A black screen on your Moto G Stylus 5G can feel like a major problem, but it's often a temporary glitch you can fix yourself. The phone might be on and running with just the display frozen, or a software crash could be the culprit. Let's walk through the steps to get your screen back.
Perform a Force Restart
This is almost always the first thing I'd try. Simply press and hold the power button on the right side of the phone for at least 10 seconds. Keep holding it even if the screen stays black. You should feel a vibration and then see the Motorola logo appear as the phone reboots. This works even when the touchscreen is completely unresponsive.
Charge Your Phone Properly
A completely dead battery will show nothing. Plug your phone into a charger using a known-good USB-C cable and a wall adapter. If you have the optional 68W TurboPower charger, use it for the fastest results. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before trying to turn it on again. If you don't see a charging indicator or LED light after that time, try a different cable and power source.
Remember, this phone also supports 15W Qi wireless charging. If your wired port is having issues, try placing the phone on a compatible wireless charger for a while to see if it responds.
Check the Screen Closely
Inspect the display under good light for any cracks, deep scratches, or unusual dark spots. The Moto G Stylus uses Gorilla Glass 3, which can be more prone to scratches than newer versions. If the phone still vibrates for notifications or you can hear it ring, the device is likely working but the display hardware may be damaged. A cracked screen often needs professional replacement.
Adjust the Brightness Manually
It's possible the screen brightness was accidentally turned all the way down. Even with a black screen, you can try asking Google Assistant. Say "Hey Google, set brightness to maximum" or "Hey Google, turn up brightness." If the phone is on, this command should work and make the screen visible again if that was the issue.
Connect to a Computer
If a force restart doesn't work, connect your Moto G Stylus to a Windows PC or Mac using a USB-C cable. On a Windows PC, you might see it appear in File Explorer if it's powered on. The goal here is to see if the computer recognizes the device at all, which tells you if the phone's core system is running. If it's detected, you could try using the Android Flash Tool or Motorola's Rescue and Smart Assistant software for a deeper fix, but that's a more advanced step.
Boot into Recovery Mode
If the computer doesn't see the phone normally, you can try booting into Android Recovery. First, connect the USB cable to your computer but not to the phone. Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button together. When you feel a vibration, release the Power button but keep holding Volume Down until you see the Android Recovery screen with "No command."
From here, use the volume buttons to navigate to "Wipe cache partition" and press the power button to select it. This clears temporary system files without touching your personal data. After it completes, select "Reboot system now."
Look for Moisture or Physical Issues
If your phone was recently exposed to water or high humidity, moisture could interfere with the display connectors. Power it off if you can and let it dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated area for at least 48 hours. Avoid using a hair dryer or putting it in rice, as fine particles can get into the stylus silo or charging port.
Also, check the stylus silo. A stylus that isn't fully seated or is stuck can sometimes cause odd system behavior. Gently eject and re-insert the stylus to ensure it's making proper contact and charging.
Consider a Factory Reset
This is a last resort before seeking repair, as it will erase all data from your phone. You can only do this if you can access the Recovery Mode menu mentioned earlier. In Recovery, navigate to "Wipe data/factory reset" and confirm. This reinstalls a clean version of Android 15. Only proceed if you have a recent backup of your photos, notes, and other important files.
