Can I bring back my FP1 from the grave? Power button broken!

[seewhy]

So, here’s the thing. My power button just broke so I can’t access my phone.

I had a great idea, plug it in to charge and the screen activates, then I can use it - not very practical so I thought, having cannibalised 4 FP1’s to keep both of ours alive, I’ll take the battery out ('cos I can’t switch it off with the power button). Then I can check the problem…

So far so stupid. I turned it off!!! Doh!!! Now having dismantled the phone and pressed the power button directly and found that it’s a real breakage, not more fluff down the back of the button… I can’t turn it back on!!!

So a phone that still works in theory, but no way to turn it on with the power button…

I’ve just resurrected a phone from some parts as a temporary measure - including a bricked motherboard that I have miraculously fixed - fixed an IMEI problem, upgraded from 1.6, joined the storage, you name it… but of course all my data is on my other phone.

So all you fairphone necromancers… any ideas? I can recharge the phone and it gives me the expected blue screen with the charging graphic… I soooo want to get this to work. Is there a backdoor way in? Obviously my PC can’t see the phone if it’s not booted.

We’re hanging on in there with FP1, but it’s not looking good for the future (especially as my FrankenFone is using a cracked screen taken off my wife’s FP1U) - might end up with a second hand boo-hiss-phone until FP comes up with another cracker (buying into FP2 at this stage of its ‘life’ is not maybe the smartest move)

I’m just loading a backup but sadly its a couple of months out of date…

Hoping someone can help.

[paulakreuzer]

I guess your best chance to fix your phone and get to your data is to have a repair shop solder a new power button on your motherboard.
See e.g. here. You could probably use one of your Frankenphones for spareparts.

[seewhy]

THANK YOU!!!

I followed your link, which took me on to one of the responses about ADB and with a bit of lucky work with a search engine I have switched on my phone without using the power button!

Data now backed up. Can probably swap out my motherboard now.

So, here’s how to do it (there might be a quicker way, but)…

Take battery out
Plug the phone into a charger (or in my case PC)
Replace the battery and hold down the VOLUME DOWN button as you do it. Keep the button held down for at least 10 seconds.

The phone will go into factory mode, which gives you some choices. I thought about ‘Reboot’ but couldn’t get it to actually do that (the VOLUME UP button didn’t initiate it as I hoped).

Fortunately I had USB debugging already switched on so I had an alternative…
I installed ADB ( https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/adb) , which is part of the Android SDK. I used the commands:

adb devices (to get the connection to my phone)
adb reboot

Hey presto - my phone is running.

Brilliant - a bit of imagination on my part, but the pointer was fantastic.

And without the need to put a hot soldering iron near my phone!