A common issue you may realize that affect Samsung based devices is the issue of the Black screen, the Tablets are no different and that’s why today we are looking at the Samsung Galaxy tablet black screen fix which will show you how to fix any Samsung based tablet thats having the issue of a Black screen despite its model and this will especially work for those 10.1 inch versions which I will be using for demonstration purposes in this article today.
The Issue In detail
When you boot up your Samsung Galaxy Tablet you are unable to see anything on-screen as the display is black, in most cases you can tell the device is powered on but nothing shows on the display as the screen remains blank and you may be able to hear booting sounds indicating that it’s on but nothing is shown on the display.
Devices Affect by the Black Screen or Blank Screen Problem
The issue can happen in any Samsung device especially in its Tablet line regardless of the brand so this could happen to the Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1,Samsung Note 10.1 or any other tablets including the 7 and 8 inch variants that exists. In this tutorial I will be using a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 to demonstrate but remember that the principle applies to other devices as well made by Samsung as they all have similar internals.
The Cause of the Black Screen Problem
The problem of the Black screen issue is something that has affected every Samsung Device including their phones and in most cases the issue is caused by a number of things, but in the case of the Samsung Tablets that this issue is happening it’s caused by a loose display LCD ribbon cable that can be fixed as shown below. I see this problem happening mostly in its 10.1 inch tablets and others devices.
What will you need for this Fix.
To attempt this fix you fix need a blunt edged object, a cred card or similar hard plastic device will do or a phone or tablet opening tool kit if you have one available.
Tablet or Phone repair/opening tool kit-optional but the best thing to use
How to fix the Samsung Galaxy Tablet black screen Issue.
So what you will need to do is:
1. Power off your tablet and make sure it actually off.
2. You will now need to remove the back of the tablet which will take some time and patience as its usually clipped in placed so what you will need to do is use your blunt edged object or credit card and get it into the seams that hold the tablet together. If you cannot see the seams on your tablets sides its then usually where the front screen meets the body of the device and the trick is to get the blunt object or credit card into the groove between the screen and the body of the tablet.
3. Take your time and be sure not to break anything in the process, it can take up to 15 minutes or more to get the back cover off. When its separating you should hear the clips that hold it together click on separation. Also if you device has a S-pen please remove it from the holder while attempting this as it can get in the way when left in place.
4. When it’s opened you should notice a ribbon cable that’s marked as the LCD cable that runs over the battery its impossible to miss as its flat and located on the right. There are usually two cables that look-alike, but the one in question is on the battery side with picture of a dumpster with a strike through.
Connector on the right
5. The cable in question is usually loose so open the clip down slot by flicking it up and sliding out the ribbon cable, now slide it all the way back in to its slot and while its firmly in there and flat against the battery, when satisfied clip the lever back in place to hold the ribbon firmly.
6. Close the back cover and reassemble everything and power the tablet back on which should now power on and the display will start showing again.
Troubleshooting
In case you are having issues please try the floowing:
1. Leave the LCD cable out for a few minutes before reconnecting it.
2. Make sure that the LCD ribbon is connected properly or the issue will persist.
3.If all else fails and you have exhausted all options then disconnect both ribbon cables and remove the screw from the battery and lift from the lower side up and gently disconnect the battery terminal, leave this out for 30 minutes or so and press and hold power while the battery is out for about a minute to help drain residual energy inside the tablet. When the time has passed reconnect and install the battery back in place with the back cover and power up the device.
That just about wraps things up for this fix if you have any questions or you would simply like to confirm that this method has worked for you please do share your experience in the comments as it helps others who are having the issue as well solve their problem and also remember to check out our others articles and consider subscribing to this blog and become a part of the family.
The information reads fine. I will now attempt to see if my tablet will come back to life. I’m not the most tech savvy person when it comes to this stuff. Thanks
Don’t worry about that simply take your time and you will be fine.
Hi,
I have black screen issue with tablet galaxy 10.1 note 2014 edition,
Tablet works properly, when i turn the screen off i can’t turn it on again, screen is on but all black, when i restart tablet it start working, again when i turn off the screen i cant turning it on.
Is it the ribbon?
Thanks.
Might be a Firmware issue with ROM on your tablet, are you ruining a custom or the default ROM? Updating might help your situation as I saw similar situations before when running custom ROMs were the phone would go into a sleep of death so to speak and I had to reboot each time much like you describe.
