My Samsung Galaxy S4 only occasionally vibrates.

[Rowan Martineau]

My Samsing Galaxy S4 worked rather faithfully for quite a while.
Never rooted it.
One day, for no apparent reason, the screen and LED to the top-right of the device went completely dead.
All I get is the occasional buzz.

This happens when:
*Device is plugged in
*Device has power button held a moment
The device does nothing beyond the first vibration if power button held.

I have tried holding volume up plus home plus power. When I do this I get the vibration, then another a few moments later.

My PC ignores the device when I plug it in.

I don't care about my data; just want to do a full reset and have my phone working again.

Is this a hard hardware issue, or is there any sort of solution I can do at home?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Have you already tried a new battery?

 

[Rowan Martineau]

No, I haven't.
I don't feel that it is the battery, considering how the screen doesn't even light up when the device is plugged in. The battery may also be non functioning by now, but I don't think that it is the cause of the issue.

 

[amyf27]

how old is the battery that's currently in the phone.

 

[B. Diddy]

Trying a new battery is still the first thing I'd do.

 

[Rowan Martineau]

"how old is the battery that's currently in the phone."

Fairly. I received the device used (Working fine at the time, and factory reset it when I got it), and don't think it's ever had a new battery put in. At lest three years.

"Senior Ambassador
Trying a new battery is still the first thing I'd do."

Honestly, I'm not so much determined to getting this phone fixed as wanting to. If I get a battery, and it turns out it's instead something expensive repair that needs to be done, I'd be stuck trying to sell an S4 battery to friends.

Is this what a dead battery typically looks like?

 

[B. Diddy]

It certainly could be a dead battery. S4 replacement batteries are pretty cheap now -- here's one that's $7.29 with free shipping: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Repl...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6098183

Or you could go to a repair shop and ask if you can test out a replacement S4 battery that they might have hanging around. If it works, then buy it from them.

 

[Rowan Martineau]

Thanks so much for the help!