Nokia Lumia 800: delightful smartphone but with a few irritations. If you have one, I recommend that you do not let the battery fully discharge – a challenge since the battery life is not the greatest – since if you do, you may have problems turning the phone on again.
I am not sure what proportion of Lumias are affected, but what happens is this. The battery runs out and the phone turns itself off as you would expect. You plug it into the charger, but even after several hours it appears to remain uncharged and will not turn on. The problem is discussed in this thread: Lumia 800 won’t power on or charge.
This has happened with my review Lumia. In my case, the phone vibrated when plugged into the charger and the charging screen appeared, with a red line showing an empty battery, and there it stayed.
So what is the fix? I have had the problem a couple of times, and each time it eventually fixed itself, though it is hard to pinpoint the exact fix. Things people have tried:
- Unplugging and reconnecting the charger to the phone
- Attaching the phone to a PC, then to a charger
- Reset the charging cycle by holding down the power button, while charging, for 8 seconds or so
- Warming the device to create a small charge in the battery, then starting to charge it
One theory is the battery discharges so deeply that there is not enough power to detect the charger, therefore it never charges. Kind-of too smart for its own good.
If the phone had a removable battery, I would suggest removing and replacing it, an old trick to revive a frozen phone. Should your Lumia not be covered by a warranty, you could try disassembly in order to do this.
The best hope is that a further firmware update will fix the problem.
It happens once to me too, but I just let it there and after about 5 mins it vibrate and start charging.
I have probs with this lumia 800… All the tips I’ve read wont work… I guess I have regret buying this phone… If I know this would happen, i wont buy this kind of phone… good advertisement bad product… In my own opinion, Nokia don’t create a phone that’s only ruin once businesses…
hi same prolem i used camera button to connect to laptop left it in after 10 min it powers on great …no it only powerin it up not charge as soon i pull iyt out to put in wall charger it dies again . help anyone?
The most recent update fixes this; after a couple of minutes with the empty battery screen it turns on properly. To fix it if you haven’t had the update, plug it into a high capacity charger – the original Lumia charger (hard if you had one of the early review models with a euro plug!) or a Blackberry charger, not most Android chargers – and leave it to recharge for a while, then press and hold the power button until it triggers the reboot vibration. I’ve had it several times and the press and hold has always worked, sometimes just switching to high capacity charger has been enough – and the last update means I don’t even need that. Also gave me much better battery life.
Thanks for the tips Mary. What’s your version that’s fixed the problem? I had the issue today and thought I was up to date. Mine is firmware 1600.2483.8106.11500.
Tim
Oh my god! I have this today and can’t use my phone today. Stunning – I’ve tried the power button but I can’t get my phone to turn on……. Nearly 500€ for a phone which won’t turn on when it’s plugged into the charger!
Rich, i had the same situation as you do. None of the tips worked…
Try connecting your phone with your PC, open devices and troubleshoot it and wait for 5-7 min. Within this time it should vibrate and begin charging. Wait a little more and then you can turn it on and charge it with the charger.
Don’t give up on hope. This phone is still great.
this worked for me, just plug it in to your computer open devices and right click on your phone and click troubleshoot and wait for your phone to vibrate and start charging
Please where I can find ”devices and troubleshoot” ?
none of these tips seems to work for me, im going back to the store. sjitty telephone gives me nothing but trouble.
Oh my God, Nokia Lumia 800 is such a SHITTY mobile phone. I’m really disappointed. I can’t believe I spended money on this. Imagine, I just bought the unit today (04-20-2012). Upon receival of the unit. I started the setup and personalizing. After awhile I was notified the unit was running low on battery. So I connected the charger which came with the unit…. This is crazy; The charger didn’t work too. I immiditly contacted the surplier and was promised a new charger. Fortunately I had a spare USB charger from Samsung. While leaving it to get fully charged for 2 – 3 hours. It really gave me the worst headache ever. THE SHITTY PHONE WON’T TURN ON. I tried everything even browsing the internet to find a solution. IMAGINE NOT EVEN ON NOKIA’S WEBSITE THERE’S A SOLUTION. SHAME ON YOU NOKIA. SO FELLOW FRIENDS… STAY AWAY FROM NOKIA LUMIA 800. Best regards Anthony de Leon from Denmark.
It is quite a good phone but you do need the latest update ending 12070 – my advice is to apply this as the first thing you do.
Tim
how to update my phone when its completely out of power?
How do you do the update when the PC won’t recognise a phone is attached due to it having no power in the phone and unable to charge it?
Mike, you have to persuade it to charge somehow. I have had best success with the supplied charger, disconnect, reconnect, leave 10 mins, if charging you have succeeded, if not disconnect and start again.
Tim
I haven’t tried to update but if you plug the phone into a computer via a usb2 cable, and leave it for 10 mins; that worked for me.
I have updated my phone but it still happened to me. Thanks for your tips. The third one i.e. resetting charge cycle, worked for me.
Thanks Tim, after no results from charging, I contacted Orange who talked me through the soft and hard resets with still no results. I was told the phone is broken and needs to be returned to the shop for an exchange.
my lumia seems that it’s dead because one week a go it was chraged and suddenly it turns off alone and till today i can’t turn it on again !!!!!! please if someone know what is the problem did my lumia die !!??i have tried every tip on website to turn it on again but nothing !!!
Hi did u manage to sort out the problem with your phone i am having the exact same thing right now , and i was jus wondering if u know have a solution to the problem
I have the latest firmware and have this problem at least twice a week, I find by holding volume down button and power button together for about 5 seconds on letting go the phone vibrates and turns on, battery doesn’t need to be dead for this problem to happen either so can’t be a battery issue.
thank you….this helped me lots x
Thankyou!! My phone was fully charged but screen went blank then it died. Have just done the above and it’s come to life again!