I am having this issue. My tablet works properly when I turn it on but when I lock the screen it has the black screen and I can barely see the option to turn off or restart and when I restart the screen looks normal as before until I lock it again. Is this a firmware issue? I haven’t changed anything with the tablet. Just installed apps and an sd card but that was over a year ago. I will try your fix and see if it works. Thanks for your help.
It might be a software glitch, let me know if you make any progress ok.
Same problem with mine sir,any advice?
I gave them all in the article.
i have a problem i factory rest my galaxy tab3 sm-t210 after thatt after end user licence i et wwhite screen with baterry only shown in the top right corner …if i click bag it takes me to end user licence what is the problem
I have never seen that problem. Have you accepted the agreement. You may need to scroll down and accept.
Considered ours history until seeing this. Quick and easy fix. Impressive to say the least. This guy knows his stuff. Thanks a million
Awesome job. Just encountered this tonight after swapping new battery in my pro 10.1 Have reconnected many times but will try draining residual memory. Good reminder. Thanks for sharing your expertise. Ricardo you are a goood man!
very effective! u saved me
I fixed this problem by holding down the power and volume button until it came to life
I plugged it in before hand invade the battery was dead anyway and sure enough there was life and it was good! This is the 2nd time, but it is easy more simple. It was blank screen worth no response toi even charging. Yay!!
Fantastic Dawn, holding down power and volume button make it restart and work. Thanks.
yayyyyyy woot woot…thanks for the tip Dawn, had a black screen and did as you suggested…it came on again…awesome. Thank you Ricardo Gardener for sharing…I always like to attempt to fix things first before taking it to the professionals ;-)….”I’m so happy, clap along….”
Dawn, Thank You for posting that. Mine went black yesterday so I thought I would check online for clues. It worked perfect!!!
What if it does not work and stel black
Try again multiple times friend.
Well my problem is that I dropped my Samsung Galaxy tab4. But the problem is that the tab comes on but you can only see lines. I can move the screen but still see lines in color. I have the black screen but need to know how to repair.
If the steps here fail then you might have a broken screen based on the way you describe the screen and in that case it needs replacing.
Hi, my tab 3 7″ does not have the ribbon cables across the battery?
If your device is a bit different you will have to improvise.
Hi have samsung tab 3 10′ .has black screen but can see back light and no sound. I have tried all the recommendations listed but still no luck.
Any suggestions?
That’s all the recommendations I have, you might have to look into changing the screen.
Also i was thinking on replacing the lcd screen and ribbon. Do you think that would fix my problem?
If you have exhausted the tips here and no results that’s the next logical thing to do. However if its the Black screen issue and nothing is wrong with the screen itself changing it might not help.
awesome!! thank you.
Glad to be of assistance.
Hi Ricardo, had the black screen problem & followed the fix, I’d just changed the battery, it worked but my screen quality is now really bad, can’t watch anything on it, any advice please?
Thats strange changing the battery should not mess with the display. Did you check your work to see if you knocked a display ribbon out of place or it may be loose.
My LCD cable is on the right side (not over the battery). Are there two LCD cables? I bought a new one but that seems to have changed display from mostly pinks to mostly greens. I really don’t want to have to remove all cables across battery.
This is a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2012 edition.
Things might get moved around between versions you will have to look and try to figure what is what. I have no idea what you are looking at as I cant see. So you will have to get creative and use the principles that worked on this version of the tablet and apply them to yours.
Thanks Ricardo Gardener,
In pakistan samsung customer care centre was demanding $150 to fix the black screen problem, but after going through your blog, the problem solved successfully.
Thank you once again.
That’s a big Tab luckily you were smart enough to fix the problem yourself, glad to help my friend.
This worked perfectly for me too. Very easy with your instructions. Thanks so much!
My Samsung Tab fell on floor. First time, it had black shadow on left side and display was dark and not working. When rebooted, It powered on for a sec and then gone black. I tried powering on + pressing volume buttons together but does not work. Black screen with buttons glowing on center button press and makes sounds like its on.
Do you think I need to open and fix and tighten up ribbons or some other damage?
It takes nothing to try so yes you should try it my friend.
