Why is your Samsung Galaxy J7 not turning on and how to fix it? [Troubleshooting Guide]
Power issues in mobile devices like not turning on is often associated with a software problem. In many cases, the device is actually powered on the whole time but gets stuck on black screen. What actually happens is that the device just couldn’t get to display anything because something went wrong in the system. As a result, the user mistakenly thinks of it as a power issue where in fact it’s a software malfunction.
Troubles like this can occur to any device regardless of its state. Even those lined among the high-powered smartphones like Samsung’s Galaxy series, including the Galaxy J7 can succumb into the same situation. Read on and learn what to do should your Galaxy J7 suddenly refuses to power on.
Before anything else though, if you have other issues with your device, then visit our Galaxy J7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed several common problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems so just take time finding issues that are similar with yours. If you can’t find one or if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. Please provide us with as much information as possible so that it would also be easier for us to troubleshoot the problem. Don’t worry as we offer this service for free, so all you have to do is give us sufficient information about the problem.
What causes your Galaxy J7 to not power on?
Again, the problem can either be due to a software or hardware issue on the phone. Should it be triggered by a software glitch, you’ll have a chance of finding solution and get your device back up and running in no time. Outlined below are common factors that you need to consider looking into when dealing with power issues on your phone.
System crash
Bad updates and malware causing the system to crash. In this case, the problem is actually not with power but stuck on black screen. In this case, the device is actually turned on the whole time only that it gets stuck on black screen because of complex system issues. Pressing the Power button for about a minute or two can help you determine if this is what you are facing. IF you hear a sound or notice some vibration on your device while pressing the Power button, then it denotes that your phone is just working.
Corrupt files / apps
Cache files can get corrupted and eventually messed up some of the phone’s functionality including power. Usually this happens when a faulty update is installed to the app or the file contains some bugs. Temporary files that are stored as cache can also become corrupted when out-dated. For as long as the corrupted file remains, the symptoms persists. This is why you should consider clearing cache and data from your apps or device system itself once in awhile.
Depleted battery
A bad battery often takes the blame. Many cases of power issues in mobile devices including the Galaxy J7 variants are tied to a bad battery. The battery can become defective in time or from physical or liquid damage. Consider checking the battery first and make sure that it is okay.
Hardware damage
This is the worst among the possible causes. A device can be totally dead because of hardware damage. If your Galaxy J7 was previously dropped or got wet and then suddenly will not turn on, then it’s possible that the phone was damaged from the prior instance. The best option you have to possibly bring back your hardware-damaged phone to life is a tech repair. Apparently, there is nothing much you can do on your end to fix the damage.
Recommended workarounds and potential solutions
Looking into the possible causes beforehand is a key to resolving devices issues including power issues. The next thing to do is isolate the problem. This denotes that from all the possible causes, you will narrow it down to the most probable cause. To make things easier, try to think of what happened before your device powered down and not turning on. For example, did it happen after making some changes on the device settings, after installing new apps, or updating Android firmware? Once you’ve answered the queries, you’ll know where to get started in troubleshooting. But in the case where you really couldn’t determine the underlying cause, consider the following workarounds among your first options when troubleshooting your Galaxy J7. Be sure to test your device after performing each method to find out whether or not the problem has been resolved.
Remove and re-insert the battery (for previous models)
Removing and reinserting the battery is an alternative method to a soft reset. It helps in rectifying random inconsistencies on the device and gives it a fresh start. Prudence is necessary in this process as it involves taking out of some parts, particularly on the back portion. Here’s how to remove and reinsert the battery on your Galaxy J7:
- Open the back cover.
- Gently pull the battery out from the slot.
- With the battery removed, press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
- Insert the battery then press a little to secure it with the back cover.
- Attempt to power on your device afterwards.
Sometimes a device may refuse to power on no matter how hard you tried pressing the Power button because the battery is dislodged.
Force reboot (for 2017 variant)
A force reboot might be the fix you need especially if a software glitch is at fault. It is a recommended alternative method to a soft reset on unresponsive devices. Here’s how a force reboot is done on your Samsung Galaxy J7:
- Simultaneously press Volume Down, and Power button for a few seconds or until you see anything on the screen.
You may need to press on these buttons for about 20-30 seconds before you see a response.
Remove SD card and SIM card
Some users found remedy from this workaround. It turns out that something in the microSD card or the SIM is triggering the system to malfunction and the device to get stuck on black screen for some reasons. If you are using an SD card and your phone won’t turn on, you too can take your chances of fixing the problem through this method. Remove the SD card then try to power on your device without an SD card inserted. Just do it carefully so as not cause any further damage on the SD card or SD card slot.
Connect to charger
It is important to determine whether or not the problem is on charging rather than no power. If the phone won’t charge, then you need to deal with charging issues first. Once you fixed the problem on charging, your device will likely be able to power on as intended.
If you can get your device to power on while charging, try to enter Safe Mode and diagnose apps. Doing so will help rule out third-party apps among the possible culprits. This is likely needed especially if the problem instigates after installing a new app on the phone. To boot your Galaxy J7 into safe mode, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Power button (located on the right) until phone options are displayed then release.
- Select and hold Power off until the Reboot to Safe Mode prompt appears then release.
- Tap the option to RESTART. The restart process may take up to one minute to complete.
After it boots up completely, Safe Mode appears in the lower left of the unlock/home screen.
You may also attempt to boot our Galaxy J7 into recovery mode and if successful, proceed with wipe cache partition. Wiping the cache partition might be necessary if the main triggers are temporary files or cached data in the system cache segment. Here’s how it’s done:
- Power off your Galaxy J7 by pressing and holding the Power key, then tap Power off twice to confirm.
- Press and hold the Volume Up button and then press and hold the Home key. While holding both, press and hold the Power key.
- When the Android logo appears on the screen, release all three keys. It may take a minute before the Android recovery screen appears.
- While on Android recovery screen, use the Volume Down key to highlight options, which in this case is ‘wipe data/factory reset.’
- Press the Power key to choose the highlighted option.
- Press the Volume Down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ option is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to confirm the reset.
- Once the reset is complete, press the Power key to choose ‘Reboot system now.’
It may take a little longer for the device to restart so just wait until the reset is finished and it power cycles.
Connect your device to a computer
Install Samsung Kies on your computer then try to open your device through the software on your computer. If Samsung Kies is able to recognize your device, it means that the software is working fine. It is just not able to complete the booting up routine because something is halting the process. You may opt to perform a software upgrade through Samsung Kies to resolve potential problems by fixing bugs and errors within the system structure. Upgrade instructions will be provided by Kies so all you need is to follow them. All user data is preserved after upgrade but still it is recommended to backup your data beforehand.
Seek Further Assistance
If your Galaxy J7 still doesn’t power on after performing all prior methods, then most likely a faulty hardware is to blame. At this point, consider taking your device to a technician as soon as possible and have it diagnosed and/or repair, if necessary. It might be the only option left for you to get your Galaxy J7 back up and running properly again.
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