Life after power button, tips on how to make it possible?

[Fihlvein]

Disclaimer: I have fixed the infamous power button several times successfully, but now it's no longer possible so let's not go into that any more. For anyone who really wish to altogether replace the button, the following article is a good read, especially the comments on experiences. https://protyposis.net/blog/replacing-the-nexus-5-power-button/ TL;DR: it's tough.

So, my power button finally died permanently, and I'm now trying to figure out how to manage using a phone without a power button. The following things are doable and absolutely fine:

• Turning on the phone: requires a PC with Fastboot, and attached USB cable. Press volume down and attach cable, phone will enter fastboot. Then do "fastboot reboot". This is quite problematic if you're not near a PC, but only really is an issue if the battery runs out.
• Shutting down the phone: I use third party app like TWRP manager. Requires root I presume. Can be done with ADB as well e.g. by issuing "svc power shutdown" as root. Anyway a non-issue.
• Rebooting: No problem, works basically similarly as shutting down.

My main concern is turning on the display. Currently I'm using CM13 CAF and I've set the volume buttons to turn on the display. It's fine, BUT - there is a long lasting bug where sometimes after phone call the display goes dark, and suddenly the volume buttons do not turn on the display. Only way to use the phone then is to find a computer to reboot it. Even attaching a USB cable does not turn on the display if this bug occurs. Not fun!!! I'm not completely sure about AOSP CM13 if the bug exists there, might have to test.

What are the good options for turning on the display other than CM13 / volume button? Are there some Xposed modules to specifically help with using the phone without power button? Any other tips / ideas?

Would you actually use the phone if your power button really died for good?

Edit: Here are some great suggestions given by you so far:

• Gravity Screen - Additional service to unlock screen when necessary using proximity sensor. Has some battery usage concerns though.
• Another non-CM13(CAF) ROM that do not perhaps have the "blank screen after phone call" issue, and hope that you won't actually need the power button by any incident
• Setting up Xposed and using a module e.g. Xposed Additons to mimic power button behavior on volume button(s)
• Use an external Pressy-like gadget to have a ROM-independent way to mimic the power button
• Use a kernel that supports DT2W (double tap to wake) feature to turn on the screen. Also has some battery usage concerns.
• Modify key mapping (gpio-keys.kl) to assign power button function to a volume button (see below)

So there certainly are options! And stuff like Pressy was even new to me. Can you think of more workarounds?

 

[kong]

Gravity Screen.

 

[icrunchbanger]

Hi
I used Chroma which is working very good with volume buttons unlock. Now using my build from AOSP also with volume button wake and navigation button for locking.
Using terminal for reeboting/recovery/bootloader/shutdown.

 

[Fihlvein]

Thanks for the suggestion, I will check them as well.

I'm testing currently Xposed Additions which allows remap any button to perform actions. I've set the volume key down to wake the phone, and long press volume down to lock it. This way I can still enjoy screen off music controls (at least next track by volume up).

Unfortunately this would not mimic the long pressing of power button for hard reboot. So in case display would just not turn on, the phone is still useless until you can get to a computer. But let's see.

 

[icrunchbanger]

Thanks for the suggestion, I will check them as well.

I'm testing currently Xposed Additions which allows remap any button to perform actions. I've set the volume key down to wake the phone, and long press volume down to lock it. This way I can still enjoy screen off music controls (at least next track by volume up).

Unfortunately this would not mimic the long pressing of power button for hard reboot. So in case display would just not turn on, the phone is still useless until you can get to a computer. But let's see.

Not a big fan of Xposed and i dont listen to music on my N5 so a bit easier for me.
su | reboot
su | reboot recovery
su | reboot bootloader
su | reboot -p /power off/

I did not found a way for turning it on but connecting via fastboot and than reboot.

 

[rolmos]

I have the exact same setup, but as backup, I use one of those cheap chinese Pressy clones. I use Headset Button Controller to unlock the screen on click, and it usually works when the download buttons refuse to. The only problem with this is not being able to use hedphones, and having the extra service running "just in case".

 

[wilco375]

Use a ROM/kernel that supports Double Tap 2 Wake?

 

[mtsimmer]

there is 2 options its a bit risky 1 try running normal CM13 and install ElementalX kernel it supports double tap 2 unlock the second option is just get on ebay buy new button and just replace it had this problem thought that i bricked the phone thanks for good information how to get it back up

 

[Fihlvein]

I've updated the suggestions so far to the OP, thanks a lot!

By the way, do you know if the "10sec long press power button to force hard reboot" feature is mapped somehow physically to power button only? I'm guessing so as it works independently from where you are, in bootloader, recovery, ROM, etc. I was trying to mimic it using volume button (which is mapped to work as power button), and while the regular power button presses work within ROM, the 10sec long-pressing won't work. That would have be too cool to be possible.

 

[opssemnik]

I've updated the suggestions so far to the OP, thanks a lot!

By the way, do you know if the "10sec long press power button to force hard reboot" feature is mapped somehow physically to power button only? I'm guessing so as it works independently from where you are, in bootloader, recovery, ROM, etc. I was trying to mimic it using volume button (which is mapped to work as power button), and while the regular power button presses work within ROM, the 10sec long-pressing won't work. That would have be too cool to be possible.

it is a qboot thing(one of the bootloaders from qualcomm, that loads before fastboot mode)

 

[Fihlvein]

Okay I don't know how I didn't realize this earlier but mapping the power key to a volume button is by far the simplest way for me, if one has root. No extra apps needed. Here's how:

Option 1: on existing ROM:
- Boot into TWRP
- Mount /systen
- Modify e.g. with vim /system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl (I had to use Linux as Windows adb messed up the characters totally while editing)

Original:
key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN
New (volume down as power):
key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 POWER​

- Save & reboot, and enjoy volume down functioning as a power button (minus 10s long press, that won't work sadly)

Option 2: directly to source when building ROM by yourself:
- Go to your synced source tree root location and locate your device tree (in this example I'm using CM13-CAF)

cd ./devices/lge/hammerheadcaf/​

- Create a new local Git branch:

git checkout -b newbranchname​

- Modify the button layout file

nano ./gpio-keys.kl
Original:
key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN
New (volume down as power):
key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 POWER​

- Commit the change:

git commit -am "change button layout"​

- Build & enjoy volume down acting as a power button!

 

[nigelrodrigues95]

I've tried this, along with other methods such as installing apps with root access. nothing seems to be working. I'm on the pixel experience rom (android 9.0). any help would be appreciated.

 

[nate1975]

I've tried this, along with other methods such as installing apps with root access. nothing seems to be working. I'm on the pixel experience rom (android 9.0). any help would be appreciated.

Although my power button currently works, the case I have makes it really hard to use (and I prefer not to anyway):

"WaveUp" app from F-droid to wake the screen with the proximity sensor.
Double-tap the status bar in lineage-16 to shut off the screen.

For any kind of rebooting, I just open a terminal and type the commands.