A reboot can clear temporary glitches, lag, and app crashes on your Android phone. You can restart it from the physical power button, the power menu in Quick Settings, or your phone’s assistant if holding the power button opens Gemini instead.
Video Tutorial
Restart your Android phone with the power button
This is usually the quickest way to reboot an Android phone. Hold the physical power button until the phone shows its power menu.
- Press and hold the Power button on your Android phone.
- Wait for the power menu to appear.
- Tap Restart.
- Let the phone shut down and start again.
Your phone will restart on its own after you choose Restart. Wait until the lock screen or home screen appears before trying the app or feature that was causing trouble.
If holding the power button opens Gemini
Some Android phones open Gemini or another assistant when you hold the power button instead of showing the power menu. You can still get to the restart controls through the assistant.
- Press and hold the Power button to open Gemini or your assistant.
- Say, Turn off my phone.
- When the phone’s power menu appears, tap Restart.
The phrase asks the assistant to bring up the shutdown controls. You do not need to select the option that turns the phone off. Choose Restart from the menu instead.
Reboot Android from Quick Settings
You can also open the power menu without using the physical power button. This is useful when you prefer using the touchscreen or when the button method opens an assistant.
- Swipe down from the top center of the screen.
- If you see notifications or only part of the Quick Settings panel, swipe down again.
- Look for the Power icon. It may be at the bottom right or near the top of the panel.
- Tap the Power icon.
- Tap Restart.
On a Samsung phone, swipe down from the top right of the screen to reach this menu. Then tap the Power icon and select Restart.
Which restart method should you use?
Use the physical power button when it opens the standard power menu. It is the most direct option. If it opens Gemini or another assistant, ask the assistant to turn off your phone, then choose Restart from the menu that appears.
Use Quick Settings when you can still swipe down and use the touchscreen normally. It gives you access to the same restart option without holding the power button.
What to expect after restarting
Restarting closes running apps and starts Android fresh. It does not erase your photos, apps, accounts, or other saved data. You may need to enter your PIN, password, or pattern after the phone turns back on before fingerprint or face unlock becomes available again.
If your phone is completely frozen, these on-screen methods may not be available because they require the display or assistant to respond. The steps shown here cover the regular Android restart controls that appear from the power button, assistant, and Quick Settings panel.
When a reboot can help
A restart is a good first step when an app crashes repeatedly, the phone feels slow, the screen behaves oddly, or a minor feature stops responding. After the phone finishes rebooting, check if the issue is gone. If it continues, the problem may be related to a specific app or another phone setting rather than a temporary glitch.
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