A phone’s buttons are pressed thousands of times a year, so eventually some wear out. A stuck power button can stop you waking or restarting the phone, while a faulty volume rocker may leave you blasting music on the bus. Our St Nicholas Centre counter repairs buttons on phones, tablets and laptops.
Sometimes a button just needs cleaning. Other times the switch underneath has failed or a thin cable has torn. We open the device, work out which, and explain the fix before starting any work.
Each button on your phone is a tiny mechanical switch mounted on a flexible ribbon cable. Grit can stop it clicking, a drop can bend the frame around it, and moisture can corrode the contacts. When you bring in a smartphone with a faulty button, we test both the switch and its cable to see which has failed, then replace the right one. On older iPhones with Touch ID, we’ll try to repair the original home button, because replacing it means losing fingerprint unlock. Every button is tested before handover. See our other repairs too.
On many tablets the power button is the only way to wake the screen, so when it fails the tablet becomes almost useless. We repair buttons on iPads and other tablets at our city-centre counter.
Tablets are glued together, so reaching the buttons means carefully lifting the screen. We use gentle heat and the proper tools, then replace only the faulty switch or cable. Once reassembled, every button is tested to make sure it responds normally.
Between crumbs, coffee and years of typing up essays and reports, a laptop keyboard leads a hard life. Individual keys stop registering, trackpads lose their click and power buttons need jabbing several times. We sort out all of these on MacBooks and Windows laptops, testing the whole keyboard so the quote covers everything that’s actually wrong.
Where we can, we’ll replace only the affected key or switch. On some models the keyboard is built into the case, which makes it a bigger job, and we’ll explain the options for your model and what they cost.
Side keys gone spongy, loose or dead? Swapping the worn switch, or the ribbon it sits on, brings back a proper click.
iPad and Android tablet buttons that jam or stop working, fixed by replacing just the faulty switch or cable.
Letters missing from your emails, or a trackpad that won’t click? Laptop keyboards and switches are rebuilt or replaced here.
Holding the button and nothing happens? When the screen won’t wake or the phone won’t restart, a new power switch usually solves it.
Ringer stuck at maximum on a quiet train, or the up key ignoring every press? A new rocker switch or flex cable restores control.
Grit, drops and liquid all jam buttons. Cleaning or replacement gets them going again, and we test every press before you collect.
Back in Control
When a button fails, people find clever workarounds: on-screen shortcuts, shaking the phone, avoiding restarts for weeks. But living with a workaround gets tiring, and a button repair is often finished before you’ve had time for a wander round Bon Accord. You’ll leave with a device that does what you tell it, first time, every time. Bring your phone, tablet or laptop to Unit W7 and we’ll show you what’s wrong before we start.
FAQ
Usually, using accessibility shortcuts. But waking and restarting it becomes a nuisance, so it's worth fixing before the button fails completely.
Almost always. It's usually the small switch or the ribbon behind it, and both can be swapped while your data and settings stay exactly as they were.
Probably not. A knock to the edge can dent the frame and pinch or crack the button underneath. We'll check which and quote before starting.
On many models, yes: Apple ties the fingerprint reader to that individual phone. So our first move is always to fix the button you already have, and if that can't be done, you'll know before anything changes.
Bring it in. Debris under the keycaps is common and often cleans out; worn or spill-damaged keyboards can be replaced.
Usually, for phone buttons with parts in stock. Laptop keyboards can take longer, and we'll give you a realistic time when you drop it off.
Unit W7 in the St Nicholas Centre, AB10 1HW. You can reach us from Union Street or Schoolhill, and walk-ins are welcome during opening hours. Phone, tablet and laptop buttons and keys are all handled at the counter, every press is tested before handover, and the price is settled up front. Our full list of repairs covers everything else.
FoneTech Aberdeen repairs phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and games consoles from Unit W7 in the St Nicholas Centre, just off Union Street. Students, offshore crews, families and city-centre workers all bring us their gadgets. Show us what’s broken and you’ll get a frank opinion and a fixed price before a single screw is turned.
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