Nintendo Switch Not Turning On? Try These 4 Fixes

Similar to other gaming consoles, Nintendo Switch is also prone to specific issues over time. While some problems are not very serious and can be fixed at home, others ask for professional help.

Luckily, the Nintendo Switch not turning on falls in the former category and is relatively easy to work out by yourself. Try a soft or hard reset first. If the problem still persists, charge up your Switch, or install the latest firmware if available.

So, in case you picked your console to play your favorite game Super Smash Bros, but the Switch refused to turn on, make sure to try my best four hacks.

Top 4 Fixes To Solve Nintendo Switch Not Turning On Issue (#2 is the best!)

As aforementioned, even a successful console like the Nintendo Switch can hit a few hiccups, many of which are not entirely serious concerns, such as the Joy-Con drift issue. 

However, the Nintendo Switch not turning on is not something you should take lightly. There can be several reasons for it, and I recommend the following four best hacks to solve the issue swiftly.

1. Hard reset your Nintendo Switch
2. Charge up your Nintendo Switch
3. Redownload the game (data corruption)
4. Update your Nintendo Switch

1. Hard Reset Your Nintendo Switch

Similar to your other devices such as the smartphone, hard resetting your Switch is one of the best fixes for a range of issues, including the Nintendo Switch not turning on. 

Now, most users often get confused while hard resetting their Nintendo Switch. Therefore, here is a step-by-step guide to help you with the same. 

• Turn off your Nintendo Switch. Long hold the Power button for, say 3 seconds, to do so. 
• Enter the Maintenance Mode of the Switch by pressing and holding the Power and Volume Up & Down buttons for some time, say, 10-15 seconds.
• Once the Maintenance Mode page opens up, choose the Initialize Console option as shown in the below screenshot.
• If any confirm dialog box appears, select Confirm to complete your Nintendo Switch’s hard reset process. 

The hard reset method works for most users facing the Nintendo Switch not turning on. If it does not work for you, I recommend either checking in with a professional or switching to the next solution.

2. Charge up your Nintendo Switch

You might be thinking it is so obvious to keep the Switch charged up to play. Right? However, in most cases, no or very less charge appeared to be resulting in the Nintendo Switch not turning on problem. 

This is because your Switch consumes some charge to turn on and if a sufficient charge is not present, the Switch would simply not turn on! The standard battery capacity of a Nintendo Switch ranges from 4.5 hours to 9 hours as per the technical specs of the Switch. 

However, the actual life of a single charge depends upon your game’s graphics and size. While some games let your Switch run for close to nine hours (or even more!) after a complete charge, others eat up the entire charge in under four hours. 

It is also recommended by Nintendo to avoid keeping the Switch uncharged for long as it might affect its battery. The company suggests charging the console at least twice a year.

Now, there are a couple of ways to charge up your Nintendo Switch. 

• You can plug in the Switch to the wall using the Nintendo Switch USB-C charger. Plug the adapter into the socket and the USB-C end into the Switch. If everything is fine with the charger and your Switch, the screen should light up. You must see the charging indicator at the top-right corner of the screen. 
• The second method is by using a Nintendo Switch dock switch (the best accessory you can get!). To do so, hook the charger to the dock and slide the Switch into the dock to charge it. 

Note that charging the Switch by docking is not possible for Nintendo Switch Lite. 

But my Nintendo Switch is not charging!

After Nintendo Switch not turning on, the next biggest hiccup is Nintendo Switch not charging up! Are you going through the same? If so, here are possible reasons and quick fixes for the same. 

Reasons behind Nintendo Switch not charging

• The charging outlet needs resetting
• The outlet might be having some internal issues, such as a burnt fuse
• The charging adapter is not working
• The charging dock may have been gotten damaged due to excessive use
• The current charging cable is not working properly and needs replacement
• You are using a third-party adapter (avoid using one!)

These are some common reasons for your Switch facing difficulties while charging. 

Let us now discover the cool hacks to solve each of the aforementioned issues. 

What to do if your Nintendo Switch would not charge?

Try the following resorts to get your Nintendo Switch back to charging. 

Hard/soft reset the console

Here again, a hard reset or even a soft reset might do the job for you. To hard reset, your Switch, follow the steps discussed above. To soft reset, below are the steps. 

1. Press the power button for a few seconds.
2. Select the Turn Off option on the screen. 
3. Again press the power button till you feel a slight vibration. Wait for the Switch to turn on. 
4. Check whether the Switch is charging or not.

If not, head to the next fix. 

Check the charging outlet

Sometimes, it is not the Switch or charger at fault. It is the charging outlet you are using causing the problems. To check if that is the case, plug in another device’s cord and see if that is charging. 

If not, the outlet needs to be reset or checked by an electrician. 

If the outlet has a reset button, you can reset it to solve the problem. To do so, just press the Reset button on the outlet and wait for a few seconds before plugging your Switch again.  

Call the electrician if the problem persists. 

Check the charging cable

When was the last time you replaced the charging cable of your USB-C charger? It is recommended to monitor the cable performance regularly to keep the cable-induced charging problems at bay.  

You should go for only the best charging cables only!

You have a depleted battery

If you have not charged your Nintendo Switch for a while, there are chances its battery has depleted or completely drained. As a result, it would respond late when put on charge the next time. 

How to know if the battery has completely drained? If the battery indicator appears on the upper-left corner of the screen instead of its usual upper-right location, the battery has zero charges in it. 

In such cases, I recommend leaving your Switch on charging overnight to charge. 

Contact professionals

If you are still unable to charge your Switch after having tried all the aforementioned methods, your last resort is Nintendo service support. 

You can set up a repair for your Nintendo Switch from Nintendo’s official website. 

3. Redownload the game (data corruption)

Another common reason behind your Nintendo Switch not turning on can be data corruption. Data corruption is common on downloadable software on the Switch. 

You can check for corrupt data by following these steps. 

• Access the Switch’s System Settings from the Home menu.
• Navigate to the Data Management option present on the left side. 
• Select Software from the options on the right side.
• You will see the entire list of games on the screen. Select the Game you wish to check the data for corruption.
• Select the Check for Corrupt Data option at the bottom to start the process.

The entire process completes in a few minutes. You will get notified about any corrupt data or game files on the screen.

If there is any corrupt game file in your Nintendo Switch, you would need to download the game again to fix the issue and get to playing again. 

To download the game again, select the Redownload option that would appear on the screen after the scanning has been completed. 

4. Update your Nintendo Switch

Nintendo releases firmware updates regularly to keep your gaming experience at its best. Hence, it’s recommended to update your device to the latest version.

In the case, you have not yet installed the latest update in your Switch, certain issues including the Nintendo Switch not turning on are obvious. 

You can easily update your switch in the following two ways:

• Set up automatic updates from the Switch’s settings
• Manually update the Switch every time an update is available

If you want to know what all is included in a particular update, I recommend you opt for the latter, i.e., manually update your switch. Otherwise, set up automatic updates to keep the Switch updated all the time.  

So, these are the top four fixes for Nintendo Switch that won’t turn on problems and additional information for reference.

Conclusion 

To avoid situations like the Nintendo Switch not turning on, you should keep some general tips in mind to keep it running smoothly. The most common is to treat your Switch for any glitches as soon as they hit your console instead of waiting for some more time. 

Another crucial thing is to use only certified Nintendo products like the charging cables, adapter, and other accessories for optimal performance. You should avoid using third-party accessories. 

To sum up, work out the above four hacks to solve your Nintendo Switch not turning on problem, and do not hesitate to reach out if the problem persists. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)