You have just bought your brand new Nintendo Switch console, and you are excited to play it with your friends.
You get home and set up your dock, connect your switch to the dock, and then place the switch into the dock only to be disappointed when the screen turns on and off while you are still playing it.
Your heart sinks because you just want to play Super Mario Odyssey with your friends without the hassle of having to lift up the console every few minutes so that you can keep playing the game uninterrupted.
You do not have to worry about this anymore since I have found an easy fix for this problem!
Hold the power button for 7 seconds
When your screen dock isn’t turning on or off, you can hold down your power button for 7 seconds to reset it. If you see anything on your screen (even a black background), then you know that it worked.
Hold down your power button again to turn it back on. You might need to repeat these steps several times before it works.
If you don’t see anything after holding down your power button for 7 seconds, try holding it down for 10-15 seconds instead.
Plug dock into a power
When your Nintendo Switch is in its dock, it’s drawing power from its AC adapter or USB Type-C cable. When you try to turn on your screen with a dead battery, it won’t work. You need to plug your dock into power before turning on your console.
Unplugging your dock while you have a dead battery can do damage to both your console and dock. To fix a broken screen due to an unplugged dock, follow these steps:
Connect your dock to power via an AC adapter or USB Type-C cable; then press down on the center of your Nintendo Switch until it clicks into place.
If you don’t hear any sounds when pressing down on your Switch, make sure that all connections are secure.
Press the power button again
The easiest fix for your screen turning on and off is to just press that power button again. If it doesn’t work, try plugging your device into a different outlet.
That may be all you need to do! You can also try holding down both buttons at once (the Reset and Volume Down buttons) for about 10 seconds before releasing them—that may fix any power issues you are having with your console.
Leave it be
I’ve had my Switch for about 3 months now, so I’m no expert. A lot of people have already offered their advice on turning off your console while it’s docked. So I won’t be giving that again.
Instead, I want to talk about a problem that has been bothering me since day one: when you dock your Switch with a screen protector on (like any sane person would), there is a very good chance that it will not turn back on once you take it out of its dock.
While not everyone seems to experience these issues with screen protectors, many do—and some of those people don’t find a fix easily.
Wait a minute
The first thing to check if your Switch screen is turning on and off while it’s docked is whether or not you’re holding down a button or pressing something.
There are a few buttons along the outside of your Nintendo Switch controller. But none of them have anything to do with turning on and off your console’s screen when it’s plugged into its dock.
Power on the console by pressing on the switch like normal.
Fixed!
This is actually a pretty easy fix. You’ll need to be careful, though—when dealing with hardware like your Switch, there are bound to be some risks involved.
But if you do it right, there’s a good chance that you can get your screen back up and running without risking any damage to your system or voiding any warranties. So let’s get started!
Also read: Nintendo Switch SD Card Corrupted Data Solved
Conclusion
Fixing a screen that won’t turn on or off after being removed from its dock can be frustrating. Luckily, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot your problem before replacing your switch’s display assembly.
Try each solution one at a time until you find what works for you. Remember to reconnect your Switch to its dock before testing if it is still connected with video output.
