Fix: Galaxy S5 Black screen of death

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on June 7, 2023
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

When it was released, the Samsung Galaxy S5 was one of the most popular smartphones in the market, if not the most popular. It boasted top-of-the-line specifications and came with features not usually found in other smartphones.

Powerful as it may be, though, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is not immune to bugs, and users of the handset have reported a few really annoying problems with the phone.

One of the major issues for some users of the Samsung Galaxy S5 occurs when the screen of the handset goes completely black and becomes unresponsive. According to these users, although the buttons of the Samsung Galaxy S5 light up, the screen remains blank and the phone does not wake up.

s5 black screen

If you have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and have encountered the black screen issue, don’t worry. Below are some steps you can take to address this problem.

Step 1: Soft Resetting.

A soft reset involves restarting your Samsung Galaxy S5, but it includes the extra step of cutting off all power to the handset. A normal soft reset involves turning your phone off, removing the battery for 30 seconds, and restarting the phone after replacing the battery.

s2

 If your Samsung Galaxy S5 is experiencing a black screen issue, you can proceed to remove the back panel of the phone and take out the battery for at least 30 seconds. Next, place the battery back in, along with the back cover, and hold the Power key until your Samsung Galaxy S5 turns on. This step is sure to resolve the black screen issue on your device.

Step 2: Disable dark screen mode.

If you can access your phone, ensure that the Dark Screen feature of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is turned off.

dark screen mode

To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Vision > Dark Screen and disable this option.

 Step 3: Disable or uninstall apps.

There is a chance that a rogue app or widget is causing the problem. To check, boot your Samsung Galaxy S5 into Safe Mode. Do this by turning your phone off and then turning it back on. When the Samsung logo displays during the restart, press and hold the Volume Down button until the lock screen appears. Safe Mode will be shown in the lower-left corner of the handset’s display.

s5 safe mode

 Step 4: Remove the SD card.

SD cards sometimes have compatibility issues with the Samsung Galaxy S5. Remove the SD card from your phone and restart the device.

done everything you could, including a factory reset as a last resort, and your Samsung Galaxy S5 still encounters the black screen issue, your handset might have a hardware problem. The best thing to do is to go to your retailer, carrier, or Samsung to have your phone checked.

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on June 7, 2023
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

15
    JE
    Jeff Sep 23, 2016

    Either you were a rip off or this was ripped off you: ***** – edit, none of it works. not even one of the steps.

    Reply
      KA
      K. Arrows Author Sep 24, 2016

      The link you posted in the comments, isn’t suggested or recommended by us. Also, the steps are general, they are written considering the most common issues revolving around the black screen.

      Reply
    DA
    Dave Oct 3, 2016

    How are you supposed to be able to navigate through screens to turn off dark mode, or boot it in safe mode if your screen is black? That’s like saying to a blind person, walk till you see the sign that says “bridge ends here, wait for assistance”

    Reply
      KA
      K. Arrows Author Oct 3, 2016

      It’s indicated that only after soft resetting, if you can access the phone then turn the dark mode off.

      Reply
    TH
    Tiffany Honaker Oct 31, 2016

    My fiance and i have a galaxy s5, we replaced the charging port and now his screen wont turn on. The phone will but the screen wont. The closest we get to the screen lighting up is when we are removing the battery, it will light up for a quick second but thats the only time. We have tried everything above and nothing.

    Reply
      KA
      K. Arrows Author Nov 1, 2016

      I can only think of a fault during the replacement process, try reversing the process and reconnect the screen.

      Reply
    G
    G Jan 25, 2017

    I tried but didnt work

    Reply
    BM
    Bobby Mullins Jul 2, 2017

    Had my phone 4 months got insurance totaling 269.00. Well got the black screen and did all those steps and nothing. called insurance 149.00 deductible on a 200.00 phone. Learned that the hard way. But point is these cell phones are 1 big scam. They know we depend on them and they take advantage of it. Phone is garbage!!!

    Reply
    CH
    chris Oct 12, 2017

    My phone gas been checked twice. Still get black screen!!

    Reply
    AB
    A-Braces Mar 4, 2019

    Taking out the battery and pressing down the on/off button for 1/2 minute works but still you gotta turn it off and on sometimes like 50 times for it to finally turn on, maybe.

    I found a better way to heal your (my) Galaxy. Put it on a window sill, to expose the screen to sunlight. It seems the screen is susceptible to solar energy (like a solar calculator ).

    It will get better and better as you do this each day, and it turns on right away if the phone is getting sunlight directly on the screen while you turn it on.

    Yeah!

    I don’t know if this is a problem with phones that have a cover as mine does and I always kept it closed when not in use.

    I will also try the other solution by pressing the camera icon area hard, when I turn it on at night and the screen won’t light up.

    Reply
      SW
      Shane Warren Author Sep 19, 2019

      Thank you for sharing your solution.

      Reply
    CA
    Carol Mar 22, 2019

    I just encountered a black screen and tried removing the battery for 30 seconds. It worked, this solved my problem. Thanks for the information!!

    Reply
    MB
    Mark Blackburn Aug 31, 2020

    Followed instructions and it worked. Thanks for being here.

    Reply
    CR
    Crankcase08 Mar 11, 2023

    So I booted into Safe Mode. Then what???

    Reply
      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Mar 20, 2023

      If you successfully booted into safe mode then it means there’s an app that is causing this issue. I recommend you to uninstall apps while being in Safe Mode and if that doesn’t work then boot into safe mode create a backup then reset your phone.

      Reply