Brilliant fix. My daughter dropped my Galaxy Note and it black screened. This fix worked! Brilliant job 😊
Thank you very much for thw precise instructions. I fixed my tab. Problem description is also well done.
if my screen is cracked will it fall apart if i try to remove it
Depending on the severity of the crack. If its really bad it will.
I need help my samsung take 4 10.1 when I increase the brightness of it it just went off and on repeating the samthing when it’s done the bettre drop from 100 percent to 4 percent even when I’m watching movies on it. How can I fix it
You see to have a battery issue. You may need to change the battery.
I have the Samsung galaxy tab a 10 inch tablet and it is really hard to get the back cover off. Can you help me please? Thanks.
Sorry you need to do as I have instructed, it seems hard but its quite manageable.
Thank you so much, it worked!!
You are the man!!
SOUNDS GOOD ,but a video explains besr. Do u have a utube video ? My tablet 10.5 goes to a black screen with Samsung white logo after I am u eing it awhile. I turn off than on same screen , so to get back on I press home key and two top ones to the right till it let’s me boot up. THE PROBLEM JUST STARTED A MONTH AGO. SEPT 2016 , I let someone use it, possible they dropped it ? OR an up date. DON’T THINK IT’S EASY FOR A NON TEC TO DO THIS..THANK U FOR UR ADVICE. The tool kit u advise are expensive !
Sorry I don’t have a video right now but when I get a device in hand again I will update article with video.
Thanks so much. I have no tech skills and was able to do this step by step as explained. Took me about 10-15 min.
Read your advise but I have a samsung 8.4 model sm-t700 with the black screen problem. It looks completely different on the inside. I can’t find the LCD cable. Can you please tell me where it is?
Not familiar with that model. You will have to either estimate and use some creativity or take it to a professional, sorry I cant be more helpful.
My little one dropped our tablet and after watching your tutorial, opened it up and tightened the cable and it works again yay! Think I love you lol! Many thanks for saving me much needed pennies 🙂
Glad to hear my tutorial was able to help in fixing your tablet.
Hi, during normal use the display has become totally black on my n8000. Touch , volume and sound are good but display is always black also when i press power on/off button. Solved, unplug battery connection, unplug ribbon lcd cable and replug all. Turn on and display works good
My screen went black on my after it was in a puddle of soda for a couple hours think I should try this Solution?
Yes most definitely, also try to remove any moisture before attempting that may be in the phone use rice or a hair drier.
Thank you, my daughter’s tablet has this problem, it went away under warranty , they realigned the cable but it has started again after 1 month, she taps the back of the tablet and it comes on, I’m trying to get a replacement new unit from Samsung
Oh my word i was reading this thinking no it can’t be that surely , got to your comment an thought eeyarrr slapped the back and seen a partial bit of the screen flash up haha ridiculous isn’t it you’d think they would stop it happening . Best had find a guitar plec i think and get cracking haha x
Shocking that Samsung haven’t sorted that problem seeing as it is obviously a known issue. Seen as I am not comfortable opening the device and risking voiding any warranty I will be sending the device back and demanding a refund. Thanks though, Ricardo. Very useful info.
Awesome! THIS JUST WORKED FOR ME!!!. I was almost dumping my new Samsung Tab A6 2016 model and this fix worked like magic. Thanks a million times
anebiraOmeiza….how did you separate the back on the 2016 model? I am having the same problem and can’t seem to find the “edge” where to pry the back off (or seems VERY tight) on the newer model. Thanks.
Its there on all Tablets you only need a pick tool, looks allot like the one that they use on a guitar as found in most phone/tablet tool sets and get it into the grove. Its hard getting it in initially but it can so try hard.
its very hard to get ribbon cable back into slot properly. is there an easy and right way of doing it?
No, its not that bad once you take the time to look at it. You should be able to get it back into its slot quite easily.
would have been nice if you informed us how to actually turn the tablet off when the screen is black!
Usually you can for restart by pressing power+ Home button (IF you have one) + volume down or you can simply long press the power button.
Tks for great info, my tablet is still under warranty, I sent it away to get fixed but it is still doing it
Im trying to get a new replacement , but from what i can see this will be the same ??
Followed all the steps and they worked perfectly!! My black screen is gone!!! Thanx Ricardo!
What do I do if the other end of the LCD ribbon is loose?