That volume down thing worked thank you so much my phone had been like this for days and your solution was the only one that actually worked!!
Yeah, thank you the volume and power off button worked for me tooo!! and yes! it doesn’t have to be out of charge to have this problem, mine was fully charged and I caught the buttons and switched it off accidently this morning and then it wouldn’t turn on again. Well done Dom!
Thank you!
That worked for me too!
Hi, my Nokia went off tonight whilst I was walking home from work, I was playing music and although I did think I had enough battery, I thought maybe it had ran out. I tried to charge it up for 20 minutes in ther car but to no luck. I got home and plugged it straight in, I kept trying to hold the power button down, unplugging and replugging in the charger but still no luck.
I then thought i’d come on here and trouble shoot on the web, whilst plugging the phone into the laptop.
I tried holding the volume buttons and power button altogether for about 10 seconds and then it seemed to reboot it, turning itself back on…….phew!
ur advice was lifesaving…..it worked….
Yes indeed,
I had the same exact power issues, my Lumia 800 handset had on several occasions switched off on it’s own.
I tryed every thimg mentoned on this forum and nothing worked.
Finally I used a collegues blackberry charged and guest what? it fired up!
Now Nokia you need to get your act together, because people are watching you!!!
I may change over to Samsung!!
my phone died last night put it on charge over night, nothing charged it through car still nothing. ive tried everying thing and all my phone will give me is the empty battery sign, its been on charge for 2 hrs via pc just can not get it to turn back on
Leaving it for hours won’t help. Sometimes repeated connection, trying with a PC, other chargers, will bring it back to life.
Tim
Having same issue from last 3 day. Actually i was updating firmware by connecting it with laptop, meanwhile battery of laptop drained out and firmware updating was hanged. Now i am not able to power on the device.
Thanks for the above it worked to turn my phone back on!! I love my phone!
Same problem as others are experiencing. I was updating the phone through my mac. After about a minute the WP app on my mac returned to the “Connect your WP” screen so I thought the update was finished and disconnected the phone, which was showing that it was still connected. Since then I haven’t been able to turn it on. If it’s connected to the charger it vibrates every 20 seconds and has shown the “empty battery” and the “connected to computer” screen but won’t turn on. I’ve tried holding down all the button combinations with no luck. Help, please!
Also, the reason I updated was because Viber won’t work – not for messages or calls.
Not a happy chappy. Preferred my old 3315.
Come on Nokia!
Same happened to me today. The phone went dead mid update and when I plugged it into charging it kept on vibrating but nothing showed up on the screen. Then, after a lot of more or less random button pressing the “connect to computer” screen appeared. I decided to just plug it into the laptop and leave it, hoping it will resolve itself (- the nokia app did not recognize the device at this point). After 10 minutes the phone just turned itself on again with the “update completed” message.
This has happened to me for the 2nd time. I was just sitting with it in work, i had set it down beside me to use the computer, 30mins later lifted it to use it and it was turned off, tried to turn it on and it wouldnt. Tried to heating it up and for about 20mins and tried holding the volume buttons and power button together for about 30secs then let go and tapped them an it vibrated. This happened a few weeks ago aswell. Its ridiculous having these to go through this just to turn a phone on….an brand new, smart phone at that!!!
I am having the same problem with my nokia lumia 800 right now – the battery has gone, the phone is turned off, I am trying to charge it and when I try turn it on it only vibrates twice and nothing happens. what should I do??
Hi All,
I’m travelling right now; did a lot of photos today and the phone died somewhen during the day in my pocket. Very disappointing; even if I have updated firmware on the device and really expected to have now a bullet-proof, rock solid functioning device…!! Tried about 2 hours right now to get that f*****g device to function again and to recover the data on it… Shame on this device…!
Don’t now, what further to do for getting everything rescued, besides looking for a new device from possible some guys they know how to build such devices… 🙁
My nokia lumia 800 has simply died. no reaction to any sort of stimuli. RIP
My phone will not turn on at allihad no wifi signal and with a full battery iturned. Myphone off i tried to turn it on and no luck. Iphone 4s here i come!!!!!
Whoever has this problem , just use a blackberry charger , it should start up the phone within 3 seconds. This is pretty sucky though. Happens to me when i use my phone till the battery is completely dead. But a blackberry charger should get it fired up
Turned mine off going into meeting wednesday15th of August, won’t turn back on, it was more than 70% charged at the time, I am waiting for a currier to come and collect, very dissapointed with the Lumia, only for the 18 month contract I would be moving back to Blackberry Curve.
I have bought the Nokia Lumia 800 on August 19, 2012 in Delhi. it was automatically switched off during the night but easily started on when i pushed the volume button in morning. but it again switched off in office and now it is not starting anyhow!!!!
I have tried all tricks and methods mentioned over here… Please help!!!
My lumia 800 regularly turns its self off, ive had it since 22/11/11 ive been through everything with it, its been through the wash recently and it seemed to work after i’d left it for a few days to dry out, the only way you would know is the water damage indicator and a cracked screen, its safe to say it cant handle a spin cycle! but now i come to turn it on this morning and nothing, not even the charge screen where as lastnight it was working fully!! people rant and rave about amazing these phones are, as far as im concerned nokia pull your socks up!! luckily my contract is up in 2 months so hello iPhone 4s
Seriously? You put your Lumia through the wash and now you’re blaming Nokia for it not starting up?
Tim
Thanks a lot for the post. Holding the power button down for 8 seconds did it for me.
how? i’ve tried the same but not working.. 🙁