Galaxy S7 Active Power Button Broken: Turn On/Off

If your Galaxy S7 Active’s power button has stopped working, you can still turn the screen on and off, restart the phone, and even power it down using a combination of the home button, volume keys, and built-in software features. This guide walks you through every method that works without the physical power button, from simple screen wake-ups to a full shutdown and restart. No special tools or technical skills are needed—just a few minutes and a working touchscreen.

What You’ll Need

• Your Galaxy S7 Active with a functional touchscreen
• A charger and USB cable (for one of the restart methods)
• Optional: a paperclip or SIM ejector tool (only if you need to remove the SIM tray for a hard reset)

Step-by-Step

Turning the Screen On (Waking the Phone)

1. Press the Home button. The physical home button on the front of the S7 Active will wake the screen just like the power button. A single press turns the display on; press again to see the lock screen.
2. Use the “Double-tap to wake” feature. If you haven’t enabled it, go to Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures and turn on Double tap to wake. Then simply double-tap the screen to wake it.
3. Press the Volume Up or Volume Down key. On many Android devices, pressing a volume key while the screen is off will wake it (it may also adjust volume if the screen is on). Try both volume buttons.
4. Plug in the charger. Connecting the phone to power will automatically wake the screen and show the charging indicator. This is a reliable fallback if the other methods fail.

Turning the Screen Off (Sleeping the Phone)

1. Use the “Power button” on-screen shortcut. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade. Tap the gear icon to open Settings, then scroll to Advanced Features > Side Key (or Buttons). Look for a setting called Press and hold to turn off or Power key menu—if available, enable it. Then, when you want to sleep the screen, press and hold the side key (the broken power button) for a few seconds; the phone may still respond to the long-press even if the short press is broken. If that doesn’t work, use the next method.
2. Use the “Sleep” quick setting. Swipe down twice from the top to expand the quick settings panel. Look for a power icon (usually labeled Power or Screen off). Tap it to immediately turn off the screen. If you don’t see it, tap the three-dot menu (or pencil icon) to edit the quick settings tiles and drag the power tile into your active tiles.
3. Let the screen time out. Set your screen timeout to a short duration (e.g., 30 seconds) in Settings > Display > Screen timeout. The screen will turn off automatically after that period of inactivity.
4. Use a third-party app. Install an app like “Screen Off” from the Play Store that adds a one-tap widget to your home screen. Tap the widget to turn off the screen instantly.

Restarting the Phone (Soft Reset)

1. Use the Power menu (if accessible). Press and hold the broken power button for 10–15 seconds. Even with a damaged button, sometimes the long-press still triggers the power menu or a forced restart. If the power menu appears, tap Restart.
2. Use the Volume Down + Home button combo. Press and hold the Volume Down and Home buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds. This should force a soft restart on many Galaxy devices, even without the power button.
3. Use the “Restart” quick setting. If you can access the quick settings panel, some devices have a restart option in the power menu. If not, you can use an app like “Quick Reboot” (requires root) or simply turn the phone off and on again using the methods above.
4. Let the battery drain completely. If all else fails, let the phone shut down by running the battery to zero, then charge it back up to turn it on.

Turning the Phone Off Completely

1. Use the Power menu (long-press). Press and hold the power button for a few seconds. If the power menu appears, tap Power off. If it doesn’t, try the next step.
2. Use the “Power off” quick setting. Swipe down twice to open the full quick settings panel. Tap the power icon (if present) and then choose Power off.
3. Use an app. Install an app like “Power Off” from the Play Store that adds a shortcut to the power off dialog. You can also use “Tasker” to create a custom power-off action.
4. Force shutdown. Press and hold Volume Down + Home for 10 seconds. This will force the phone to restart, but you can then immediately use the power menu to turn it off. Alternatively, you can remove the battery if you’re comfortable opening the phone (not recommended for most users).

