How To Fix Galaxy S23 Won’t Turn On Or Black Screen (2026)

Your Galaxy S23 is not responding, the screen is black and pressing the power button does nothing.

That is usually a frozen system or a drained battery, and both are fixable at home.

This guide goes from the fastest fix, a force restart, to charging checks, safe mode and Samsung’s repair options, and most people know within 15 minutes whether it is software or hardware.

Quick answer: what to try first

Step	What to do	Fixes
1	Hold Side + Volume Down for at least 7 seconds	Frozen software
2	Charge with a Samsung-certified charger and cable	Drained battery
3	Swap in a different charger and cable	Faulty accessory
4	Boot in Safe mode	Misbehaving third-party app
5	Book a repair	Hardware fault

Why does a Galaxy S23 not turn on?

Samsung lists four causes on its support pages.

• Temporary software freeze: the system hangs and ignores the buttons.
• Fully drained battery: there is not enough power to boot.
• System malfunction: the software fails to load.
• Hardware fault: a problem in the phone’s circuitry.

Step 1: force restart the phone

Press and hold the Side button and the Volume Down button together for at least 7 seconds.

Let go when the Samsung logo appears and the phone vibrates.

1. Remove the case if it blocks either button.
2. Press both buttons at the same moment.
3. Keep holding until the logo appears.

Samsung says pressing them at different times can bring up the volume bar or power menu instead.

What if the Android Recovery screen appears?

On some phones a force restart opens the Android Recovery menu instead of restarting.

Use the volume keys to highlight Reboot system now, then press the Side key to select it.

Samsung says a forced restart done correctly should not erase any data.

Step 2: charge with a Samsung-certified charger

A fully drained battery may not show the lightning bolt icon, so keep charging even if the screen stays blank.

Samsung’s UK help page suggests charging for a few minutes before you try to turn the phone on.

Use a Samsung-certified charger and cable, since damaged or incompatible accessories can injure you or damage the phone.

A computer’s USB port may not supply enough power to charge and use the phone at once, so a wall charger is the safer choice.

Step 3: try a different charger and cable

If the charger or cable is faulty, the phone may look dead when it is not.

1. Borrow or use a spare charger and cable.
2. Plug into a different wall outlet.
3. Charge for a few minutes, then try the force restart again.

Step 4: check the charging port

Samsung says to look for debris, corrosion or bent pins in the charging port.

The cable should sit firmly in the port, and the phone should show no signs of liquid damage, overheating or warping.

If the port looks damaged or wet, our guide to Galaxy S23 not charging covers the next checks.

Step 5: boot into Safe mode

Safe mode stops third-party apps from running, so you can tell whether an app is the problem.

This only works once the phone shows signs of life, such as the Samsung logo.

1. Power the phone all the way off.
2. Power it back on, and hold Volume Down as soon as the Samsung logo appears.
3. Look for Safe mode in the bottom-left corner.
4. Uninstall apps you installed or updated around when the problem began.
5. Restart the phone to leave Safe mode.

Samsung notes that some customizations, such as wallpapers and themes, may reset when you exit.

Symptom-to-fix table

What you see	Try this
Black screen, no response	Force restart with Side + Volume Down for 7 seconds
Volume bar or power menu appears	Press both buttons at exactly the same time
No charging icon	Keep charging with a certified charger, as the battery may be fully drained
Android Recovery screen	Choose Reboot system now
Boots only after app installs	Use Safe mode and remove recent apps
Wet, bent or corroded port	Contact Samsung for repair

After it turns on: check the battery

Once the phone boots, open the Samsung Members app, go to Support, and tap Get Started under Phone diagnostics.

When the scan finishes, tap the Battery status icon to see Normal, Weak or Bad.

Samsung’s regional page recommends visiting a support center for advice if the result is Bad.

Our guide to Samsung Galaxy battery replacement covers the cost side.

What if the logo appears but it will not finish booting?

If the Samsung logo shows or the phone vibrates but never reaches the lock screen, the problem is more likely software than the battery.

Try Safe mode from step 5, and remove recently installed or updated apps if it boots.

Our guide to a Galaxy S23 stuck on the boot screen covers that case in more detail.

A factory reset erases your data, so treat it as a last resort and back up first if the phone allows.

If you own a newer model, see our guide to a Galaxy S24 that will not turn on.

When should you book a repair?

If none of the steps bring the phone back, Samsung’s support pages point to online chat or the Samsung Members app.

In the US, Samsung lists walk-in, mail-in and in-home repair options.

Option	How it works	Turnaround Samsung lists
Walk-in	Book an appointment at an authorized repair center	Most repairs the same day
Mail-in	Print a label and ship the phone	5 to 7 business days
In-home	A technician comes to you	Most repairs the same day

Samsung’s repair page says repairs use genuine Samsung parts and include a 90-day warranty.

Official sources

• Samsung: Galaxy phone will not turn on
• Samsung: power on in Safe mode
• Samsung: US repair services