A Galaxy S25 with a black screen and no image is either switched off or running blind, and one phone call tells you which. Ring it. If it rings or vibrates while the screen stays dark, the display has failed and needs a screen repair. If it stays silent, treat it as a power fault: force restart, then charge.
Is the Galaxy S25 off, or is only the screen dead?
Answer this before you touch a setting, because the two faults need opposite fixes. Samsung lists the causes of a Galaxy that will not turn on as a temporary software freeze, a fully drained battery, a system malfunction, or a hardware issue related to the device's circuitry [1]. A black screen on a phone that is off is a power problem. A black screen on a phone that is on is a display problem. They look identical from the front.
Google's Android guidance gives the cleanest test we know: make the phone ring, by calling it from another phone or using the Find Hub app, and if it rings but the screen is still blank, take it to an authorised repair centre [3]. That single result sorts most black-screen S25s into one of two piles in under a minute. Everything below hangs off it.
Do not skip the obvious check either. Google notes that a low brightness setting may make the screen difficult to read, and says to check the screen closely for any displayed imagery [3]. Tilt the S25 under a strong light. A faint image means the panel is drawing something; total black means it is not.
The Galaxy S25 ring-and-plug test
Run these in order and stop at the first step that changes anything. Each one rules out a cause, and the order matters: the early steps cost nothing and erase nothing.
- Force restart with the right buttons. Press and hold the Power (Side) button and the Volume Down button at the same time for at least 7 seconds, and release when the Samsung logo appears and the phone vibrates [1]. Take the case off first if it stops you pressing both buttons together [1]. If the screen stays black, try Side and Volume Up for more than 7 seconds; Samsung documents both combinations on different models [2].
- If you land in Android Recovery, do not panic. On some devices a forced restart opens Android Recovery instead; use the volume keys to select Reboot system now and press the Side key [2]. Seeing that menu is good news. It means the display works.
- Charge it on a wall plug, and keep going when nothing shows. If the battery is completely drained, the lightning charging icon may not appear on the screen, and Samsung says to continue charging even if nothing appears [1]. A fully depleted battery will not turn the phone on even while connected to the charger, so allow a few minutes before trying again [2]. Avoid a laptop USB port: a PC connection may not provide enough power [2].
- Swap the charger and cable. If you have a spare charger and cable, use them, then turn the phone on [1]. Check the port and cable for corrosion, foreign objects and bent pins, and look for signs of liquid in the ports [2]. If the S25 refuses every charger, our Galaxy S25 will not charge guide takes over from here.
- Make it ring. Call the phone. If it rings or vibrates and the screen is still blank, the phone is on and the display is the fault [3]. Stop testing at this point. Further restarts will not bring a failed panel back.
The pattern across these steps is the useful part. Every check that fixes a black S25 at home is about power reaching the phone: buttons, battery, charger, port. Once the phone proves it has power by ringing, home fixes are finished, because nothing you can do from outside the case reaches the display.
Why is my Galaxy S25 screen black but it still vibrates?
A Galaxy S25 that vibrates, rings or plays notification sounds with a black screen has power and a working operating system. What it lacks is a picture. That is the case Google tells you to take to a repair centre [3], and it is the case our screen replacement service exists for.
Check the glass for cracks, chips and damage, and take off any case or screen protector [5]. A crack you had dismissed as cosmetic is a strong reason to stop troubleshooting software. Our Galaxy S25 cracked screen guide covers what a damaged panel looks like when it still lights.
Rule out an app only if the screen comes back intermittently. Google's test is safe mode: if the screen works in safe mode, an app is most likely causing your issue [5]. A screen that shows nothing at all cannot be put into safe mode in any useful way, so do not spend an evening on it.
Do not factory reset a phone with a black screen. A factory data reset will remove all data from your phone [5], and a reset cannot repair a panel that has stopped drawing an image. You would lose your photos and still have a black screen. A forced restart, by contrast, will not erase any information from the phone if it is performed correctly [2], which is why it comes first in the test above.
How do I get my data off a Galaxy S25 with a black screen?
Decide this before you hand the phone over. Most repair-guide advice skips it; we think it is the most important step for anyone without a recent backup. Samsung documents several routes, and which one works depends on whether touch still responds.
- Touch works, screen is black: use a TV. If the screen is damaged so you can no longer see it but the touchscreen still responds, Samsung says you can connect the phone to a TV or PC monitor with an HDMI connection, using a USB-C to HDMI adapter [4]. You then mirror your movements on the phone and watch the result on the TV.
- Locked phone: use a mouse. Connecting a USB mouse or keyboard through an adapter will also let you unlock the device if you have set a PIN, password or pattern, so you can back up your data [4].
- Copying to a computer: unlock first. You can plug the phone into a computer with a USB cable to reach your files, but the phone has to be unlocked for this to work [4].
- Remote backup: check the conditions. Find My Mobile can back up to Samsung Cloud remotely only if the phone is on Wi-Fi or mobile data, signed in to your Samsung Account, has remote control settings enabled, and you know your Samsung Account username and password [4].
Be realistic. Samsung notes these methods may not work in all cases, for example if the device will not switch on or the touchscreen is no longer responsive [4]. If none of them work, our data recovery service is the next stop, and a screen repair usually gets you back into the phone anyway.
What to do next
Use the ring result to decide. If the S25 rings with a black screen, stop restarting it, back up what you can with the routes above, and bring it in for the display. If it stays silent after a forced restart and a proper wall charge on a second cable, treat it as a power fault and bring it in for diagnosis rather than leaving it on a charger overnight. The same logic applies on other Android phones; our Pixel 10 black screen guide runs the same test.
Walk in to Best Tech Repair at Unit 4, Piccadilly Circus Underground Station, London W1J 9HS, open 10:00 to 22:00, 7 days a week, or call 020 3417 7090 before you travel. The diagnostic check is free, and we confirm a fixed price before any work begins. If we cannot fix it, you pay nothing. Our typical turnaround is same day, and many screen repairs are completed in under an hour. Screen replacements carry a 90-day warranty on parts and labour, and we test touch sensitivity, display brightness and colour accuracy before handback.
FAQ
Why is my Galaxy S25 screen black but the phone is still on?
If the phone rings, vibrates or plays sounds while the screen stays dark, it has power and the display is the fault. Google's guidance is to take a phone that rings with a blank screen to a repair centre. A restart or reset will not fix it.
How do I force restart a Galaxy S25 with a black screen?
Hold the Side button and Volume Down together for at least 7 seconds and release when the Samsung logo appears. If nothing happens, try Side and Volume Up. A forced restart does not erase your data.
Can I recover data from a Galaxy S25 with a black screen?
Often, yes. If touch still works, connect the phone to a TV with a USB-C to HDMI adapter. A USB mouse can unlock it. Find My Mobile can back it up remotely if it is online and remote control was switched on.
Should I factory reset a Galaxy S25 with a black screen?
No. A factory reset removes all data from the phone and cannot repair a display that has stopped showing an image. Make the phone ring first; if it rings, the screen needs repair.
Sources
- What to do if your Samsung Galaxy device won’t turn on | Samsung UK — www.samsung.com
- What to do if your Galaxy phone won’t power on properly? | Samsung UK — www.samsung.com
- Fix an Android device that won't charge or turn on - Android Help — support.google.com
- I smashed my screen and can't use the touchscreen. Is there any way to access my data? | Samsung UK — www.samsung.com
- Fix a screen that isn't working right on Android - Android Help — support.google.com