Turning the Phone On (After a Full Shutdown)

1. Plug in the charger. Connecting the charger will automatically power on the phone if it’s completely off. Wait a few seconds for the boot screen to appear.
2. Use the Home button. Press and hold the Home button for a few seconds. On some devices, this will power on the phone.
3. Use the Volume Down + Home combo. Press and hold both buttons for 10 seconds. This may trigger a boot.
4. If the phone is in download mode or recovery, use the volume keys to navigate. If you accidentally boot into recovery, use Volume Up/Down to highlight “Reboot system now” and press Home to select.

Common Mistakes

• Pressing the power button repeatedly. This can further damage the button or the internal ribbon cable. Avoid using it at all.
• Forgetting to enable double-tap to wake. This feature is not on by default on all devices. You must turn it on in settings before it works.
• Using the wrong volume key combo. The correct combo for a soft reset is Volume Down + Home, not Volume Up + Home (which may trigger other modes).
• Assuming the phone is off when it’s just in sleep mode. If the screen is black but the phone is still on, you don’t need to power it on—just wake it.
• Not using the quick settings power tile. Many users don’t realize this tile exists. It’s the easiest way to turn off the screen without a button.

Tips

• Set up a routine: Use Bixby Routines (or a third-party app) to automatically turn off the screen after a certain time or when you place the phone face down.
• Use a case with a built-in screen cover: A smart cover with a magnetic sensor will wake and sleep the phone when you open and close it, bypassing the power button entirely.
• Keep the phone charged: If the battery dies, you’ll need the charger to turn it back on. Always carry a power bank.
• Consider repairing the button: If you’re handy, you can replace the power button flex cable yourself (parts are available online). Otherwise, take it to a repair shop. It’s often a cheap fix.
• Back up your data regularly: Since you can’t easily restart the phone, a backup ensures you don’t lose data if the phone freezes.

Troubleshooting

• The screen won’t wake with any method. First, make sure the phone isn’t completely dead. Plug it into a charger and wait a few minutes. If the charging indicator appears, the phone is on. If not, try a different cable and charger. If it still doesn’t respond, the battery may be completely drained or the phone may have a hardware issue beyond the power button.
• The phone is frozen and won’t respond to any button. Try the Volume Down + Home combo for 10–15 seconds. If that doesn’t work, plug it into a charger and hold Volume Down + Home while plugging in. This may force a reboot. As a last resort, let the battery drain completely.
• The power menu appears but you can’t tap “Power off” because the touchscreen is unresponsive. If the screen is frozen, you can’t use the touchscreen. Use the physical key combo to force a restart instead.
• Double-tap to wake isn’t working. Ensure the feature is enabled in Settings. Also, check if the screen has a screen protector that might be interfering with the touch sensor. Remove it and try again.
• The phone turns on but immediately turns off. This could be a battery issue. Try charging for at least 30 minutes, then attempt to turn it on with the Home button. If it still fails, the battery may need replacement.
• You accidentally entered Download Mode or Recovery Mode. Use the volume keys to navigate. In Download Mode, press Volume Down to cancel and reboot. In Recovery Mode, use Volume keys to highlight “Reboot system now” and press Home to select.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still use the phone if the power button is completely broken?

Yes, you can use the phone normally as long as the screen is on. The power button is only needed for turning the screen on/off and restarting. All other functions work fine.

Will the phone turn on automatically when I plug in the charger?

Yes, if the phone is completely off, connecting the charger will usually power it on automatically. This is the most reliable way to turn it on without the power button.

How do I force restart without the power button?

Press and hold the Volume Down and Home buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds. This should trigger a soft reset on the Galaxy S7 Active.

Is there a way to turn off the screen using only the touchscreen?

Yes, you can add a “Screen off” tile to the quick settings panel, or install a third-party app that creates a home screen shortcut to turn off the screen.

Can I replace the power button myself?

Yes, the power button on the S7 Active is a separate flex cable that can be replaced. You can find replacement parts online and follow a teardown guide. However, it requires opening the phone, which may void any warranty and carries a risk of damaging other components.

Why doesn’t the volume key wake the screen?

On some devices, the volume keys are set to adjust media volume by default and do not wake the screen. You can change this in Settings under “Sound and vibration” or “Advanced features”—look for an option like “Volume keys control media volume” and disable it, which may allow the volume keys to wake the screen.

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