Blank screen issues are very common not just to Samsung Galaxy S5 (#Samsung #GalaxyS5) but any other #Android phones in the market. They can either be caused by a firmware glitch or a hardware problem. The best thing an owner can do is try to find out the cause so that it would be easier to formulate a solution.
A blank screen may be caused by an app that crashed, a firmware glitch or a hardware problem.
I cited a few screen related problems below and I suggest you try to read each one of them especially if you’re experiencing a display related problem with your phone. The first problem is the typical black/blank screen issue. I’ve encountered issues like this before wherein the screen just goes off without apparent reason but the phone is still powered up as it sounds off if messages or calls come in.
Other problems would include screen flickering and flashing while charging, which can be attributed to a hardware problem.
If you have other problems with your phone, visit our Galaxy S5 Troubleshooting page as it contains solutions to hundreds of problems we already addressed in the past. Find issues related to yours and try the solutions we provided, if they won’t work for you, then contact us by filling up this form.
GALAXY S5 SCREEN GOES BLANK BUT PHONE STILL WORKS
Problem: I’m having trouble with my screen going off. The phone will boot up and I can hear all the sounds but my screen is blank and the only way I can get it to turn on is to take the battery out and back in. This especially happens when I drop it (I have a case on it & it’s never been dropped hard). I’ll get it working again and it’ll last for hours then suddenly goes blank again. I’ve had this phone around 1 1/2 years and this just recently started a few months ago. My old phone (Galaxy S3) won’t go past the start-up screen so I don’t have a backup phone. Hoping you can help me with this. Thanks! — Kiera
Troubleshooting: Hi Kiera. It’s really difficult for us to pinpoint what the problem or what causes it because in your case, it’s possible that an app is causing the issue or it could be yet another firmware and/or hardware problem. Let’s set aside the possibility of a hardware problem for now and let’s try to isolate the problem right away…
The first thing I want you to do is boot the phone in safe mode. Here’s how…
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power key.
- When ‘Samsung Galaxy S5’ appears on the screen, release the Power key.
- Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
- Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
- Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
In this mode, all third-party apps are temporarily disabled. If one of the downloaded apps was causing the problem, then the phone should work without any issues in safe mode. However, you need time to observe it to know if the screen still goes blank at some point.
If the problem still occurs in safe mode, it means that the problem could be in the firmware or pre-installed apps. I encountered an issue like this before that was caused by the Smart Remote service that’s displaying on the lock screen. So, I want you to double-check on that first: launch Smart Remote > go to Settings (three dots) > scroll down and uncheck Auto display remote control on lock screen.
Now, the next thing I want you to check is whether your phone becomes laggy or sluggish. Try to open three or four apps and switch between them to see if the phone responds normally. If your phone’s performance is poor, there is a possibility that the device just wouldn’t respond as fast as before so the screen remains blank for a long time.
At this point, if the problem still occurs, it’s time you performed the master reset to give your phone a fresh start. But before you do that, make sure you backup all important data and files as they’ll all be deleted during the process.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
- When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
- When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
- Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
GALAXY S5 ACTIVE DISPLAY BLURRED & MISPLACED
Question: I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 Active and for some reason about an hour ago the image on the screen started to blur. The bottom part of the screen would appear at the top, the left side of the screen was on the right side, the pictures were broken, not flipped. I’ve only had my phone for about 3 months, but it was a previously owned phone. I haven’t had a single issue with it until tonight. I tried everything I could think of. Restarting it, turning it off for 10 minutes, clearing the background, everything. The screen still works like there is nothing wrong with the picture. I can still type where the letters should be and it will type it out correctly. I took the battery out for 10 seconds like you suggested and it seems to have fixed it but I would still like to know what was happening to my phone. Please help! — Felicia
Answer: Hi Felicia! Based on your description, I think it was just a glitch and nothing more, although I suggest you continue observing your phone. Taking the battery out for 10 seconds or more and holding the power key while the battery is out often fixes minor firmware and hardware glitches.
GALAXY S5 SCREEN FLICKERS
Problem: My phone screen flickers, and it’s more than just the setting of brightness. If the phone is turned off, I can try and turn it on my hitting the power button. However that takes a while to work because the screen will flash and then go back to black. It will flash with lines through it and just for a second, eventually I can get it to go to the home screen and stay there. Then when I’m using the phone it will flash with lines across the screen and sort of dim out. I’m worried that I will lose the ability to turn my phone on. Any idea how to fix it? —Arielle
Troubleshooting: Hello Arielle. It looks like the phone suffered a minor liquid damage, which often results to random flickers and fluctuating back light. Your Galaxy S5 is “water-resistant” but not “water-proof” so one way or the other liquid can still find its way through it. The thing about liquid damage is that it can further damage your phone so I suggest you send it in to be checked by a technician and probably be cleaned out.
GALAXY S5 SCREEN FLASHES WHILE CHARGING
Problem: My screen flashes when I’m charging my phone could it be a battery issue? I have to leave my phone on 90 percent of the time rarely turn it off. — Dennis
Suggestion: Try using a charger with 1.8 to 2 Amperes current output. This problem is often caused by a charger with low power rating. It doesn’t just happen the Galaxy S5 but to many Android devices as well.
GALAXY S5 SCREEN DISPLAYS MULTIPLE COLORS AND UNRESPONSIVE
Problem: One day I was using my phone normally and all of a sudden my screen begins to mess up and change colors. It started off simple; one-fifth of my screen had turned purple. Within an hour the entire screen had turned multiple colors and the entire screen became unresponsive. The phone still turns on, vibrates, etc.. but the screen will not work. What do you think this is? — Jalyn
Troubleshooting: The screen is broken. This is one example of a “bleeding” display. Try calling your phone and if it can receive it, then the problem is just with its display. Screen replacement is necessary to make it work again. If, however, it couldn’t receive your call, there might be another hardware issue. Either way you need a technician.
