Samsung Galaxy Black screen Heat gun Reflow fix

Aug 20, 2015

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In this article I will be showing you how to fix an issue that happens allot to Samsung Galaxy branded Android devices such as the Galaxy S2,S3, S4,S5 or even the Galaxy Note 1,2,3,4 and above where you are having issues with a black screen and you are unable to fix or use your phone as we looked at here with this black screen fix. But for today I will be taking it a step further for those that the method in the article in the link above did not work for and show you another method for more severe cases that can be used to fix the Black screen issue of any Samsung galaxy.

Under what conditions should you attempt this fix

You have already tried this fix and it did not work for you.
You are having a black screen with nothing but the notification LED and sound but nothing on-screen.
The touch is unresponsive and black and menu buttons light up.
On startup the screen flickers with white and lines running throughout the display with different colors for a while then goes blank or black.
You might have dropped your phone or it suddenly started to act this way.

Please remember before proceeding that you are responsible for your device and I will not bear responsibility for you breaking your phone. But rest assured that I will be as detailed as possible and know that this does work in most cases for any Samsung galaxy old or new models.

What will you need?

You will need all the following:

A phone repair [easyazon_link asin=”B00E3CHLLC” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”blogtechtips.com-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”default”]Screwdriver Set.[/easyazon_link]
A [easyazon_link asin=”B00004TUCV” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”blogtechtips.com-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”default”]Heat Gun[/easyazon_link] or a blow dryer.

How to fix the Samsung Galaxy black screen Problem?

In order to fix the Samsung Galaxy black screen issue on any Samsung Galaxy device (Note there might be slight variations with your Model Samsung Galaxy):

Power off the phone and remove the back,the battery, SIM card and memory card.
Look around the edges of your phone and use the screwdriver set to remove all the screws.Make sure you got them all before proceeding.
Now separate the two halves of the phone carefully by separating the Samsung Galaxy at the two halves that hold the entire back on by getting your fingers or a prying tool into the groove and separating it all around until it separates into two halves. Tip: you may want to snap a picture with a camera to remember where everything goes as you proceed every now and again from here.
In the upper portion when the back is off right were the camera is you should be looking at a PCB (Printed circuit board) or a communication board.
Remove the clip on the ribbon cables on both sides, they should snap right off and lift the PCB right out, be careful not to short it out. Also look out for a snap on cable that runs along the edges and connects to the PCB that you are removing to the lower half of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy without PCB (Communication Board) and tools used.

6.With the PCB in hand separate the camera module by detaching it from the PCB.

PCB or Communication Board

7.From here use a Heat Gun or a blow dryer might work too and from a distance of about 3-5 inches away or so with the PCB placed on a work bench or table start heating the PCB, set the heat gun to low or its lowest setting possible, if it’s not adjustable then simply vary the distance between the heat gun and the PCB to get the desired effect.

8.Heat the PCB in a circular motion starting from the center and twirling outward from the center for about a minute, then flip the PCB to the other side and do the same for another minute.Be sure not to rest at one spot for more than a few seconds.

9.Be careful The PCB should be really hot to the touch right now, allow it to cool and reassemble the phone.

10.Power on and test your Samsung Galaxy once more.

To be on the safe side back up your contacts, picture and data to your PC when your phone comeback on.

What is Reflowing and why did it work?

Printed circuit boards contains pathway for electrical signals to run and what happens is that these pathways can become broken over time or by shock. When we heated the circuit board up we are able to melt the solder that broken in these pathways or that connects components to the circuit board by reflowing (Reflow) them or heating them up until they melt and they fill the gaps and reset after cooling resulting in the broken path ways being fixed which allows electricity or communication to be restored and thus your device start working again.

I hope this fix was able to help you in your situation do take the time to leave a comment below, it’s always great hearing from my readers and do share this article if it was useful as someone might be in need of it right now in order to fix their phone.

Comments

35 responses to “Samsung Galaxy Black screen Heat gun Reflow fix”

JO

September 24, 2015

I tried the Heat gun Reflow fix with a hairdryer and have put the phone back together again but it is still doing the same thing. I can turn the phone on and the LED light comes on on the top left and also the two buttons light up at the bottom, i can here the little ditty when i turn it on but i tried to phone my number and it rings once and goes to voicemail (my sim works in other phones). I could also use the touch screen as i was going to try and download my info but now the touch screen doesn’t wok either. I had the white lines and fuzzy. Do you think i could replace the LCD screen? Dont want to pay out for it if its not going to work. Or is there a way i can download my info? Thanks x

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  September 24, 2015
  
  Hey Jo sorry to hear it did not work on the first try, I don’t think its the LCD screen itself that’s faulty, it could be but with the Black screen problem the symptoms are consistent and your device is showing the classic traits. I think the hairdryer that you used was not hot enough do try getting a proper heat gun and carefully attempting reflowing your phone again, if you try replacing the screen you might still have the issue seeing its most likely not the display. Let me know how it turns out.
  
