power button on my Pixel 6a stopped working the other day while my phone was in my pocket, about a day after I dropped it

I was really stupid and turned it off, now I can't turn it back on. Screen lights up to show charge percentage when I plug it in, and I get the Graphene boot screen when I connect it to my pc, but then it reverts back to the same charge percentage display. My pc recognises the phone - it installed drivers when I first plugged it in and does the Windows chime when connecting and disconnecting, but no device shows up. I followed the basic Graphene installation and don't have adb or anything set up afaik

I replaced the screen but the problem remains. I've tried cleaning the button with isopropanol, including spraying some into the area from above, with the screen removed. Nothing changed. The button does move and click, so I'm concerned that it's a problem with electrical connectors and not with the contact itself, but I don't know anything about that

two questions:

  • are there workarounds for cases like this, perhaps involving the volume buttons?
  • how do I get at the power button contact? Via the backplate? I can't find any reference to repairing the power button online and this teardown video doesn't get into it

thanks in advance <3

Have you tried taking it to a repair store, to ask their expert advice? I'm sure they will have seen a broken power button before, and know what might be required to repair it.

    treequell that is my next port of call after asking here, yes. I am principally here to find out about Graphene-specific workarounds for booting without the power button - as possibilities for this vary by phone model and OS, I presume this will be a good place to find out what I need to know quickly. Thanks!

        technocpr As far as I know, there is no way to boot a Pixel device without a working power button.

        Your issue is no way dependent on the OS installed on the device, but specific to the hardware (and firmware) of the device.

        The Google Pixel Community may be able to provide you with hardware-related support: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/community

            8 months later

            I had this same issue, found this thread and the solution worked. I hit the power button on the edge of a table a few times and eventually got the power button working as normal. After hitting the button a few times against the edge of the table, the phone thought I was pressing and holding (which I was not). That indicated that the button was stuck somehow, and after hitting the button on the corner of the button a couple of times it finally came un-stuck and now works as normal.

            Nothing like a good ol' application of blunt force to the device to make it work.

            https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/v64qx1/pixel_6_power_button_issue_screen_not_turning_off/

              spicy-spicoli I should also say - originally, I had the same problem as the OP - but, after plugging the phone into charger and computer, it finally powered on even though I was not able to press the power button.

              Once it was powered on, I found the thread about hitting the table and that's how I got the feedback from the phone that the button was stuck (getting the screen for "Power Off" / "Lockdown" / "Restart")

                Same issue on a regular P6. Managed to fix it after a lot of 'bang phone against table', but now paranoid about how long this will last.

                Is anybody aware of a way to disable the power button within GrapheneOS, thereby completely sidestepping this issue? I only found the option for 'press power button for instant lock'.

                Given how widespread this defect seems to be with P6(a) models, would be great to have a software workaround.

                  H4M Is anybody aware of a way to disable the power button within GrapheneOS, thereby completely sidestepping this issue?

                  I suspect that is not possible, because the power button is managed by the power controller. And it's not clear how one would instruct the bootloader to enter Recovery without the power button being pressed.

                  H4M Given how widespread this defect seems to be with P6(a) models, would be great to have a software workaround.

                  Is it widespread? As far as this forum goes, it seems as if it may be less common than display or battery failures.

                      H4M Given how widespread this defect seems to be with P6(a) models, would be great to have a software workaround.

                      Widespread, I beg to differ... my 6a coming up to three years old is working as normal. Maybe you are just unlucky.