SOLVED: Samsung S23 Has No Desktop Icons & Reboot and Power Off Do Nothing

We had a client with a Samsung S23 FE that he had problems unlocking, then once he got around that he had no desktop icons. Worse, reboot and power off do not do anything! What to do?!?!

In this case the Launcher UI is corrupted and needs a hard reset. We also cleared the system cache, but that was not likely required.

How To Force a Samsung Galaxy Mobile Phone to Power Off

Press and hold the Volume Down key and the Power/Side key simultaneously.

• Hold them down firmly for up to 20 seconds
  • We see it typically take about 10 seconds to hard power off, but we have seen it take 15+
• You will likely feel a vibration, and the screen should eventually go completely black. This indicates a successful forced shutdown.
• Keep holding for a bit after the screen goes black, just to be sure it’s fully off

After it is off you can release the buttons, but wait a few seconds before powering it up. To power it on just do the usual press and hold the Power/Side key by itself for a few seconds.

Why This Works When The On-Screen Power Options Don’t:

This button combination triggers a hardware-level reset, bypassing the software layer that’s causing your phone to freeze. The on-screen power options rely on the software being responsive enough to process your touch input, which isn’t happening in your situation.

How To Clear The Cache Partition on a Samsung Galaxy Mobile Phone

Temporary system files can sometimes become corrupted and cause issues so it is a good idea to clear the cache periodically (without deleting your personal data!)

1. Completely power off your phone and wait a few seconds
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Power key simultaneously
   • When you see the Samsung logo release both keys
3. You should now be in the Android Recovery menu.
   • Use the Volume Down key to navigate to “Wipe cache partition.”
   • Press the Power key to select it.
   • Use the Volume Down key to highlight “Yes” and press the Power key to confirm.
   • Once the process is complete, navigate to “Reboot system now” and press the Power key.