A black screen on your Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge can feel like a brick moment, but it's usually fixable. The display might be unresponsive while the phone is still running, or a software crash may have frozen everything. Here's what to do.
Force Restart the Phone
This is the first thing to try. Press and hold the Volume Down and Side buttons together for about 10 seconds until the Samsung logo appears. Keep holding even if the screen stays black for a few seconds. The logo will show up when the restart kicks in. This works even when the touchscreen is completely dead.
Charge the S25 Edge Properly
A fully drained battery will leave you staring at a black screen. Plug your phone into a charger using the original Samsung 25W adapter and a USB-C cable. Wait at least 15 30 minutes before trying again. If nothing shows up, try a different cable and charger head. The S25 Edge also supports Qi wireless charging at 15W, so you can drop it on a wireless pad to rule out a faulty USB-C port. Just keep in mind that charging speed may be capped around 15W even with the 25W adapter, so don't panic if it seems slower than expected.
Inspect for Physical Damage
Look closely at the screen for cracks, dark spots, or any signs of impact. If the phone vibrates when you get calls, makes sounds, or responds to Bixby ("Hey Bixby"), the display hardware might be damaged. In that case, you'll need a screen repair from Samsung or an authorized service center.
Bring the Brightness Back Up
Sometimes the screen looks black because the brightness is all the way down. Ask Bixby to "turn up the brightness," or swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade and drag the brightness slider up. An auto-brightness glitch can make it seem like the screen is off.
Boot Into Safe Mode
A third-party app can cause the screen to go black or freeze on boot. To test this, press and hold the Side button until the power menu appears, then long-press Power off until you see the Safe Mode prompt. Tap Safe mode and confirm. If the screen works normally in Safe Mode, a downloaded app is causing trouble. Uninstall recently installed apps and restart normally.
Restore with Smart Switch on a Computer
If force restart doesn't help, connect your S25 Edge to a Mac or PC via USB cable. Open Samsung Smart Switch. If the computer detects your phone, click Emergency software recovery and follow the prompts. This reinstalls the system software without erasing your data first. If that fails, you may need to choose the option that wipes the device, so back up anything you can first.
Use Recovery Mode
If the computer doesn't detect your phone normally, put it in recovery mode. Power off the device completely. Then press and hold Volume Up and Side together until the Samsung logo appears, then release the Side button while keeping Volume Up held until the recovery menu shows up. Use the volume buttons to navigate and select Wipe cache partition (this won't delete your personal data). Then reboot the phone. If that doesn't work, you can try Factory reset from the same menu, but that erases everything.
Check for Water or Moisture Damage
If your S25 Edge was near water recently, moisture might have gotten into the display connector. Power the phone off immediately and let it dry in a well-ventilated area for at least 24 48 hours. Don't use a hair dryer or stick it in rice (rice dust can do more harm). If the screen stays black after drying, liquid damage likely means a professional repair is needed.
Visit a Samsung Service Center
If nothing has worked so far, the problem is probably hardware. A failed display panel, a loose internal cable, or a damaged logic board can all cause a black screen. Head to a Samsung service center or an authorized repair shop for a proper diagnosis. If your phone is still under warranty, the repair might be free or discounted.
