Phone Restart & Reset Guides: Step-by-Step for Every Brand
Phone frozen, stuck on the logo, or acting strange? Before you panic, a simple restart fixes more problems than you’d think. These free guides from My Cellphone Repairs show you, step by step, how to restart, force restart, use Safe mode and (only if you really need to) factory reset your phone or tablet.
Restart, force restart or factory reset? Which one do you need?
| Option | What it does | Deletes your data? | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart | Turns the phone off and on normally | No | The phone is slow, an app misbehaves, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth acts up |
| Force restart (hard reboot) | Restarts the phone with a button combination, even when the screen is frozen | No | The screen is frozen, black, or won’t respond to touch |
| Safe mode (Android) | Starts the phone with downloaded apps switched off | No | You think an app is causing crashes, pop-ups or restarts |
| Factory reset (hard reset) | Erases the phone back to how it came out of the box | Yes, everything | Selling or trading in, or a serious software problem nothing else fixes |
Choose your device
- iPhone: restart, force restart and factory reset (every model)
- iPad: with or without a Home button
- Samsung Galaxy: restart, force restart, Safe mode, factory reset
- Google Pixel: restart, force restart, Safe mode, factory reset
- Motorola (Moto G, Edge, Razr): restart and reset
- OnePlus: force restart and factory reset
Before any factory reset
- Back up first. A factory reset erases everything on the phone.
- Know your Apple ID or Google account password. After a reset, the phone may ask for it. Without it, the phone can stay locked.
- Charge the phone to at least 30%.
- A reset won’t fix hardware. Cracked screens, green lines, swollen batteries and water damage need a repair, not a reset.
When to stop and come in
- The phone won’t turn on, even after a force restart and 30 minutes on the charger.
- It vibrates or rings, but the screen stays black.
- It keeps restarting by itself, gets hot, or the screen or back is lifting (possible swollen battery: stop charging it).
- It got wet. Don’t keep trying to turn it on.
Diagnosis is free at all our stores, and most repairs are done the same day.