping or liquid exposure on the phone. In this case, your phone has power but something is making it stuck on black screen. To fix the problem, you will need to identify the culprit and get rid of it.

For software-related issues like when your phone is stuck on black screen, there are some workarounds you can try to troubleshoot software errors on your Samsung Galaxy J3 that might have prevented it from booting up. This post will walk you through the entire process, so go ahead and attempt to save your phone before procuring a new one.

For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our Galaxy J3 troubleshooting guide for we have already addressed many of the problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you still need further assistance, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Potential solutions to fix Galaxy J7 that won’t turn on or stuck on black screen

Highlighted below are potential solutions and recommended workarounds that can help fix your Samsung Galaxy J3 that won’t power on or has power but couldn’t complete the bootup process as it gets stuck on black screen.

Plug your phone into a wall outlet then let it charge for about 1 hour.

One possibility that you need to consider in this case is that your phone might have completely ran out of battery and therefore, all it needed is a recharge to be able to power up again. The battery indicator may take up to 10 minutes to show up on the phone’s screen especially if the battery was completely drained.

Make sure that all your charging equipment is working to rule charging issue out from the possible causes. If you have an extra charger that’s compatible with your Galaxy J3, try to use it and see if that makes a difference. Also verify that the USB cable is not damaged and the USB connection is firm with very little mobility. Check the USB connections for bent pins or corrosion.

Force your phone to restart while plugged into a charger.

A forced restart works the same as a soft reset that fixes minor software glitches that caused your device to not work as intended. It’s also a safe process since it will not affect your phone data. Here’s what you should do then.

While plugged into a wall outlet, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for about 10 to 20 seconds or until the Samsung logo appears. This might help if your device is just frozen and stuck on black screen but still has power.

Remove and then replace the battery.

Removing and reinserting the battery might be the solution especially if the problem has something to do with a dislodged battery. Similar to a soft reset and forced restart, battery removal can likewise help fix minor software glitches affecting the phone’s power functions. Here’s how to do so:

Ensure your device is powered off.
Place your phone in face down position.
Use the notch found on the upper-left corner to gently lift and remove the battery cover.
Locate the other notch on the lower-right corner of the battery then lift the battery out.
When the battery is removed, carefully inspect for any sign of damage like swelling or discoloration. If there is none, reinsert the battery.
Be sure to alight the gold battery contacts with the contacts in the battery compartment then gently press it into place.
Align the battery cover then gently press to snap the cover into place.

Then attempt to power on by pressing the Power button for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. If it turns on, then you’re good. If it doesn’t, move on to the next workaround.

Remove external storage media like SD card from your device.

Broken file segments or corrupt contents on the SD card inserted in your phone can also be the root cause. It’s similar to what happens on some computers that couldn’t boot up with the external storage media or peripheral devices attached. To make sure this isn’t causing your trouble, try to remove any microSD card from your phone’s SD card slot and then reattempt to turn it on.

Unmounting the microSD card before removing it is recommended but since this couldn’t be done since your phone is dead in the first place, just go ahead and remove the SD card from the slot. Once the card is removed, press the Power button again until your phone powers on.

Connect your phone to a computer then attempt to restore firmware with Samsung Kies.

If you have an available computer with Samsung Kies software installed, try to use it in saving your device. Connect your Galaxy J3 to your computer using the supplied USB connector and if possible, restore the stock firmware on your device. The process permanently deletes all personal information from your device. Here’s how it’s actually done:

Open Kies on your computer then go to Tools-> Firmware Upgrade and Installation.
Enter your device Model name and then click OK.
Next enter the S/N number of your device and click OK.
Wait for Kies to verify that the feature is available for your device. If it is available, click OK to proceed.
You will see the firmware version along with a note that the information on your device will be permanently deleted during the process. Click OK to continue.
Follow the onscreen instructions to ready your device for emergency recovery.
Put a checkmark on the box next to I have read all of the above information.
Connect your device to Kies.
If prompted, click the Start upgrade button to reinstall the firmware on your device.
Kies will then download and prepare your system to update the firmware. The entire process can take some time to finish depending on your network and computer specs.
Respond to any security prompts and wait until the upgrade process is complete. When it’s finished, click OK.

You may then disconnect your device from your computer or allow it to fully charge before using.

Other Suggestions

Reset your phone system if possible. If you were able to bring your Galaxy J3 back to life after performing the above procedures, then go ahead and reset your Galaxy J3 in recovery mode. Why? Because, something has your phone system to crash and get stuck on black screen. It can be a system bug, corrupt file, or rogue app that’s preventing your device from powering up or finishing the bootup process. Performing a full system reset will eliminate whatever the culprit is and thereby prevents your device from getting stuck again when booting.
Replace the battery. If you suspect that the battery might have been damaged, then try to replace it with a new one and see if that yields a positive outcome.
Inspect the SIM tray slot for damage. Aside from the USB connections and charging equipment, also inspect the Liquid Damage Indicator in the SIM tray slot.

When to escalate the problem?

A defective hardware component on your Samsung Galaxy J3 is most likely to blame if your device still doesn’t power on after doing all prior workarounds. At this point, your next option is either to escalate the problem to Samsung or schedule for a service center visit.

You may contact your carrier or Samsung Support to escalate the issue and seek further recommendations but if calling is not your option or you couldn’t reach or get help from the support team, then just take your device to a service center instead and have it diagnosed by a technician.

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How to fix a Samsung Galaxy J3 that won’t turn on, stuck on black screen (easy steps)