Android phone keeps restarting? 8 fixes to try

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A phone that restarts or switches off by itself usually has a software problem: an outdated system, a full storage or one misbehaving app. Google's own checklist puts the easy steps first and a factory reset last.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Check for an Android update

   Open Settings, tap System, then Software update. On some phones you first tap About phone. Install any update that is offered.

   Done

2. Check the storage

   Open Settings and tap Storage. Google says a phone can start having problems when less than 10% of the storage is free. If yours is nearly full, see how to free up storage on an Android phone.

   Done

3. Update your apps

   Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture at the top right, then Manage apps & devices. Under Updates available, tap Update all.

   Done

4. Close apps you are not using

   Open Settings, tap Apps, then See all apps. Tap an app, then Force stop. Keep a note of which apps you stopped. If the restarts end, one of them is the cause.

   Done

5. Take off the case and accessories

   A case or an external battery pack can press on the power button or cover a sensor. Remove them and watch whether the phone still restarts.

   Done

6. Test in safe mode

   Safe mode switches off all the apps you installed yourself. Use the phone that way for a while. The steps are in how to start an Android phone in safe mode.

   Done

7. Remove the app that causes it

   If the phone is stable in safe mode, restart it normally and uninstall the apps you installed most recently, one at a time. Restart after each one and test. When the restarts stop, you have found the app, and the others can be installed again.

   Done

8. Last resort: factory reset

   If the phone restarts even in safe mode, a factory reset is the last software step. It removes all data from the phone, so back up first: how to back up an Android phone to your Google Account. Then follow how to factory reset an Android phone.

   Done

Good to know

If the phone still restarts after a factory reset, the fault is in the hardware, often the battery. Contact the maker of the phone or a repair shop.

A phone that switches off when it gets hot is protecting itself. See phone overheating: why it happens and 7 ways to cool it.

If the phone does not come back on at all: Android phone won't turn on: what to try before a repair.

In short: Update Android, free up storage, update apps, force stop, remove the case, safe mode, uninstall recent apps, factory reset.