Quick Answer
First identify when the restart happens. A phone that reaches the lock screen or Home screen and then restarts requires a different troubleshooting path from a phone that repeatedly reboots before Android finishes starting.
Use the symptom guide below to choose the correct fix. Do not perform a factory reset as the first step because it erases locally stored data, installed apps, and their associated data.
Table of Contents
Safety Check
Stop using the phone and arrange professional inspection when you notice:
- A swollen battery or lifting back panel
- Smoke, sparks, or a burning or chemical smell
- Extreme or rapidly increasing heat
- Liquid damage or visible corrosion
- A cracked, bent, or severely damaged phone
- Repeated shutdowns accompanied by dangerous heat
- An exposed battery or internal component
Disconnect the charger if the phone becomes unusually hot. Do not open, crush, press, puncture, or attempt to repair a swollen or damaged battery yourself.
Choose the Symptom That Matches
| What the phone does | Correct troubleshooting guide |
|---|---|
| Reaches the lock screen or Home screen, then restarts unexpectedly | Use the random-restart guide |
| Restarts while you are using apps, gaming, charging, or leaving the phone idle | Use the random-restart guide |
| Never reaches the lock screen and repeatedly shows the startup logo | Use the boot-loop guide |
| Remains frozen on the manufacturer logo | Use the boot-loop guide |
| Shows no startup logo, vibration, sound, or charging response | Use the black-screen or no-power guide |
| Rings or vibrates but the display remains black | Use the black-screen guide |
| Will not complete its first startup after a factory reset | Use the post-factory-reset guide |
| Restarts only when the charger is connected or the phone becomes hot | Stop charging if it is dangerously hot and investigate the charging or battery condition |
If Android Starts Before Restarting
Choose this path when the phone reaches the lock screen or Home screen before it restarts.
Follow:
Android Keeps Restarting Randomly Fix
This guide covers restarts that occur during normal use, while the phone is idle, after installing an app, or after Android has already completed startup.
Google recommends checking Android updates, available storage, app updates, external accessories, and Safe Mode for Android devices that restart unexpectedly.
Safe Mode Result
Safe Mode temporarily disables downloaded apps.
- If the restarting stops in Safe Mode, a downloaded app becomes a likely contributor.
- Remove recently installed or updated apps one at a time.
- Restart normally after each removal and test again.
- If the restarting continues in Safe Mode, the result does not prove that the phone has a hardware fault.
Safe Mode entry methods vary by manufacturer and model. Use the phone manufacturer’s official instructions instead of assuming one button combination works on every Android device.
If Android Never Finishes Starting
Choose this path when the phone remains on the startup logo or continuously restarts before reaching the lock screen.
Follow:
Android Stuck on Logo or Boot Loop: How to Fix It
This guide covers phones that repeatedly show the startup animation, remain frozen on the manufacturer logo, or return to the logo before Android becomes usable.
Do not use random-restart instructions when the phone cannot remain on long enough to open Settings, update apps, check storage, or test normal phone use.
Recovery menus, button combinations, and available options differ between Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Xiaomi, OPPO, realme, vivo, Motorola, Nothing, and other Android devices. Follow the exact manufacturer instructions for the model.
If the Screen Is Black
A phone with no visible display is not automatically in a boot loop.
Follow:
Android Phone Not Turning On or Black Screen Fix
Use this guide when:
- No startup logo appears
- The phone appears completely unresponsive
- The phone rings or vibrates while the screen remains black
- The device turns on and immediately shuts down
- Charging or power delivery may be involved
Google recommends separating a blank-display problem from a no-power problem by charging the device, attempting a restart, and checking whether it rings when contacted from another phone.
If the Problem Started After a Factory Reset
Follow:
Android Won’t Boot After Factory Reset Fix – Use this guide only when the phone completed a factory reset but cannot finish the initial startup or setup process.
This is different from an ordinary boot loop because:
- The phone has already erased its user data
- Android may be completing first-start initialization
- Account verification may be required
- Restoring another backup or repeating the reset may complicate diagnosis
- Model-specific recovery or service instructions may be necessary
1-Minute Safe Checks
Complete only the checks that are possible in the phone’s current state.
- Remove any case, external battery, or accessory that may press the Power or Volume buttons.
- Disconnect headphones, USB accessories, OTG adapters, and other external devices.
- Check whether a physical button feels stuck or remains pressed.
- If Android opens, back up important data immediately.
- If Android remains usable, check for system and app updates.
- If storage is almost full, free space before installing further updates.
- Note whether the problem began after an app installation, software update, drop, liquid exposure, or charger change.
- Select the matching guide rather than performing unrelated fixes.
Google notes that accessories touching the phone’s buttons can contribute to restarting problems. It also states that Android devices may develop issues when less than 10% of their storage remains free.
