Lines or a black screen on your Samsung – what should you do?

Has a green, pink or white line appeared down your Samsung screen – or has the screen suddenly gone completely black? It’s one of the most common faults on Galaxy phones. Here you can see what usually causes it, what you can try yourself, and when the screen needs replacing.

Why do lines appear on the screen?

Most newer Samsung Galaxy phones have an AMOLED screen. It gives great colours, but the screen is vulnerable to knocks and pressure. Lines on the screen are most often caused by one of these things:

• A drop or a knock: The screen can be damaged on the inside, even if the glass looks perfectly fine. The line can appear straight away or only days later.
• Pressure on the screen: For example, if the phone has been in your back pocket, or something heavy has been lying on top of it.
• Moisture or water: Moisture can damage the screen and the connections inside the phone.
• Software: Less often, a software fault can cause strange colours or flickering. You can test this yourself – see below.

Test: is it the screen or the software?

If the screen is completely black

A black screen doesn’t always mean the phone is dead. Try this:

• Force a restart: Hold the side button and volume down together for at least 7 seconds, until the phone restarts.
• Put it on charge with a charging cable you know works, and wait a few minutes. If the battery is completely flat, it can take a little while before anything happens.
• Call the phone. If it rings or vibrates, the phone is on, and then it’s probably the screen that’s broken.

If still nothing happens, the fault may be in the screen, the battery, the charging port or the logic board itself. We’ll find the fault with a diagnostic check, and you get the price before we start. If the phone won’t charge, it could also be the charging port.

What to avoid

• Pressing on the screen to “get rid of the line”. It can make the damage worse.
• Charging a phone that has been in water. Turn it off and get it checked first. Read more about water damage repair.
• Putting off your backup. A screen with lines can stop working altogether, and then it’s hard to get your photos and contacts off it. Make a backup with Samsung Cloud, Google or your computer while the screen still works.

Is it worth replacing the screen?

If the rest of the phone works fine, a screen replacement is often a good alternative to a new phone. If the phone is old and has several faults, it may be a better idea to sell it. You get the price before we start, so the choice is yours.

Find your model in our price finder. If it isn’t listed, we’ll give you a quote. You can also read more about Samsung repair and screen replacement. If you have a Samsung tablet with the same problem, see Galaxy Tab repair.

How to get your Samsung repaired at ITech-Rep

• Drop in at Hunderupvej 23 or Nørregade 71 in Odense, or Nørregade 8 in Nyborg. See opening hours under shops.
• Book a time online: book here.
• Send it by post with Ship & Repair.
• A business? Then our mobile workshop can come out to you.

You get a 2-year right to claim for manufacturing faults and defects under the Danish Sale of Goods Act on the repairs we carry out.

Questions about lines and a black screen on Samsung

Does your Samsung have lines or a black screen? Book a time, call +45 52 70 70 28, or find your nearest shop in Odense or Nyborg.