Hello Android fans! Welcome to today’s #GalaxyS8 troubleshooting article. In this post, you’ll find cases about the S8 suffering variations of hardware malfunction. To set your expectations properly, this post won’t provide software magic to fix hardware damaged devices, like the ones mentioned below. The most that you can do is to try different hardware button combinations to see if the problem is caused by bad software. There are two sets of hardware button combinations that you can try, each of them leading to a different software solution. For the benefit of other readers, here are the steps how to do each of them:
Boot your S8 to Recovery mode
- Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
- Press and then hold the Bixby and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Bixby and Volume Up keys.
- When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
- You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.
Boot in Download Mode:
- Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
- Press and then hold the Bixby and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Bixby and Volume DOWN keys.
- Wait until the Download screen appears.
- If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.
If your S8 won’t be able to load any of these modes at all, or if the screen remains black, you most likely have a bad hardware to begin with. Continue reading and see what you can do in certain situations.
If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page.
When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
Problem 1: Galaxy S8 turns on but screen remains black
My phone is on, and I can tell by pressing the Volume Up key and hearing the indicator that the sound is at its highest. The blue LED light is flashing every now and then, sometimes staying on for an extended period of time. I plugged my phone in and the phone is getting hot, but the screen is not turning on. I have tried rebooting the phone by using the volume down and power button, as well as both volume up, volume down and power button but nothing appears on the screen. When I try to reboot it, the LED light turns on and off, the phone buzzes every now and then but will not turn on the screen. When I receive a text or call, I can hear it/feel it vibrating, but still can’t see the screen – remains black. My phone has been plugged in and untouched for at least 15 minutes, yet nothing happens, other than the LED light turning off while charging. — Liesel Wadsworth
Solution: Hi Liesel. Usually, many Android users fail to recognize the difference between No Display issue and No Power issue. Yours is clearly a No Display problem because your phone powers on though the screen stays black. No Power issue means that the phone is totally dead, unresponsive, and not showing any indications that it’s powered on.
Under normal circumstances, a smartphone display is usually a robust component being able to run straight for years without any problems. If your phone’s screen has stopped working for no obvious reason, it can be due to bad software or hardware malfunction.
software -related causes can be fixed relatively easily since all you need to do is try to remove the app or software bug behind it. This can be accomplished by booting the phone to safe mode and uninstalling the problematic app. At worst, a software-related screen issue should be fixed with a master reset, which we believe you’ve already attempted before contacting us.
That tells us that your case is being caused by bad hardware. We don’t have the history of your device so we can’t be sure but if the screen stays black after you’ve attempted to restart it to Recovery mode, that is almost always a sure sign of a hardware issue. If your phone was not physically impacted, then it may be exposed to temperature extremes (too much heat or cold) or has succumbed to manufacturing defect (very rare). That said, the only way to fix the trouble is by sending the phone in. A technician needs to check the device physically so a thorough diagnostics can be performed. Better still, try to send the phone to Samsung so a properly trained technician can repair or replace the phone.
Problem 2: What to do if Galaxy S8 screen stopped working
I checked the time and my phone was around 49%, so I used the charger anyways. Some time later the screen wouldn’t respond. I thought it just needed some more time so I waited until morning. The following morning, it wouldn’t turn on so I tried resetting it both ways with no response. I also had a friend try to call me and it was automatically sending them to voicemail while I received no notification. What should I do? Thank you! — Robbyybounkanha
Solution: Hi Robbyybounkanha. There are two possibilities in your situation, as mentioned above — either you have a No Power issue or a No Display issue. If your friends are unable to contact your number and it doesn’t ring at all at your end, then the device must be off, which may mean it succumb to No Power issue. To check, try to look for tell tale signs that the device is still responding. Things to watch out for should include the following:
- LED light
- Sound notifications when there’s incoming calls, messages, or updates
- Vibrate notifications
If your phone does not show any of these items at all, try to charge it using a different set of charging cable and adapter. The phone may have simply lost power after the battery was drained. Make sure to charge the phone for at least an hour before you attempt to power it back on. If it still doesn’t power on after leaving it charged for an hour, you must have a hardware problem. Contact Samsung to have the phone repaired or replaced.
If your phone happens to turn back on but the screen displays nothing at all (is blank or black), then you got yourself a bad screen issue. Unless you’re willing to risk replacing the screen yourself and voiding the warranty in the process, we suggest that you let Samsung do it for you.
Problem 3: Galaxy S8 Plus has water damage and won’t turn on
Hi. I have a Samsung Galaxy S8 plus and i have a black screen blinking with green light on the LED. This is what happened yesterday. I was swimming and I got my phone with me in the pool. We took some selfies and videos for about 30 min. After an hour it was fully black with green light blinking on the LED. I put in on a rice for a night but nothing happened. so what do you suggest about the phone. — Yosef
Solution: Hi Yosef. The Galaxy S8 is has an IP68 certification, which means that it can withstand dust and is water proof when immersed in 1.5 meter of water for 30 minutes. This however does not mean that it can withstand the pressure generated when you swim with it. In real life application, IP68 certification can only work for occasional splashes. Intentionally dunking the device in a pool and swimming with it may however, damage it as pressure may force water inside the device. Water resistance in a Galaxy S8 is made possible by nano technology that keeps the device sealed. However, over time, this protection may become compromised, especially if the phone is dropped or physically impacted. The seals that keep the water out may no longer be working when you swam with it.
To fix the issue, try to see if air drying the device will fix it. Otherwise, you should let a professional check the phone for you.
Keep in mind that Samsung’s warranty will be voided if water found its way inside. This means that you’ll most likely shell out something for repair whether or not you’ll take the device to them or not.
Obviously, a water damaged S8 can’t be fixed by tweaking the software, if you can even manage to make the display work at all. The least that you can do right now is to send the phone in.
Problem 4: Cracked Galaxy S8 screen not working properly
My sister recently dropped my S8 Galaxy and then to the right corner is internally cracked (there’s a tiny black hole in the display with an accompanying white line across the top). The screen subtly shakes up and down from the top. Aside from that there is no issue. However when i turn off my phone and try to turn it back on, the screen flashes white then goes black. It takes several tries for the screen to turn on. But once on, it is fine. Is there anything I can try to fix the problem without having to replace the screen? — Suzane
Solution: Hi Suzane. No, there’s nothing that you can do except to let Samsung or an independent service center replace the screen. There’s no code that you can run in your device to magically fix a shattered display.
Hopefully the damage is isolated to the screen only. If the logic board has suffered damage as well, you’re most probably better off with a new phone. In order to know the extent of the damage, you must let a technician check the phone hardware.