Power Button on Old Galaxy S4 Failed

[persistentone]

I have a bit of an emergency. The power button on my old Galaxy S4 failed, and as a result I cannot turn on my cell phone. What are my options here?

1) Is there any other button sequence that acts as an alternative to power on the device?

2) Is there anything I can do with the cover off to trigger power on?

3) A quick browse online suggests that the power button might be a replaceable part? Can someone link a decent quality power button replacement that can be shipped overnight from Amazon?

4) Assuming I cannot power on the device, and I get a replacement phone, does that mean I have effectively lost all of the data on the phone? If I get a replacement, is there any utility in that replacement being another S4? In other words, would having the additional S4 give me any additional recovery options from the dead phone?

 

[mikedt]

I have a bit of an emergency. The power button on my old Galaxy S4 failed, and as a result I cannot turn on my cell phone. What are my options here?

1) Is there any other button sequence that acts as an alternative to power on the device?

2) Is there anything I can do with the cover off to trigger power on?

3) A quick browse online suggests that the power button might be a replaceable part? Can someone link a decent quality power button replacement that can be shipped overnight from Amazon?

4) Assuming I cannot power on the device, and I get a replacement phone, does that mean I have effectively lost all of the data on the phone? If I get a replacement, is there any utility in that replacement being another S4? In other words, would having the additional S4 give me any additional recovery options from the dead phone?

From what you describe, it sounds like the power button or some other hardware problem with this device that needs repair or replacement.

For how to guides and spare parts, Ifixit might be a better option. https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Samsung_Galaxy_S4
Bare in mind, the S4 is circa 10 years old now, so spare parts might not be so readily available these days. Another option is to buy another old S4, that has a good power button etc. on it, and swap the part(s) over.

BTW is your S4 still on its original decade old battery, as that might be knackered?

 

[Milo Williamson]

You can go to settings > Accessiblity mode for an instant reboot and turn off if your powerbutton does not feel right though.

 

[ocnbrze]

I have a bit of an emergency. The power button on my old Galaxy S4 failed, and as a result I cannot turn on my cell phone. What are my options here?

1) Is there any other button sequence that acts as an alternative to power on the device?

nope........unfortunately

2) Is there anything I can do with the cover off to trigger power on?

nope......unfortunately

3) A quick browse online suggests that the power button might be a replaceable part? Can someone link a decent quality power button replacement that can be shipped overnight from Amazon?

yes ifixit is the best place to get parts as well as guides and tools to help you repair your phone on your own for most devices.

4) Assuming I cannot power on the device, and I get a replacement phone, does that mean I have effectively lost all of the data on the phone? If I get a replacement, is there any utility in that replacement being another S4? In other words, would having the additional S4 give me any additional recovery options from the dead phone?

yes the data is lost, unless you back up your phone on a regular basis. your phone came out in 2013!!!!!!!!! phones generally last about 3-4 years.....so......you are waaaaaaay past that. as a practice the older the phone gets, the more often you should back up your phone for reasons like this.

i think you are sol on this one, unless you can get it repaired either by yourself or by a professional.

sorry, good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[persistentone]

I found an alternative way to power on the phone. You select the volume button at the same moment that you plug in a power USB cable. That boots up a special interface to replace the OS. You hit Volume DOWN (NOT UP!!!) to just do a normal boot.

Unfortunately...now the phone is stuck at the Verizon red-background logo display prior to booting the phone. I cannot get it to boot past that logo. So this could be another legacy of the bad power switch, or it could be a more serious failure.

 

[persistentone]

yes the data is lost, unless you back up your phone on a regular basis. your phone came out in 2013!!!!!!!!! phones generally last about 3-4 years.....so......you are waaaaaaay past that. as a practice the older the phone gets, the more often you should back up your phone for reasons like this.

I would have upgraded five years ago, except newer cell phones are intentionally designed to fail after a few years, to force constant upgrades. The battery dies, or if you require a cold reset by removing the battery you can no longer do that. S4 has a replaceable battery, which has allowed me to keep it running a long time.

 

[ocnbrze]

you can use applications to add a floating button

Yeah that's only helpful only when the phone can be booted up. Right now it's stuck on Verizon logo.... which is not a good sign.

 

[persistentone]

Can someone point me to a reliable vendor to purchase the power button for a Samsung S4? I want the small white toggle switch that is soldered to the board, which I circled in red in this photo.

 

[nickdalzell]

I know Amazon sells used S4s (I got two S3's from them, an S4, and an S4 Mini) so you could potentially part one out (they only have tiny little screws holding everything together, not glue like a modern phone thank goodness!)

I am not the only one who favors older phones and I'm glad. Every phone today is either too darned big or a functional downgrade. (i.e., bland UI, no headphone jack or expandable storage, or removable battery, ya know, what makes Android different from Apple?) I refuse to live in a world where every device is a homogenized, every phone looks alike since 2015 stagnant mess.

I want variety like we had in 2007-2013 back.