If your phone is stuck in a boot loop, it keeps restarting at the logo and never reaches the home screen. Start with the fixes that keep your data: charging, a forced restart, safe mode and the official repair tools. Leave a factory reset or a firmware reflash for last. The steps below work on most Android phones, with button combinations for Samsung, Google Pixel and Xiaomi.

Why Android Phones Get Stuck in a Boot Loop

Most boot loops are software problems. Common causes are an update that failed or was interrupted, an app that crashes the system, very low storage and modified software such as root, a custom ROM or the wrong firmware. Hardware faults, such as a failing battery, liquid damage or a damaged board, can cause the same symptom.

Android also has a built-in rescue feature called Rescue Party (Android 8.0 and later). If the core system restarts more than five times in five minutes, or a persistent system app crashes more than five times in 30 seconds, Android tries progressively stronger fixes. As a last resort, it reboots into recovery mode and asks whether you want a factory reset. If you see that screen, choose the option to try booting again first.

Quick Checks

  • Charge the phone. Use the original charger for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Samsung warns that a phone below 5% battery may not turn on after a forced restart, and Google says a fully drained Pixel may show no response for up to 25 minutes on the charger.
  • Remove the case and accessories. Take off any case or external battery and make sure nothing presses or covers the buttons.
  • Look for damage. Check the charging port for bent pins or corrosion. On Galaxy phones, the liquid damage indicator in the SIM tray area turns solid pink, purple or red after contact with liquid.
  • Think about what changed. A loop that started after an update, a new app, a fall or a flash points to a different fix.

Fixes, From Least to Most Invasive

1. Force a restart

A forced restart does not delete anything.

  • Samsung Galaxy: Hold Volume Down + Power (or Volume Down + Side) for about 10 seconds. Keep holding if the power menu appears, until the Samsung logo shows. If Maintenance mode appears, select Normal Boot.
  • Google Pixel: Hold Power for about 35 seconds, then wait about two minutes.
  • Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO: Hold Power for more than 10 seconds.

2. Start in safe mode and remove recent apps

Safe mode turns off all downloaded apps. If the phone starts normally in safe mode, an app is the likely cause.

  • Samsung: Turn the phone on. When the Samsung logo appears, press and hold Volume Down. “Safe mode” appears at the bottom left of the screen.
  • Pixel: Press Power. When the start-up animation begins, hold Volume Down until the animation ends.
  • Other brands: The steps differ, so check your phone maker’s support site.

In safe mode, uninstall the most recently installed apps one at a time and restart normally after each one. Then reinstall the apps that did not cause the problem.

3. If the phone boots but restarts later

If the phone reaches the home screen and then restarts, free up storage (Google says phones can have problems when less than 10% is free) and install any pending system and app updates. On Samsung, also check Settings > Device care > Auto optimisation > Auto restart: the Restart when needed and Restart on schedule options restart the phone on purpose.

4. Wipe the cache partition (if your phone has it)

Samsung says this removes temporary system files that can cause instability, without deleting personal data. On Samsung phones:

  1. Switch the phone off.
  2. Open the recovery menu. On phones with no Home button and no separate Power key (for example Note10, Fold and Z Flip), hold Volume Up + Side. On S8, S9 and S10, hold Volume Up + Bixby + Power. Release when the logo appears.
  3. Use the volume keys to select Wipe cache partition and press Power. Select Yes.
  4. Select Reboot system now.

Many newer phones no longer show this option. 9to5Google reported in February 2026 that One UI 8.5 removed Wipe cache partition from the Galaxy recovery menu, leaving only reboot, factory reset and power off. If you do not see it, skip this step.

5. Repair the software with the official tool

The maker’s own tool can reinstall the system software, and in some cases it keeps your data.

  • Google Pixel (Pixel 4a and later, including Fold): Connect the phone to a computer with a USB cable and open the Pixel Update and Software Repair tool at pixelrepair.withgoogle.com, as described in Google’s Pixel reset guide. Google says the tool can update the software without a factory reset. It can also reset the phone to the latest Android version.
  • Samsung Galaxy: Install Smart Switch on a Windows PC or Mac and connect the phone. If an update is available, an Update option appears. If an update failed and the phone shows the emergency recovery screen, open More > Emergency Software Recovery and Initialization. Write down the recovery code in case you need another computer. Do not disconnect the cable until it finishes.

6. Factory reset from recovery mode (erases all data)

Warning: A factory reset deletes all apps, photos and files on the phone. Anything not backed up to your Google account or another cloud service is lost. After the reset, you must sign in with the Google account that was on the phone, so make sure you know its email address and password. Xiaomi phones also ask for the Xiaomi account password if the account was signed in.

  • Pixel: Turn the phone off. On Pixel 6 and later, hold Volume Down + Power for up to 30 seconds to open Fastboot mode. Select Recovery Mode. At the No command screen, hold Power and press Volume Up once, then release both. Choose Wipe data/factory reset, then Factory data reset, then Reboot system now.
  • Samsung: Open the recovery menu as in step 4, select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm.
  • Xiaomi with HyperOS (example: REDMI Note 13): With the phone off, hold Volume Up + Power to open the main menu. Select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data.

7. Reflash the official firmware (advanced, erases data)

If the loop began after you rooted the phone, flashed a custom ROM or flashed the wrong file, installing the official firmware for your exact model is usually the fix.

  • Samsung: Flash the official firmware with Odin. See How To Flash Samsung via Odin Tool and install the Samsung USB driver first.
  • MediaTek phones: Use SP Flash Tool with the official firmware for your model.
  • Pixel: Google’s Android Flash Tool asks you to turn on OEM unlocking in Developer options as part of its setup, which you cannot do on a phone that will not boot. Use it only if you turned that option on earlier; otherwise use the Pixel repair tool from step 5.

Xiaomi notes that some older REDMI models have no recovery mode and cannot be flashed in Fastboot mode. For those phones, go to an authorized service centre.

When It Is Hardware: Visit a Service Centre

If the phone still loops after a factory reset or a clean firmware flash, the cause is probably hardware, such as the battery, storage or main board. Take it to an authorized service centre if:

  • The phone gets hot on the original charger but shows no reaction. Unplug it and bring the phone, charger and cable.
  • It stays on the brand logo for a long time and none of the steps above get it any further.
  • The battery, charging port, SIM tray or display is damaged, or the phone has been in water.
  • The loop started after an official update. In June 2026, Google asked Pixel owners whose phones looped after the March, April or May 2026 updates to contact Pixel Customer Support, because the right fix depends on each phone’s state.

Related Guides

FAQ

Will fixing a boot loop delete my data?

Not always. A forced restart, safe mode and wiping the cache partition do not erase your data, and Google says its Pixel repair tool can update the software without a factory reset. A factory reset and a full firmware flash erase everything on the phone.

How long should I wait at the logo before I call it a boot loop?

The first start after an update or a reset can take several minutes. If the logo keeps disappearing and coming back again and again, the phone is in a boot loop.

Can I save my photos from a phone stuck in a boot loop?

If they were backed up to Google Photos or another cloud service, you can restore them after a reset. If the phone starts in safe mode, copy your files to a PC before you try anything else.

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