Google Pixel randomly restarts or reboots? Here are some fixes

Does your shiny new Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro shuts off and restarts randomly? Or perhaps you have an old Pixel (Pixel 7, Pixel 6, Pixel 5 etc) that performs random reboots? Well, based on my research, all I can say is that you are definitely not alone. Hundreds of users have been complaining about this for a long time now – this discussion thread is just an example in support of my statement. Anyway, In this article, I’ll try to quickly share some workarounds or official fixes that I have gathered through my research.

I have segregated fixes based on what Google says you should do and what has actually worked for Pixel users (based on my research). So, without any further ado, let’s start.

How to fix a Pixel phone that’s restarting or crashing – the Google way

While it’s natural to quickly blame the company for a faulty software, hardware, or a faulty recent update, the root cause of the ‘shut off and restart loop’ problem may lie somewhere else. So, with that in mind, it’s important to first understand what all steps Google says you should do if you are facing the random reboot problem on your Pixel phone.

Please note that Google says you should perform these troubleshooting steps if your Pixel phone:

• Randomly reboots or restarts
• Shuts down without restarting
• Restarts constantly

So, let’s start.

1. See if you have any pending Android updates or device storage issues

Go to the Settings app on your Pixel phone, and then head to System > System update. There you will see your device’s update status. In case there are some pending actions there that the device is recommending, do them. Once that is done, again go to the Settings app, and tap Storage to check how much storage space is left. Google says if this number is less than 10% of the total storage space, you may experience issues. Once you are done freeing up space as well, see if the restart issue pops up again.

2. See if any app is culprit

There are 3 steps to this. Firstly, check and update all apps, something that you can do by heading to: Google Play Store app -> tap the profile icon -> Manage apps & devices.

If the step above doesn’t fix the issue, then restart your phone in Safe Mode. This kind of restart disables all third-party applications upon restarting. If you don’t experience the random restart/reboot issue in Safe Mode, that means any of the third party apps you recently downloaded is the culprit.

Once you’ve done this step, again restart your phone in normal mode, and move on to the next step.

Close the potentially culprit app (or every unused third-party app) on your Pixel phone, something which you can do by heading to: Settings app -> Apps -> See all apps -> [tap the culprit or unused app] -> Force Stop -> OK. Now check if your problem is resolved or not. If not, then try to delete the potentially culprit app (or all third party apps one by one), and give your device a restart (everytime you remove an app) to check if it resolves your problem.

3. Remove accessories (if any)

If you use a case, an external battery pack, or any other accessory, take if off and then check if it has any positive affect on your reboot issue. If yes, then it’s likely the root cause. Google says users should ensure external accessories don’t cover your device’s sensors or touch its buttons.

4. Go for factory data reset

Although it’s not an ideal troubleshooting step, as factory data reset removes all data from your phone – all third-party apps and data associated with them will be erased. To ensure you don’t lose your data, first understand how to back up and restore your data. And then head here to learn how to do a factory data reset.

5. Ask for help

Of course, if none of the aforementioned options work, Google suggests you should then ask for help. There are two options: Either ask for help from fellow users and volunteering experts on the official Google Pixel Community (where, to be honest, sometimes – though very rarely – even Googlers comment or make announcements), OR, contact Google directly.

That’s it for what Google says.

NOTE: Ifixit is Google’s DIY repair partner for Pixel devices. The repair company has a nice guide on their website to help users with the ‘Pixel keeps Restarting’ problem. Do check that out by heading here.

How some Pixel users fixed their rebooting / restarting / crashing issues

While the previous section is all about what Google says you should do in these cases, here in this section I will present those steps that users confirmed helped fix the issue for them. So, without further ado, let’s start.

• What if someone suggests you do this: “knock the power button against the edge of a table a few times” ?? Sounds crazy, right? But astonishingly, this weird solution has worked for a lot of people. Check out here.
• I came across multiple reports (1,2,3) wherein users said factory reset helped them fix the problem.
• Another workaround some people had reported a few months ago was to disable Face Unlock (1,2,3,4).
• Further, at least a couple of users reported (1,2) that switching to eSIM worked for them.
• Multiple users confirmed that applying pending updates (by heading to Settings>Security and privacy>System and updates>Google Play System Update) helped solve the problem for them.
• Finally, I also came across many reports wherein users reached out to Google support and they got a new device as replacement, indicating that this constant reboot or restart could be a hardware issue. So, that could be your last option. Some confirmations are there in this Reddit thread.

Please note that If your Pixel phone restarts in midnight (or late night, like 1:00am or so), then it could be Google Play System Update causing it.

In case your Google Pixel phone is stuck in boot loop (basically, if your Pixel restarts over and over again), then check out this video. Many comments under this video confirm that some or the other step mentioned in the video worked for them.

That’s it from my side on this ‘Google Pixel random reboots (or restarts)’ topic. I really hope my research was of your help. If it was, then do like the article and also leave a comment. Also, in case you have any other workaround that helped fix the problem for you, then feel free to share the details in the comments section below. Thanks in advance.