Anything that’s loose should be removed and re-seated properly so it makes perfect contact.
Hey, my tablet works generally very well but quite often it turns black. Normally when I change position. But then it could also work fine for an hour and another day it goes black every other minute. I may have dropped it at one point but cannot remember. Seems a loose contact. Do you suggest I follow your suggestion and open It?
Definately -something seems to be loose , the only way to find out what and eventually fix it is to open the tablet up and find the exact cause of the problem.
HI PLEASE I HAD D BLACK SCREEN PROBLEM, TRIED TO FIX IT AND NOW THE SCREEN TURNED WHITE… WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX THIS
Check your tablets connections for the display something might be loose or disconnected.
How do you power the tablet down if the screen is black?
Try long pressing power button
So very similar to this issue but what happens with my Samsung Tab S 10.5 is that it will boot fine up to samsung logo. The buttons along the bottom will flicker for 4-5 seconds it will show my home screen and immediately go black. I’ve done extensive searching about this issue tried this pisted fix and followed some other advice about forcing gpu rendering or something along those lines through the dev mode. (This did not work and was attempted 2 hard reboots ago.) Now the trick is that is i hard reset the tablet it will work for a few days before the problem begins again. I only install my Plex enertainment app to watch my media on tablet while on the go. I’m 100% on the most recent official rom and bought the tablet 2nd hand from ebay so i don’t know where my warranty stands. Any ideas on what it could be? I can leave it on odin custom flash and recovery screen all day and screen works fine until it boots into the OS this has caused me much headache over the past year and I’ve about given up on the tablet.
Based on the details you have provided I would fist suggest that you try flashing to a fresh and genuine ROM if you are still having issue its almost safe to assume your issue is hardware related. Your situation is truly unique as I have not encountered your exact problem before.
My Samsung tab t585 is completely black. ..no Screen. ..but can hear the volume….please help
Follow directions in the article.
And how can I turn it off (T585) if the screen remains black?
Try Power + volume down at the same time.
I was hving the same problem all night. It was making noises, vibrating and everything but the screen would not turn on! I just got this thing less then a month ago so i was so upset then i told my lover and he was playing with it and hit it against his knee a couple times and it started working thanks!
Weird method of fixing but glad your device is working again.Any way other users be careful when handling your device as any form of shock might cause more harm than good and is not recommended(Friendly Reminder).
It actually worked!! I dropped my Tab S 10.5 and the screen went blank, though I could still hear it working well and Whatsapp Web was still connected. Couldn’t get it to turn off so just removed the casing with it still powered on!
Had to remove the battery and after putting everything back it worked fine again. Took awhile to figure out how to open the ribbon clips cos I was worried I’d use too much force and break something.
I used your way of fixing my problem and IT WORKED!! I was so excited that I got to work again cause it when it turned black on me, which was about 3 months ago, I just put it away cause I was too scared to try to fix it, fearing I may make it worst. But thank you very much for your easy-to-follow directions!! I’m a HAPPY CAMPER again!!
PERFECTO!! Your way of fixing my problem was so easy to follow. Thank you very much.
Sounds good will this be the same for tab s
It should be the same or similar.
Hi. I have the black screen issue. I’ve opened the device. Made sure the ribbons were in place. I’ve even replaced the lcd. I can hear it turn on. And see the display with at flash light. The bottom buttons don’t illuminate either. What else can I do?
I have suggested all that I know and that has worked for me.
100% works! I did have a moment locating the “clip” which is on the bottom not the top of the ribbon in the diagram and working out how to pop it up…. I thought I did more damage working out which end it was but I put it back together and it’s working again now after googling “ribbon clip Samsung tablet” for that part but doing it as instructed here. I was pressing so many combinations of buttons (power + volume key etc) to no avail… . Thanks for the tip!
It took a bit to get the cover open but I was able to fix the problem.
Thanks for the help!
No problem, glad to help
so on a black screen on saamsung tab 4, where are the ribbon cables? I have a black screen with white lines running vertically. Thannks in advance for the help.
If your model is not exactly the same please watch the video and get the general idea and attempt to repair. If you are not confident of your ability to do this take it to a repair shop.
had a 2016 tab A. Issue was exactly what you suggested it was, thanks!
Excellent and great job.
i tried following ur tip but when i opened my tab i couldnt c any ribbon. i have tab S 2015 edition.