  Reply
Angel

September 30, 2015

Hello Ricardo. Thank you for this info. Although my galaxy s4 stopped working (dropped it but no cracks on screen, it turns on/ charges as well, it receives messages of all types, sounds works too…all but unresponsive to touch on screen so basically I can’t use it)…I was excited to perform your heat gun reflow method to fix my phone. But unfortunately, after trying it about 4 times and have adjusted the hair blower heat to medium and extended the time to 2 minutes each sides..so disappointed that it remained exactly the same way..unresponsive to touch. So I did further research and found articles regarding broken lcd and replacement of parts. Please advise if you perhaps have another idea or method I could use or another theory why this phone couldn’t be fix. I look forward to your response. Thanks!

Angel R. (Guam)

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  December 12, 2015
  
  Ok Angel I hope you saw this article before the reflow article seen here, in my experience most times when you drop your phone weather or not the display is cracked you will need to replace it as either the display will start to flicker and go black randomly or just go totally dead. The method above is usually for those who have tried the battery and power button fix then the above because their phone suddenly went blank which is different. In a few cases when your device was dropped the above may help.
  So if you tried both suggestions the next step is to replace the screen.
  
  Reply
Yaume

November 8, 2015

Hi Ricardo, thanks for this article.
Before opening to change the “vibror” my S5 mini’s display was working perfectly.
But once I replace the device my screen still black when I switch the phone ON.
I’ve try to fix the problem by handling the power buton several minutes and nothing appends.
Is there any way to check if the problem comes from the display or form the motherboard?
Other question : have you ever try to reflow the component that are on the back side of the display?
Thanks in advance for your answer.

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  December 12, 2015
  
  Yaume are you sure you actually installed the screen correctly or that the replacement is working it could have been dead on arrival as most black screen issues are caused by build up of residual charge over time while using the phone. As to checking if the issues is from the mother board or display the only way to possibly do that would be to display your Android screen on a monitor or tv and for that you will need an HDMI cable and a HDTV adapter if the screen shows ok on TV then the hardware is good but the screen may be bad, if nothing is displayed then it might be the motherboard or something else messing with the internal components of your device such as static as in the first article involving removing the battery and performing the procedure usually fixes.
  As for reflowing your device it was done on a Galaxy S4 and the circuit board that was heated carefully, heating anything on the back of the display while its connected is not recommended, reflowing specifically targets the printed circuit board and fixes broken path ways in the board that may be broken by rejoining them when the solder is melted.Its a trick that’s often used with electronics when they start giving similar issues.
  
  Reply
dcaniel

December 11, 2015

didn’t work mate :/

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  December 12, 2015
  
  Sorry to hear usually the Reflowing the circuit board or the battery trick usually fixes the issue in most cases unless its a hardware problem as may be your case.
  
  Reply
Chaoky

January 12, 2016

I dropped my S5 today for the first time,and a tiny part of the LCD near the home button cracked, despite it having a tempered glass screen protector and an otterbox case! So now, the bottom of the screen is black stripes. It’s enough to cover that first row of apps seen on the home screen. I don’t understand why it broke so easily. Do you have a solution?

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  March 25, 2016
  
  That was a great combo of phone and screen protector that you have which is usually enough to protect from an average drop but bear in mind for the future that if that even with the added protection your phone can still break when it falls especially on the display which is very delicate. The force of the drop will be absorbed by a screen protector but if the force of the drop is greater than that which the screen protector can handle the remaining energy will be transferred to the phone screen and it will shatter.
  Finally based on the lines you described that partially cover the screen seems you have broken the display and it needs to be replaced.
  
  Reply
Enock

February 2, 2016

Hi,
Thank you for your posts. I have been trying the power button option on my Samsung Note 3 Neo for a few days but was not getting anywhere. Today I tried the reflow option with a blow dryer. The phone came on straight away the first time but then when I put it down it went off. I did the blow dryer again but it has not come back on again. I dont know whether to keep trying the blow dryer or back to the power button again. I hope you can help.

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  February 9, 2016
  
  Well in my opinion it seems that reflowing was working for you, you may need more heat e.g. a heat gun would be the ideal thing but be careful and remember at the end of the day you are responsible for your device and any damages that might occur.
  
  Reply
maiko mendoza

April 22, 2016

I have a samsung galaxy s4 and my problem is the same of yours. I was playing a games with my s4, i played for 1-2 hrs. Then when i woke up, my s4 is shutting down then i turning on my s4 screen turns into different color lines and turning black but still the led is on and i volume up i hear a sound. Theres a possability to fix up my phone?

