Samsung S20 Won’t Turn On? Here Are 10 Troubleshooting Methods That Actually Work (Charge, Restart + More)

Having trouble powering on your Samsung Galaxy S20? This common issue can often be fixed by soft resetting the phone, but if a reset doesn’t work, the problem may be caused by a drained battery, faulty power button, or other hardware malfunction requiring professional repair. Read on to learn some troubleshooting tips that may help get your unresponsive S20 turned back on.

1. Charge Your Samsung S20

If your Samsung S20 won’t turn on, the first thing to try is charging it. Connect your phone to the original charger and cable and leave it plugged in for at least 10-15 minutes. This will give the battery enough charge to potentially power on the device.

Be sure to use the original Samsung charger and cable, as third party or knockoff chargers may not provide sufficient power. Also inspect the charging port for any debris that could prevent a solid connection. If the phone still won’t turn on after 15 minutes of charging, move on to trying a force restart.

2. Force Restart Your S20

If charging your phone doesn’t get it to turn back on, attempt a force restart. To do this, press and hold the Volume Down button and Power button at the same time for 10-20 seconds.

Keep holding the buttons even if you feel a vibration. After 10-20 seconds, the Samsung logo should appear on the screen. Once you see this, you can release the buttons. The phone should then boot up normally.

A force restart fixes many software errors that can prevent the phone from turning on properly. It’s an essential troubleshooting step when the standard restart process doesn’t work.

3. Boot Into Safe Mode

Boot your S20 into safe mode to determine if apps or software could be causing the issue. To do this:

• Make sure your phone is off
• Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons together until you see the Samsung logo.

• Keep holding Volume Down until “Safe Mode” appears in the bottom left corner.

Safe mode disables all third party apps and software. If your phone works normally in safe mode, a rogue app is likely the culprit. You can either delete recently downloaded apps or perform a factory reset to resolve it.

4. Wipe the Cache Partition

Wiping the cache partition clears out corrupted cache files that may be preventing the phone from powering on properly. Here’s how to wipe the cache partition:

• Turn your S20 off
• Press and hold Power + Volume Up + Bixby buttons together
• Using Volume buttons, select “Wipe cache partition”
• Hit Power button to select
• “Reboot system now” will appear when done, select this to restart your phone

This resets the cache and removes any corrupted files without deleting personal data. If successful, your S20 should now power on.

5. Reset Your S20 to Factory Settings

If none of the above steps work, resetting your S20 to factory settings may resolve the issue.

Warning: this will erase all data, settings, downloads and accounts on your device. Backup anything important first.

To factory reset:

• With S20 off, press Volume Up + Bixby + Power until Samsung logo appears
• Using Volume buttons, select “Wipe data/factory reset”
• Press Power button to select
• Press Volume Down to highlight “Yes” and hit Power to select
• Once complete, select “Reboot system now”

Erasing everything restores the phone to original factory settings, which should allow it to turn on again unless hardware damage is causing the issue. Only use factory reset as a last resort.

6. Check for Hardware Damage

If your S20 suffered a recent drop, water damage or impact, hardware damage could be preventing the phone from powering on.

Carefully inspect the phone body, screen, buttons and ports for any signs of damage. Even if the exterior looks fine, internal components like the motherboard could be malfunctioning.

Connecting the phone to a computer may help determine if the issue is hardware or software related. If the computer doesn’t recognize the device, there is likely internal damage. In that case, you’ll need to take it to a repair shop for servicing.

7. Test with Official Samsung Charger

Be sure you are using the official Samsung charging cable and adapter that came with your S20. Third party or generic cables often do not provide enough power for the phone to turn on when the battery is completely depleted.

Test the charger by plugging in another device like a second phone, tablet or wireless headphones. If the charger powers those devices, it’s likely functional and the issue lies with your S20 itself.

Avoid using battery packs, portable chargers, computer USB ports, or car chargers to revive your S20, as these may not deliver adequate and stable power to start up the device. Stick with the original Samsung charging equipment.

8. Let Your Phone’s Battery Cool Down

In rare cases, an overheated or swollen battery can prevent an S20 from turning back on. If you know your phone recently overheated or notice any battery swelling, let it cool down for an hour before attempting to power it on.

Do not attempt to charge or restart an overheated phone – this could damage components or be dangerous. Moving the device to a cool location and allowing time for the battery to return to a safe temperature is the safest approach after overheating issues.

9. Get Your S20 Serviced Professionally

For any hardware-related issue that prevents your phone from turning on, professional repair is recommended. Samsung offers same day service at many of their locations, often free of charge if the phone is still under warranty.

Qualified Samsung technicians have the tools, software and parts to accurately diagnose and resolve all kinds of power on issues. They can determine if the problem is the battery, charging port, motherboard or other components.

Trying “do it yourself” fixes for hardware problems could end up costing you more in the long run. Get professional help to fix your S20 quickly and safely.

10. Contact Samsung Support

If you are still unable to get your Samsung Galaxy S20 powered on, contact Samsung Support for assistance. You can reach their technical team 24/7 via phone, online chat or email.

Provide details on when the issue started, troubleshooting steps you’ve tried, and anything leading up to the phone not turning on. Support agents can provide customized troubleshooting guidance based on your situation.

They can also initiate a warranty repair or replacement if your S20 is still covered. Getting input from Samsung gives you the best chance of determining the cause and your repair options.