That model seems to be different.
Genius!!! I contacted a repair place and was told it would cost $230 to repair the tablet. I was hesitant to try something I would normally leave to the “experts”. I followed your directions to a T and nothing was happening for a few hours. I kept tapping the power switch and voila, it came to life! Thanks a million for this fantastic advice.
Thanks, Mr. Gardner! You saved me some trouble. Your guide worked perfectly with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 A 2016 Edition as well.
I expected it to be something like the display cable, but I never opened a device like this and was really afraid to break something. With your guide and some old credit card, it worked fine. I can not point it out enough: Please, people, use old credit cards. The card I used was ruined afterwards!
Thank you Dan especially for the extra pointers I am sure other readers will find it useful.
You are a god I appreciate you sharing your knowledge to help others thank you
You did it very well. I had same problem. I opened tabled and just slide the cable more in. And that it was. Tablet is working again. Thank you
Thanks. I also put some extra tape on it to ensure it doesn’t disconnect again
Hello Ricardo..
I have Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 .. the screen has black out …but the main concern is that sometimes I see a black screen with several colored lines .. (my little niece has dropped my tablet several times).
is it possible that my tablet screen is damaged ? when it is in its normal time , I dont see any dark spots on screen ..it looks completely normal …
would you please help me in this case …
merci
Neda
My tablet samsung galaxy tab e cannot come apart but has the black screen issue. Only about 7 months old and I didn’t buy the extended warranty. Any ideas?
All tablets can be opened how do you think the internal components got into the tablet? they surly didn’t mold the entire thing in one go.
I need help troubleshooting my Samsunggalaxy tabA
Whats the exact issue?
Hi Ricardo, I’m at my wits end and I’m hoping you can help me.
I have fixed my Samsung SM-P605 tablet just as you described a few times now…but this time, I think it is really gone. The black clip/connector that holds the LCD cable in place just snapped and broke into in 2 pieces 🙁 Now, I have a black screen and I don’t know if I can fix it myself without taking it to a professional. Can you help please?
Your only option for fixing it yourself is to see if you can somehow hold the connector in place. Try being creative like using neatly cut paper or something like that. I have had connectors break in the past and got creative saved me from changing the whole thing out. Hope that helps.
I don’t understand how the neatly cut paper can help hold the connector in place but I’ll try my best to figure it out… cheers
My tablet was fine but I dropped it and when I took it up the edges had separated but I snapped it back into place , from that time the right side of the screen is darker that before it was dropped. How can it?
I Galaxy TAB 3 SUDDENLY went black …tried using the button combo to reboot it …NO HELP . The unit is on it’s third battery. It had been working very well ..Before I reconnected the battery ..it seemed communicative ..i.e. sounding on communiction of a new message. It had a strong charge last night and I had been using it. Now it’s DOA.. ANY thoughts …display cables are not across the back . Any way I can get a full exploded view for full disassembly..
THX.. .
MIKE
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7in. I was using and then screen went out. I seen how to take back off and check all ribbon cables and they are tight. But screen is still a faint lighted screen. I tried holding the power & volume buttons and nothing except the screen goes black then faint and I hear it power in. Was working and then the screen just went blank but a faint screen and cannot see anything. Hear the device turn on but cannot see anything.
Thanks! Fixed my Tablet!
Thank you for resolving my problems. I appreciate you spending time to help other people.
Samsung 10.1 note 2014
Problems started to happen a week ago.
Sometimes screen remained black and I had to long press on off button to reboot.
Recently my screen turend purple with poor graphics.
I have re seated my display ribbon and all my problems disappeared.
I struggled a bit to remove back cover without proper tools.
I have used my thumb nail at charging plug hole, this was the only gap I could find to start removing cover and then used plastic throw away knife.
Thanks a lot..:) It worked like a Charm. I had almost lost hope.But this article helped me a lot in fixing it.
Thank you! This was very clear and it solved my problem.
Thanks for the advice, from all accounts initial signs are it has worked. Appreciate the help.
Totally confused.
You did great. I followed your instruction about black screen for my Samsung tablet and I am back up and running. Went to the Geek squad originally and they laughed at my request for repair and said buy a new one. Thanks again
Who’s laughing now? Great job and thanks for sharing.