Thanks

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  June 19, 2016
  
  I can only suggest whats written here and in the other related articles that suggest different methods.
  
  Reply
sesca69000sergio

May 13, 2016

Hi Ricardo,
Nice article ! On a Samsung G360 ( form factor like your screen capture) I’ve a black screen with no light stripes. The sound is OK and indicates a normal startup process. I’ve tried hard reset with no result. What’s your opinion and solution ?

Thank’s for your answer.

Sergio

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  May 17, 2016
  
  I have other fixes such as this one here and if the reflow does not work that’s all I can suggest as one usually works.
  
  Reply
Rocky Lin

August 8, 2016

Hi there, so I have the Note 3 ATT N900A, i’ve tried many ways on your methods, it didnt work.
do i have to replace the LCD? Phone only worth $150 and LCD replacement is $180 );
Let meknow if there any other way, thank you.

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  September 5, 2016
  
  Unfortunately I only have two methods of fixing this problem the one shown here and the other which I think you have already seen.
  
  Reply
Paul O’Connor

September 16, 2016

Can you do a video showing how to take out the back panel to get to the PCB? All videos on youtube requiring splitting the front screen off.

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  October 11, 2016
  
  I will as soon as I get a device to do it on. Keep your fingers crossed.
  
  Reply
Tefen McGuinty

September 30, 2016

It would be helpful to mention to people what temp they need their heat gun to be set at for reflowing solder. The average temp. is usually between 440f to 480f. Some more advanced heat guns have a temp. setting built into them which makes this more easy.

Reply
geo

October 8, 2016

could you show how to do this with a samsung galaxy s3

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  October 11, 2016
  
  Sorry I do not have one on hand to do a demonstration video. If one comes up I will do a video and update the article.
  
  Reply
Alex Underwood

October 9, 2016

I have a Samsung amp 2 with no screws. How do I separate the phone?

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  October 11, 2016
  
  If there are no screws then the halves are held together by clips. You only need to carefully separate them the halves will snap apart.
  
  Reply
Abhijeet

December 9, 2016

Can you show how to do this in video

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  December 16, 2016
  
  Sure as soon as I get a device with the issue.
  
  Reply
renee

February 15, 2017

awesome, explanatory capabilities. what was impressive is you took that extra step to actually try and help the reader really fix their issue. Ive found a lot of these sites are just bullshit repetitive garbage that were tired of seeing that never works. That the site is just trying to get there subscribers and likes etc, without actually giving a fuck if they truly helped. I didn’t experience any of that here. thank you. Now I’m on to the repair. I have 2 to fix s3 and s5 mine ,both same issue. whether these are the fixes for mine or not is okay either way, because true effort has been made. I will let you know for the record. thank you

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  February 15, 2017
  
  Than you really appreciated, I have written about this problem in detail and taken the time to give from a simple fix in another article to a detailed explanation on other alternatives. Most users don’t appreciate the time it takes to test and write these articles.
  
  Reply
David

March 13, 2017

Hi I’d like to Know if there is a specific temperature to which the components should bei heated. I’d like to controll my doing with a laser Thermometer in Order to Do IT Propeller
Thanks

Reply
Benjamin Keatts

April 10, 2017

If neither of these fixes work what is most likely the problem do you need to replace the LCD or the digitizer or both?

Reply
Pete

December 6, 2017

Samsung Galaxy s6 edge… phone freezers and completely unresponsive to any button combination…. some say battery….
But when I heat it up with a hair dryer for a few mins the phone works and comes on on its own accord with out touching it only blowing heat at it. but once cooled down the same unresponsive thing happens again…
The back of the phone is all sealed aka glued and won’t be taken apart as it’s glass and could brake… any other ideas please.

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  December 8, 2017
  
  Seeing what you did it seems your phone either needs more heat to re-flow everything properly or you need to change the main components in the phone in which case you may as well get a new phone.
  
  Reply
Jon Fischer

February 16, 2018

Hello Ricardo, I have never responded to a website in my life. This time, I could not help but tell you that I am impressed. I had the black screen S4 and tried all the usual fixes with no luck. Since the next step is to throw the phone away, I figured it wouldn’t matter if I fried the circuit board or couldn’t get the phone back together. Well low and behold, IT WORKED. I was thrilled. I couldn’t believe it. No where else could I find such a procedure. You get the gold star. Thanks again,
Jon

Reply
1. Ricardo Gardener
  
  February 16, 2018
  
  Solid job Jon and thanks for leaving a comment. This method works but it hard to suggest as most users are scared to actually try it. Glad you had nothing to lose though and that you pulled it off.
  
  Reply