Non-working buttons can render your cell phone useless.
For many cell phones, the buttons are the main way -- and sometimes the only way-- that you can interface with the device. Most cell phone buttons are simply small domed pieces of metal that flatten out when you press them, completing a circuit with a metal pad on the circuit board and allowing the software to register a keypress. If you need to fix buttons that have stopped working, you'll first want to try some simple fixes, but you will probably have to open up the device.
Things You'll Need
Small screwdriver
Pry tool
Heat gun
Isopropyl alcohol
Small brush
1
Remove the device's battery, wait about 20 seconds, then replace it. Software errors sometimes interfere with the keypad operation. Removing the battery will reset the software and if the buttons start working again, you will have saved yourself a lot of effort.
2
Take note of which buttons are not working. Once you have the device apart and are staring at the internal keyboard, it may be difficult to remember exactly which buttons are non-functional.
3
Remove the cell phone's plastic housing so that you can get to the keyboard. The exact method for doing this will vary widely based on your exact model of cell phone, but most will have small Phillips or Torx screws on the back side. Once you've removed the screws, use a pry tool to separate the housing and get to the keyboard.
4
Check the rubber keypad for damage. This is the part that contains the keys you actually press, the underside of which will have a small cylinder under each key. When you press down on the button, the cylinder pushes down on the actual keyboard. Any damage to the keys on the topside, or to the cylinders underneath, can cause an individual key to stop working. If there is damage, there is no way to fix it -- you will have to replace the rubber keypad.
5
Check the connector that runs from the keyboard to the rest of the circuit board to ensure that it is seated correctly and is not damaged. If it is damaged, you will have to replace the entire keyboard to restore functionality. Not every keyboard will have a cable, as some are installed directly on the control board, so don't worry if you can't find one.
6
Hold the heat gun about six inches above the keyboard. Turn on the heat gun and move it around the keyboard for about a minute. Do not hold the heat gun in any one place for more than a second or two.
7
Pry up the white sticker that sits on top of the keyboard. This sticker holds the metal domes, which are what get pressed down to actually cause a button press, in place. If the sticker is not coming up, apply heat for another 10 seconds and try again. Be careful that you do not separate the metal domes from the underside of this sticker.
8
Apply isopropyl alcohol to your brush and scrub the metal pads on the keyboard, along with any nearby components on the circuit board. Dirt, debris and moisture damage can build up on the keyboard over time and eventually cause it to stop working. Cleaning it is not a guaranteed fix, but it often helps.
9
Locate the metal domes, which are attached to the underside of the white sticker, for any individual keys that are not working. Place the tip of your small screwdriver in the middle of the concave side of the dome and pull the edge toward the screwdriver. Sometimes, the domes will lose their ability to fully depress, and this process will restore this ability. Don't pull too much -- just enough to add a slightly greater curvature to the dome. Note that this process should be used only when a single button is non-functional. If a group of buttons, or all the buttons, are non-functional, the problem is elsewhere.
10
Replace the white sticker, ensuring that the metal domes are positioned exactly over the metal pads on the circuit board. Reassemble the device and try out the keyboard. If the keys are still not working, the keyboard is probably never going to function again
