However, as tempting as it might be to declare your phone dead and buy a new device in a panic, we think you should wait. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to see if your iPhone or Android device is still alive.

Check the phone for physical damage

First, give your phone a good look. Have you dropped the phone recently? Is the screen cracked or damaged? Is the battery swollen? (If so, do not attempt to power on the phone – take it straight to a local repair center). e-waste instead).

Is there water damage? (You can check by looking inside the SIM card slot on the iPhone and many Android devices). If you find a hardware problem, you may need to replace the faulty component or take it to a repair shop.

It's possible that your phone is working, but just has a damaged screen - I've seen broken phones that had the glass intact and not cracked and couldn't display an image. Try turning off your phone by holding down the power button and then turn it back on. See if you feel a vibration when it turns on.

You can also try summoning Siri or the Google Assistant. Or call your phone from another device. If you hear sounds but the screen is blank, the phone just needs a replacement screen.

Charge the battery

It might sound silly, but it's possible that your phone is just running out of battery. Try plugging your phone into a charger – if the battery is really drained, it won't necessarily turn on right away. Try leaving it plugged in for about 15-30 minutes before turning it on.

If this does not work, the charger may be damaged. Try another cable, another power bank, and another wall outlet. Also check the charging port: lint can easily get stuck there and prevent the pins from making contact. A toothpick can help dislodge any debris that has collected in the port, and then you can try charging the phone.

Perform a hard reset

If holding the power button didn't turn your phone off or on again, you might need to do a hard reset. On the iPhone, the way to do this depends on your model:

Most Android Phone sites are similar. On many Samsung phones, for example, you have to hold the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons as well as the Power button until the screen turns on. Check your device's manual or look for reset instructions if you're having trouble.

If your phone has a removable battery, you can also try removing it, waiting a few seconds, then putting it back in before turning the phone on normally.

Restore your phone to factory settings

If all else fails, you may have to completely wipe your phone and start over from factory settings. (Hope you have a backup!) This procedure varies by manufacturer, but we can tell you how.

If you have an iPhone, plug it into your computer using a USB cable and open Finder (iTunes if you're using Windows or an older version of macOS). Hopefully, the phone icon will appear in the toolbar at the top of the screen. If not, perform the hard reset steps given above while the device is plugged in to put it into recovery mode.

If the phone icon appears, click on it and select Restore iPhone to clean it. If the phone does not appear, continue to the next section.

If you have an Android phone, you'll need to boot into recovery mode, which can vary from phone to phone. On my Samsung Galaxy S10e, for example, I have to hold the Volume Down, Bixby, and Power buttons for a few seconds until the recovery menu appears. On the Pixel 2, you need to hold down the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time, then use the Volume buttons to select Recovery Mode.

Once in Recovery Mode, use the Volume buttons to scroll to Wipe data/factory reset, and use the Power button to select it. Again, search the web for your phone model if you're having trouble finding this option.

Re-Flash Firmware from Scratch

If you are unable to get recovery mode to work using the instructions above, you may need to enter a lower level mode to flash the firmware from scratch.

On the iPhone, this is called DFU mode. You'll need to plug your phone into your computer, open iTunes/Finder, and enter a slightly more complex series of button presses. This varies from phone to phone, so research your specific iPhone model to see what you need to do. Ideally, once you've done this, iTunes/Finder should prompt you to restore the iPhone.

Flashing firmware on Android phones, again, varies too much from phone to phone for us to include full instructions here. On Pixel phones, you can install the Android Debug Bridge on your PC, then download the firmware from Google and follow the instructions on this page.

Other phones may require their own specialized tools, and you'll need to research how to flash new firmware from scratch on your specific device. If you are not comfortable performing these steps, it is best to take your phone to a repair shop for professional help.

Buy a new phone

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, S21+, and S21

If everything has failed, maybe it's time to buy a new smartphone. Whether you're looking for Apple, Android, or even just a simple landline phone, here are our top picks and budget picks for everyone across the major US wireless carriers.