Phone Keeps Restarting or Stuck in a Boot Loop? How to Fix It

Android Headlines plugged a Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 into a Google Pixel 67W charger during its June 2026 review, and instead of charging, the phone went into a boot loop. Anker and UGREEN chargers worked fine. So when a phone keeps restarting, or never gets past the logo before rebooting again, the cause can be as dull as the charger.

It often feels like the phone has died. Usually it hasn’t. A bad update, an app, a charger or full storage cause most loops, and you can fix all of those without losing data. Real cases from the last two years are below, then the fixes from safest to most drastic, then the signs that it needs a repair.

What makes a phone reboot by itself

A phone restarts when the operating system hits an error it can’t recover from, or when power cuts out. In practice that means one of these:

• an update that was buggy or got interrupted, leaving system files out of step
• an app or service that crashes as it loads at startup
• an incompatible charger, cable or USB accessory
• storage so full the system can’t write what it needs while booting
• overheating, so the phone shuts itself down
• a worn or faulty battery that can’t supply peak power
• a hardware defect: logic board, power button, connector, or liquid damage

Five recent cases and what fixed them

The Galaxy A56 one is worth knowing. SamMobile reported in May 2025 that an update left some phones stuck on the boot screen, and a Samsung Community member found that taking the SIM out, booting, then putting the SIM back worked.

In August 2026 Android Authority described a Pixel 11 Pro that kept shutting down during setup after a factory reset, especially while connecting to Wi-Fi or signing in. Safe Mode and a manual OTA sideload didn’t help, and Google appeared to be offering some affected owners a swap. On iPhones, Apple’s iOS 27.0.1 (28 September 2026) fixed the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max restarting when Face ID fails.

Sony’s case is plain hardware. It suspended Xperia 1 VII sales in July 2025 after finding its manufacturing process could cause a circuit-board failure in a small number of units, then set up a free replacement programme and an IMEI checker so owners can see whether theirs is affected. No software fix replaces a faulty board.

Do these first, whatever the phone

1. Unplug everything. Charger, USB-C accessories, headphones, and take the case off. A lot of “restarts when charging” problems are the charger or cable.
2. Take out the SIM and memory card. A faulty SD card or a carrier configuration problem can crash the boot process, as the Galaxy A56 showed.
3. Charge for 30 minutes on a charger you know works. A nearly empty battery can loop endlessly on the logo.
4. Let it cool. If it’s hot, leave it switched off somewhere cool for 15 minutes.
5. Force restart with the buttons for your model, below.

Breaking an Android boot loop

Force restart. On a Samsung, hold Side and Volume Down for about 10 seconds. On a Pixel, hold Power and Volume Up for several seconds. On most other brands, hold Power and Volume Down for 10–20 seconds. Sony’s own workaround for the Xperia 1 VII was holding Power and Volume Up for about 20 seconds until the phone vibrates.

Boot into Safe Mode. It starts Android without third-party apps. On most phones, power on and hold Volume Down when the logo appears. If the phone stays on long enough, you can also press and hold Power off on screen and tap Safe mode. Stable in Safe Mode? Uninstall the apps you installed or updated most recently, one at a time.

Free storage. If it stays on for a few minutes, check Settings › Storage (on a Samsung, Settings › Battery and device care › Storage) and get at least 10% free.

Wipe the cache partition. On Samsung and many other Android phones, recovery mode has a Wipe cache partition option that clears temporary system files and leaves your data alone. Power off, connect to a computer or USB-C headset if your model needs it, and hold Power and Volume Up until the recovery menu appears. Volume keys move, Power confirms. Pixels don’t have this option.

Reinstall the update. If the loop started with an update, the official fix is to reinstall the same firmware or a newer one. Pixel owners can sideload Google’s full OTA image from recovery using ADB. Samsung owners can use Samsung Smart Switch on a computer (Emergency software recovery). The commands are explained in our fastboot and recovery commands guide.

adb devices
adb sideload ota-file-name.zip

Factory reset, last. Choose Wipe data/factory reset in recovery only when everything else has failed, because it deletes everything that isn’t backed up. If you can get into the phone even briefly, back up first. See how to back up your phone and how to factory reset a phone properly.

An iPhone that keeps rebooting

1. Force restart. Press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
2. Update iOS in Settings › General › Software Update. iPhone 18 Pro owners with Face ID-related restarts need iOS 27.0.1 or later.
3. Look at the crash logs in Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements › Analytics Data. Repeated “panic-full” entries mean the system crashed, and Apple Support can read them.
4. Free storage in Settings › General › iPhone Storage.
5. Update from a computer. If it loops on the Apple logo, connect it to a Mac (Finder) or a PC (Apple Devices app or iTunes), put it in recovery mode and choose Update. That reinstalls iOS without erasing data. Only choose Restore if Update fails.
6. Check battery health in Settings › Battery › Battery Health & Charging. A battery that needs service can cause shutdowns under load.

Testing a used phone for restarts

People do sell phones that restart now and then. Use it for at least 10 minutes, open the camera and a game, and charge it on your own charger while you test. Check the model and recall status with a manufacturer and model check, and for a Pixel, a Google Pixel Info check.

Restarts that survive a reset

Suspect hardware if the phone restarts on a freshly reset system, restarts even in Safe Mode or recovery, shuts down when you press part of the body, or has been dropped or got wet. The battery, power button, charging port and logic board are the usual suspects.

A stuck power button is easy to miss. If it’s jammed or its flex cable is damaged, the phone gets a constant “hold to restart” signal and reboots every few seconds. Press it firmly a few times and see whether it clicks normally. A swollen battery is more serious. If the screen is lifting or the back is bulging, stop charging it and take it to a repair centre.

Check warranty status before you pay for a repair:

1. Dial *#06# for the IMEI. It’s also on the SIM tray or the box.
2. Run a free All-in-one Basic Info check.
3. For an iPhone, a full GSX report shows repair history and replacement eligibility. For a Galaxy, use the Samsung Info report.
4. For a Sony or Google phone with a known fault, use the brand’s own IMEI-based checker and support.