Black Screen issue is one of the most common problems of smartphones. Phone screens, unlike its computer counterpart, has more important functions than just to display images and videos. Screens act as both monitor and gateway to the operating system interface. Needless to say, having a bad screen can completely block a user from using the device. In today’s post, we give you the troubleshooting steps that you can do if your Google Pixel 3 XL screen won’t turn on or has become black.
What is Google Pixel 3 XL Black Screen issue?
While it may appear obvious to a casual observer, Black Screen issue can mean a different situation from one user to another. Below are the three common cases that shows the forms of Black Screen issue.
Black Screen issue due to No Power
This is the most common reason why a lot of smartphones users across platforms may tag a problem as Black Screen issue. Basically, what happens is that the screen stays black simply because the phone is dead or has refused to power back on. This type of black screen issue is usually accompanied by other signs like:
- lack of LED light indications (solid or flashing),
- absence of sound notifications
- phone no longer vibrates when restarting
- phone no longer showing signs of charging
- number is unreachable
If your Google Pixel 3 XL has a black screen issue and has become totally dead, it has a No Power issue, hence the screen is now unresponsive and stays black. In this situation, the most likely reason is hardware malfunction so repair may be the only effective solution.
Black Screen issue due to damaged screen
Another form of Black Screen issue can be attributed to a broken screen. This often follows after accidentally dropping the device or exposing it to water or liquid. In this situation, the phone is usually not totally dead and may continue to power back on, show LED light indicators, vibrate when restarting, or rings when its number is called.
If your phone’s screen became black after it was physically impacted, you must send the phone in for repair or replacement.
Black Screen issue due to freezing or unresponsive system
In some other cases, a phone may have simply become unresponsive for some unknown bug. If Android encounters an error, it usually tries to fix it by itself but sometimes, it may not be able to do so effectively. This can lead to the system failing or crashing. This is usually manifested in what folks call freezing. Sometimes, the system may freeze and shows a black screen. If the cause is a minor bug only, a quick restart usually fixes the problem.
Solutions to fix Google Pixel 3 XL Black Screen issue
Oftentimes, there’s no obvious reason why an Android device may freeze. A user needs to do a set of troubleshooting steps in order to narrow down the factors. If you are not sure what may have caused a Black Screen issue on your Google Pixel 3 XL, the following troubleshooting steps should help you figure it out.
Force reboot
If your Pixel was not dropped or exposed to liquid and was working normally before experiencing the problem, the cause is most likely a minor OS bug. Try fixing it by rebooting the device. Simply press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds. Afterwards, wait for your phone to complete the reboot sequence and see what happens.
Charge the device
Many Black Screen cases are caused by a battery running out of juice. Make sure to charge the phone for at least 30 minutes before attempting to turn it back on. This will allow the battery to store enough energy before firing up the system again.
Use another set of charging accessories
In case that the problem is caused by a bad charging cable or adapter, we recommend that you use a different set. If you won’t be able to readily get another official Google cable and adapter, try to borrow them from a friend or visit a local Google store.
Check the screen
As mentioned above, there are a number of signs that a user must do in order to distinguish what type of Black Screen issue he or she is experiencing. Just remember, if the phone still charges and shows signs of life but the screen remains black, that’s most probably a screen issue. The motherboard and the rest of the system may still be working normally but the screen may need repair or replacing. Contact Google for additional support.
Boot to safe mode
Sometimes, an app may becomes incompatible with Android or with other apps resulting to issues. To check if you have a problem with one of your downloaded apps, you can restart your Pixel 3 XL to safe mode.
In order to boot your Pixel 3 XL to safe mode:
- Press and hold your device’s power button.
- On your screen, touch and hold Power off. If needed, tap OK.
- Your device starts in safe mode. You’ll see “Safe mode” at the bottom of your screen.
- Let your Pixel 3 XL run in this mode for at least 48 hours so you’ll notice any difference.
- To exit safe mode, simply restart the device.
Remember, booting to safe mode won’t automatically tell you which of your apps is troublesome. You’ll need to observe the phone and check for improvements in order to identify if a third party app is causing the problem. To identify which of your apps is causing the trouble, you should boot the phone back to safe mode and follow these steps:
- Boot to safe mode.
- Check for the problem.
- Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
- After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
- If your Pixel 3 XL is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.
Repair
There are a few things to consider before you decide to send your Pixel 3 XL to Google to be repaired. These are the items to check:
- phone is totally dead (No Power)
- won’t charge (even after using a different known working set of cable and adapter)
- phone was accidentally dropped
- screen won’t turn on after phone got wet
- none of the suggestions above did not help
If your Pixel 3 XL has any of the items above, don’t waste your time looking for software solutions anymore. This only means that there’s a deeper reason why the screen is black or not turning on. Let a professional handle the situation so proper hardware diagnostics can be done.