Android keeps restarting or shutting down
Distinguish a completed restart, a full shutdown and a boot loop. On a stable phone, storage and safe mode help choose what to investigate; abnormal physical signs mean testing should stop.
Try this first
1 quick checks · ~3 min
Find your situation
See all the clues. Choose the one that matches what you observe.
Restarts and becomes usable
If it boots and stays usable, check recent changes and storage.
Shuts down completely
Note whether it happens while charging or with unusual heat; do not repeatedly provoke it.
Cannot stay started
A boot loop does not allow the same checks as a stable phone. Prioritize service and data.
Happens during one action
A recent app or repeatable unlock event guides comparison; it does not prove the cause.
Diagnostic signals
- ObservationStops in safe mode
- A downloaded app becomes more likely. If it persists, stop removing random apps.
- ObservationLess than 10% free
- Very low storage can cause problems: freeing backed-up content is a relevant test.
Step-by-step solutions
Identify the state and check for warning signs
Distinguish a restart that completes, a full shutdown and a repeated logo without a usable home screen. Note whether it began after an app install or update, on unlocking, during one action or while charging. Shutdown alone does not diagnose battery damage.
Stop testing and charging if there is unusual heat, swelling, damage, an unusual smell or repeated shutdowns with those signs. Disconnect power only if safe; do not press on or open the phone. Ask the manufacturer for an inspection.
If it loops or cannot stay on, do not force updates, backups or blind resets. Ask for help and explain that you need to preserve data. If only an app closes while Android stays running, use the app guide; if the phone freezes without restarting, use the unresponsive-phone guide.
Check storage and changes while the phone is stable
Check free space. Google notes that problems can start below 10% free. If storage is that low, back up important files and remove only recoverable content; do not clear app data as an experiment.
- Settings
- Storage
If normal behavior returns after freeing space, storage was a plausible factor, not proof of a hardware fault. If there was enough space or the problem continues, stop deleting and move to updates or safe mode.
If it can stay on without abnormal physical signs, save work and check Android updates in Settings and app updates in Play Store > profile > Manage apps & device. Install available updates without interrupting them. Improvement does not call for a reset; otherwise compare safe mode.
Also check whether a case or external battery presses a button. Remove it only without force and when there is no damage or swelling. Improvement without it points toward the accessory; do not keep provoking shutdowns to prove it.
Advanced checks
Continue if the earlier steps did not help. Read each procedure’s precautions first.
Use safe mode to decide whether to investigate apps
Only when the phone is stable and has no physical warning signs, follow its manufacturer’s safe-mode procedure. Downloaded apps are disabled. Compare during equivalent ordinary use; do not stress the phone or force an action that shuts it down.
If the problem stops, a downloaded app becomes more likely, but the test does not name it. Exit safe mode as the manufacturer directs and remove one recently installed app at a time after preserving its data. Restart normally and check after each change; restore apps ruled out as the cause.
If it continues in safe mode, downloaded apps become less likely. Stop uninstalling random apps and report that result to the manufacturer. If the same condition cannot be compared because the app is unavailable, the result is limited rather than confirmation.
Reserve factory reset for a last resort
Consider this only after the earlier checks, with a stable device and no physical warning signs. If it also fails in safe mode, asking the manufacturer before erasing helps determine whether this test makes sense; resetting does not repair physical damage.
Check that important photos, files and app data can be recovered and that you can access the account needed for setup. If you proceed, use the manufacturer’s factory-reset procedure for your model. Do not improvise button combinations.
Before reinstalling every app, observe basic operation. If the same shutdown returns without restoring them, stop and seek service. If it returns when one app is added, investigate that app instead of erasing again.
Still not working?
Report the model, whether it restarts or stays off, any charging or action pattern, free storage and the safe-mode result. Physical warning signs or failure to stay started call for service without repeated resets. Use the app or frozen-phone guide only when that state matches.
Sources
Documentation behind this guide. Editorial recommendations are identified separately.
- Google Android HelpOfficialFix an Android device that is restarting or crashing
- Google Android HelpOfficialFind problem apps by rebooting to safe mode on Android
Source review: . A documentation review, not a physical hardware test.
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