Physical buttons on phones are pretty old-school tech, yet we're still totally reliant on them. We press the power and volume buttons countless times every day, which means they can wear out over time.

If your power or volume buttons are not working, then don't rush to the service center yet. There are still a few tricks you can use to control or reboot your phone even without the buttons. Let's take a look.

1. Check That the Buttons Really Are Dead

First of all, make sure you're using the buttons properly. Samsung phones, for example, have a Side key that looks like it should power your phone off but actually doesn't. By default, it either turns off the display or activates the Bixby voice assistant. For new users, this can make it look like the Samsung power button is not working.

You need to press both the Side key and Volume down key to bring up the power menu, or you can change how the Side key works to something more suitable.

If you need to know how to turn your Samsung or other Android phone on when the power button isn't working, in most cases you can simply plug it in. Most phones will automatically power on when they begin charging.

With that said, if your phone's buttons are not working, there's a chance a software glitch might have caused the malfunction. To check that the key really is broken, we recommend going through a few basic troubleshooting steps.

Reboot Your Phone

Your first order of business is to perform a simple reboot. This will restart all background services and refresh your phone's core components in case something has gone wrong.

On most phones—especially those running Android 12 or later—you can restart your phone via a software button in the Quick Settings panel.

  1. Swipe down twice on your home screen to open the Quick Settings menu.
  2. Tap the power icon. It's at the bottom of the screen on a Pixel, and at the top on a Samsung phone.
    power button in quick settings panel
  3. Tap Restart.

If you've got a Samsung phone and the power button is not working, then you can also reboot your device using the Auto Restart feature. This works if your phone screen is turned off and your battery is above 30%.

  1. Head into your phone settings and locate the section titled Battery and Device Care or similar.
  2. Head to the ellipsis in the top right-hand corner of your screen and select Automation.
  3. Here, you'll find the option to Auto restart at set times.
  4. Turn auto-restart on, and then choose today's day, and set a time for your phone to restart.
  5. Your phone will restart within one hour of the time you set.

But what if your device doesn't have either of these options? Another way to restart an Android phone whose power button isn't working is to use the accessibility settings.

Go to Settings > Accessibility and toggle on the Accessibility menu. You'll now see a new shortcut either on your navigation bar or in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap that, select the Power option, and hit Restart from the menu that appears. If you can't see this option, download Google's own Android Accessibility Suite app to enable it.

Boot Into Safe Mode

Another way to test whether a software bug is causing your button problem is by booting into safe mode. This is a stripped-back mode that runs the basic Android operating system and nothing else. None of the third-party services and apps you've installed will run in safe mode.

If the button in question functions normally in safe mode, you know for sure that the culprit is a third-party service.

You normally enter safe mode on most new Android devices by pressing and holding the power button. Obviously, you can't do that if the button isn't working, so refer to the steps above to bring up the power menu. Then touch and hold the Power off option and follow the onscreen instructions to restart in safe mode.

To exit safe mode, just restart your phone again.

Diagnose Your Phone's Hardware Buttons

The final method to confirm that your problem is due to hardware failure is by diagnosing your phone's buttons through a third-party app.

To do that, install a free app called TestM from the Play Store. Launch it and tap Hardware on the home page. Next, choose Hardware Buttons and follow the on-screen instructions. If TestM can detect your button inputs, you've confirmed that your problem is due to software rather than the button itself.

Based on these tests, you should have a clear idea of whether your phone's button is dead. If it's a software bug, you can try uninstalling any recent apps you've added, as well as any that you don't trust or haven't used in a while.

Failing that, you may wish to go ahead with a complete factory reset at Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options. Just remember to back up your data first!

2. Clean the Gaps Around the Buttons

Your phone's volume keys are regularly exposed to the outside world and all of its grime. The gaps around them might have accumulated some minute debris, which could hamper the internal connections. This is less likely to be an issue on newer IP68-rated devices but can be on older handsets

While there's not much you can do here without professional help, you have the option to blow canned air inside the potentially affected areas and clean them using a toothpick. Sometimes this will be enough to get them moving again.

Also, remove your case and give that a clean, as it will collect dust over time.

3. Possibility of Water Damage? Let It Dry

A lot of phones come with an IP rating these days, but that doesn't make them waterproof. Determine what your phone's IP rating means and then follow the right steps to look after a water-resistant phone. If your phone's buttons have stopped working after a water accident, you shouldn't do anything yet. First, you must ensure your phone's internals are completely dry.

There are various methods to save a phone dropped in water. Turn your device off immediately, let it completely dry out, and then you can start troubleshooting.

4. Create Onscreen Virtual Buttons

Before seeking professional help, you can give virtual button replacement apps a shot. These apps can replicate button actions so you can get by without using the physical keys. Gesture control apps can make navigating your Android phone that little bit easier, so it's worth giving them a try.

Lock and Unlock Your Phone Without a Power Button

If your power button is the one that's not working, waking up your phone from sleep is your first issue. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to unlock your phone without the power button.

Most modern phones have a double-tap-to-wake or lift-to-wake option which will activate your lock screen, while the fingerprint scanner will bypass that screen altogether.

Failing that, you can install an app like Gravity Screen, which detects your phone's motions and can wake it as soon as you pick it up. The app is even capable of locking the phone when you put it in your pocket or on a table.

Get Virtual Buttons With the Android Accessibility Suite

Google's own Android Accessibility Suite, which we mentioned earlier, is a good choice for virtually replicating button actions. The app adds a panel of shortcuts for a range of essential functions such as power, volume up and down, brightness adjustment, multitasking, and more.

On phones running Android 9 or above, the Android Accessibility Suite comes pre-installed under Settings > Accessibility. Otherwise, it's a free download from the Play Store.

Control the Sound With the Assistive Volume Button App

If your Android phone's volume buttons are not working and you don't want to use your phone's built-in accessibility suite, then there are also apps that can help you to bypass malfunctioning buttons.

The Assistive Volume Button app is for people who want a straightforward alternative to their phone's malfunctioning volume buttons. It sticks two floating buttons to the screen's edge for turning the sound up and down.

When you tap on either of them, you get three bars to separately adjust the media, call, and notification volumes. In addition, you have the option to customize the virtual buttons' look, size, and more. With the right app installed on your phone, you won't even miss your side volume buttons if they're not working.

5. Get Professional Help

In most scenarios, you should be able to find a solution in at least one of the steps discussed. In particular, in the case of dead volume keys, a virtual replacement should do the trick. Your last resort, of course, is to visit a service center and get professional help. As long as there's no water damage and your phone is under warranty, it hopefully won't cost you anything.

Use Your Phone When Your Buttons Aren't Working

Although we rely heavily on the power and volume buttons, it is possible to continue using your phone even when they stop working. There are ways to wake or power down your phone and adjust the sound levels simply by using onscreen buttons instead.

And they're all perfectly useable, too. So while they may seem like workarounds, you might find you can live with them for a while until you're ready to upgrade to a new phone.