How To Fix A Galaxy S25 That Won’t Turn On (2026)
Your Galaxy S25 shows a black screen and does not react to the power button.
That is scary, but a drained battery, a bad cable or a frozen system is behind it far more often than a dead phone.
Work through the fixes below in order; most take a few minutes, and the early ones erase nothing.
What to try first when a Galaxy S25 won’t turn on
Start with the charger and cable, then move to a force restart.
| What you see | Try this first | Erases data? |
|---|---|---|
| Black screen, no charging icon | Fix 1 and Fix 2: certified charger, different cable, clean port | No |
| Screen frozen or phone ignores the buttons | Fix 3: force restart with Volume Down and Side key | No |
| Text mentioning Maintenance Boot Mode | Fix 4: select Normal Boot | No |
| Boots, then crashes or restarts | Fix 6: Safe mode, then remove recent apps | No |
| Stuck on the logo or a recovery screen | Fix 7 and Fix 8: recovery menu, then reset | Reset only |
Fix 1: charge with a certified charger
Samsung tells owners to charge for a few minutes before trying to turn the phone on, and a deeply drained battery can take longer to wake.
- Plug the phone into a wall outlet using a Samsung-certified charger and its original cable.
- Leave it connected and watch for the charging icon, a vibration or the logo.
- Avoid a computer USB port, because it may not supply enough power to charge a phone that is switched off.
Fix 2: check the cable, the charger and the port
A damaged accessory is the most common reason a phone seems dead.
- Cable and charger: try a second cable and a second adapter that you know works.
- Port: look for lint, debris, corrosion or bent pins, and make sure the plug sits firmly without wobbling.
- Cleaning: with the phone off, lift lint out gently with a wooden or plastic pick, never a metal tool.
- Damage: check for liquid exposure, overheating or a warped body, since Samsung says damaged parts need replacing or a repair.
If charging is the whole problem, our guide to a Galaxy S25 that won’t charge goes deeper.
Fix 3: force restart the Galaxy S25
A force restart cuts power to a frozen system, and Samsung says it does not delete your data.
- Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Side key together.
- Keep holding until the phone vibrates and the Samsung logo appears, which can take up to a minute.
- Release both buttons and let the phone finish starting.
Samsung’s own regional pages give slightly different combinations, so try the next one if the first does nothing.
| Samsung page | Button combination | Hold time |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung UAE (powers on or off) | Side key and Volume Down | Up to 60 seconds |
| Samsung Saudi Arabia (frozen device) | Side key and Volume Down | Until the phone restarts |
| Samsung UK (will not power on) | Side key and Volume Up | More than 7 seconds |
If Volume Down fails, try Volume Up with the Side key.
Fix 4: leave Maintenance Boot Mode
After a restart the phone may show a Maintenance Boot Mode screen instead of starting.
- Press the volume keys until Normal Boot is highlighted.
- Press the Side key to select it.
Fix 5: unplug the charger and hold the power key
Samsung’s support page for a phone that will not power on lists one more step.
- Disconnect the charger and cable.
- Hold the power (Side) key for 15 to 20 seconds.
- If it starts but the battery is low, charge it fully with the factory travel charger.
If you use a biometric lock, expect to enter your PIN or password after the reboot.
Fix 6: try wireless charging and Safe mode
If the phone wakes on a wireless pad but not on a cable, the cable, adapter or USB-C port is the suspect.
Once the phone boots, use Safe mode to find out whether an app is crashing it.
- Turn the phone off.
- Turn it on again and hold Volume Down as the Samsung logo appears.
- Look for Safe mode in the bottom-left corner.
- Uninstall apps you added or updated recently, then restart to leave Safe mode.
Safe mode disables third-party apps, and some wallpapers or themes may reset when you exit.
How fast does each Galaxy S25 model charge?
These numbers help you judge whether your charger is the weak link.
| Model | Wired charging | Wireless charging | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 | Up to 25W | Up to 15W | 4,000mAh |
| Galaxy S25+ | Up to 45W | Up to 15W | 4,900mAh |
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | Up to 45W | Up to 15W | 5,000mAh |
A phone that charges slowly but still charges is a different problem, covered in our Galaxy S25 USB-C port guide.
Fix 7: open Android Recovery
If the phone reaches a menu with blue or white text, it is running and the problem is in software.
- Power the phone off.
- Hold Volume Up and the Side key together until the phone vibrates and the Android Recovery screen appears, then release both.
- Move with the volume buttons and select with the Side key.
- Choose Reboot system now to restart normally.
Some guides add a Wipe cache partition option here, so use it if your menu lists it, then reboot.
Fix 8: factory reset as a last resort
A reset from recovery can clear software corruption, but it removes your accounts and all data on the phone.
- Open Android Recovery as in Fix 7.
- Select Wipe data / factory reset, then Factory data reset.
- Select Reboot system now and wait several minutes.
Phone on but the screen stays black?
If you hear sounds or feel vibrations, the screen or a software fault may be the cause rather than the battery.
Our Galaxy S25 black screen guide covers that case.
When to contact Samsung
If every fix fails, or the phone is wet, hot or physically damaged, stop trying chargers and get it inspected.
- Official route: use Samsung’s repair booking or support pages for your country.
- Before you go: note whether the phone vibrates, shows any logo, or heats up while charging.
- Your data: repairs can involve resets, so ask about backups if the phone ever started.
Read Samsung’s own pages for phones that will not power on and for Safe mode.