There are a few things that commonly happen to many Android tablets. Take a look at the following problems and some suggestions for fixing your beloved tablet and return it to it’s usual working state.
“I can’t turn the tablet on (or off)!”
Yes, sometimes an Android tablet locks up. It’s frustrating, but if you press and hold the Power/Lock key for about 8 seconds, the tablet turns either off or on, depending on which state it’s in.
In some cases, a program may lock your tablet tight when the 8-second Power/Lock key trick didn’t work. In that case, just wait 12 minutes or so, just letting the tablet sit there and do nothing. Then, press and hold the Power/Lock key for about 8 seconds, and it turned itself back on.
“The touchscreen doesn’t work!”
A touchscreen, such as the one on the Android tablet, requires a human finger for proper interaction. The tablet interprets the static potential between the human finger and the device to determine where the touchscreen is being touched.
You can use the touchscreen while wearing special touchscreen gloves. Yes, they actually make such things. But for regular gloves? Nope.
The touchscreen might fail also when the battery power is low or when the Android tablet has been physically damaged.
“The screen is too dark!”
Android tablets feature a teensy light sensor on the front. The sensor is used to adjust the touchscreen’s brightness based on the amount of ambient light at your location. If the sensor is covered, the screen can get very, very dark.
Ensure that you don’t unintentionally block the light sensor. Avoid buying a case or screen protector that obscures the sensor.
The automatic brightness setting might also be vexing you.
“The battery doesn’t charge!”
Start from the source: Is the wall socket providing power? Is the cord plugged in? The cable may be damaged, so try another cable.
When charging from a USB port on a computer, ensure that the computer is turned on. Most computers don’t provide USB power when they’re turned off.
Some tablets may charge from a special cord, not the USB cable. Check to confirm that your tablet is able to take a charge from the USB cable.
“The tablet gets so hot that it turns itself off!”
Yikes! An overheating gadget can be a nasty problem. Judge how hot the tablet is by seeing whether you can hold it in your hand: When it’s too hot to hold, it’s too hot. If you’re using the tablet to cook an egg, it’s too hot.
Turn off your Android tablet and let the battery cool.
If the overheating problem continues, have the Android tablet looked at for potential repair. The battery might need to be replaced. It seems there’s no way to remove and replace the Android tablet battery by yourself.
Do not continue to use any gizmo that’s too hot! The heat damages the electronics. It can also start a fire.
“My tablet doesn’t do Landscape mode!”
Not every app takes advantage of the tablet’s capability to reorient itself when you rotate the device between Portrait and Landscape modes — or even Upside-Down mode. For example, many games set their orientations one way and refuse to change, no matter how you hold the tablet. So, just because the app doesn’t go into Horizontal or Vertical mode doesn’t mean that anything is broken.
Confirm that the orientation lock isn’t on: Check the Quick Actions. Ensure that the Rotation Lock item isn’t turned on; if so, the screen doesn’t reorient itself.