Phone keeps restarting, crashing

Does your phone restart without you telling it to? Whether you're using an Apple® iPad® or iPhone®, or an AndroidTM phone or tablet by brands like Samsung, Motorola, LG and more, the reasons for restarting are similar. They can include:

• Unsupported, incompatible or malicious apps
• Low operating memory
• Low storage space
• Corrupt files
• Software issues
• Hardware issues
• Physical damage

“Crashing” usually means your device reports an error, freezes or stops working correctly.

If your phone is crashing or shutting down on its own, the reasons are usually the same. They may be from an app you installed, low available operating memory or storage space, or opening a corrupt file. The issue could also be from hardware or software issues, physical damage or liquid or heat exposure to the device. Visit our Troubleshooter for step-by-step help.

Is your phone restarting or turning itself off and on repeatedly? Known as “boot looping,” this is likely due software or an app that was installed or updated right before the problem started.

Other things can also cause boot looping. You can visit our Troubleshooter for more help with your device.

When your phone turns on and off by itself, here’s what you can do.

Try to tell what caused the issue (e.g., when you turn a certain setting on, go into a specific menu, create a screen recording, open a certain app, etc.). In some cases, you may need to restore your device to its factory default settings.

For Android devices, starting in Safe Mode can help identify a problem app.

Here’s what you can do to help fix phone crashing, restarting or resetting issues:

• Unsupported, incompatible, or malicious apps - Uninstalling the apps can restore your device to normal functionality.
• Low operating memory - Free up memory by closing apps you're not using.
• Low storage space - Delete files you’re not using. Or move them to an SD card if your device supports one.
  
• Corrupt files: If you can identify the corrupt file, remove it from your device.
  
• Software issues: Fix bugs by ensuring your phone's software is updated to the current version. Check your device to see if any software updates are available for download. In some cases, you may need to restore your device to its factory default settings.
• Hardware issues: Issues like overheating and physical memory or processor issues can make your phone report an error message or shut down by itself. Hardware issues may not be fixed by the simple solutions above.
• Physical damage: If your device is damaged or exposed to liquid or excessive heat repair or replacement of your phone may be required.

Visit our Troubleshooter for step-by-step help with your specific device.