Do Not Factory Reset Yet
A factory reset may be considered only after:
- The correct symptom-specific guide has been followed
- Safer non-destructive checks have failed
- Important data has been backed up when possible
- You know the Google Account username and password previously used on the phone
- You know the screen-lock PIN, pattern, or password
- The phone has sufficient battery charge
- You have found the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact model
A factory reset erases locally stored data and removes installed apps and their data. It cannot repair a damaged battery, stuck physical button, liquid damage, failing internal storage, or another hardware fault.
When Professional Inspection Is Recommended
Arrange inspection when:
- The phone restarts when it is lightly moved or tapped
- The Power button appears physically stuck
- The device was dropped before the problem started
- Liquid or corrosion is visible
- The battery is swollen
- The phone becomes dangerously hot before restarting
- Recovery Mode is inaccessible or repeatedly crashes
- The phone cannot remain powered on long enough to protect important data
- Restarting continues after the correct manufacturer-supported recovery procedure
- The next procedure would require opening the phone or installing firmware manually
One failed restart, update, or Safe Mode test does not identify the exact failed component. Battery, button, charging, storage, thermal, and motherboard problems can require device-specific testing.
Common Mistakes
- Treating random restarts and startup boot loops as the same problem
- Factory-resetting before backing up accessible data
- Using a universal Recovery Mode button combination
- Reinstalling unofficial firmware
- Downloading firmware for a different model or region
- Assuming continued restarts in Safe Mode prove hardware failure
- Repeatedly forcing restarts without checking heat or physical damage
- Restoring every app immediately after a reset
- Continuing to use a swollen or dangerously hot phone
Official Sources
Official sources checked: July 26, 2026
Google Android Help
Page: Fix an Android device that’s restarting or crashing
Direct verified URL: https://support.google.com/android/answer/7664448
URL status: Verified accessible on July 26, 2026
Supports:
- Checking Android and app updates
- Checking available storage
- Removing cases and external accessories
- Using Safe Mode to test downloaded apps
- Backing up before a factory reset
- Warning that factory reset removes phone data
Scope limitation:
Settings, Safe Mode methods, recovery procedures, and menu names vary by device manufacturer.
Google Android Help
Page: Find problem apps by rebooting to safe mode on Android
Direct verified URL: https://support.google.com/android/answer/7665064
URL status: Verified accessible on July 26, 2026
Supports:
- Safe Mode temporarily disabling downloaded apps
- Using Safe Mode to investigate restarting, freezing, crashing, and performance problems
- Removing recently downloaded apps one at a time
- Using manufacturer-specific instructions to enter Safe Mode
Scope limitation:
Safe Mode entry and exit methods vary by phone.
Google Android Help
Page: Reset your Android device to factory settings
Direct verified URL: https://support.google.com/android/answer/6088915
URL status: Verified accessible on July 26, 2026
Supports:
- Factory reset data-loss warning
- Trying other troubleshooting steps before resetting
- Knowing Google Account and screen-lock credentials
- Backing up data
- Charging the phone before resetting
- Using manufacturer-specific reset instructions
Scope limitation:
Some displayed instructions apply only to particular Android versions, and physical-button reset procedures vary by manufacturer.
Samsung Philippines
Page: What to do if your Samsung phone keeps restarting
Direct verified URL: https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/mobile-devices/what-to-do-if-your-samsung-phone-keeps-restarting
URL status: Verified accessible on July 26, 2026
Supports:
- Distinguishing scheduled restarts from irregular restarts
- Checking recently installed or suspicious apps
- Removing suspected apps one at a time
- Using Samsung Members diagnostics on supported Galaxy devices
Scope limitation:
The instructions and menu paths apply to supported Samsung Galaxy devices and may vary by model or software version.
How This Guide Was Verified
Last technically checked:
July 26, 2026
Research method:
The existing page and the published Boot / Startup Issues archive were reviewed. Separate articles for random restarts, startup boot loops, black-screen or no-power symptoms, and post-factory-reset startup failures were opened and compared. Current Google Android Help and Samsung support documentation was also opened and checked.
Physically tested:
No documentation reviewed.
Applies to:
Android phones and tablets. Manufacturer-specific buttons, menus, recovery options, diagnostics, and reset procedures vary.
Important limitation:
This hub identifies the correct troubleshooting path. It cannot diagnose an exact damaged component without model-specific testing.
Data-loss risk:
None from using this diagnostic page. Some procedures inside the linked guides may erase data and must be treated as last-resort steps.
Final Steps
Determine whether the phone reaches Android before restarting.
- If it reaches the lock screen or Home screen, use the random-restart guide.
- If it remains on the logo or restarts before the lock screen, use the boot-loop guide.
- If the screen remains black, use the black-screen or no-power guide.
- If the problem began after a completed factory reset, use the post-reset startup guide.
Stop troubleshooting when the phone is swollen, damaged, exposed to liquid, producing an odor, or becoming dangerously hot.