How do I restart my Android phone?
Press and hold the power button and the volume button together for a few seconds until the power menu appears, then tap Restart. On Samsung, use Side and Volume down. On Pixel and Motorola, use Power and Volume up. The phone turns off and comes back on by itself, usually within a minute.
Steps to check
Hold the power button and a volume button together
On many newer phones, holding the power button by itself opens a voice assistant (Gemini, Google Assistant, or Bixby) instead of the power menu. That is normal. Press and hold the power button together with a volume button for a few seconds, until a menu with Power off and Restart appears.
- Samsung Press and hold the Side button and Volume down together.
- Pixel On Pixel 6 and later, press and hold Power and Volume up together. On Pixel 5a and earlier, hold the Power button.
- Motorola Press Power and Volume up together. Motorola's help notes this is the way to reach the menu unless you set the power button to Power menu.
Tap Restart
Tap Restart. Samsung phones ask you to tap Restart a second time to confirm. The screen goes dark, the phone maker's logo appears, and then you see the lock screen again. Unlock the phone as usual.
Or restart from quick settings, with no buttons
If a button is hard to press or broken, you can use the screen instead.
- Samsung Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon next to the Settings icon, then tap Restart.
- Pixel Google's Pixel help only describes the button method, so use the buttons above.
- Motorola Swipe down from the top of the screen twice, then tap the power icon and tap Restart. If you only see Power off, tap it, wait for the screen to go dark, then hold the Power button to turn the phone back on.
Optional: make the power button open the power menu again
If you would rather hold just the power button to restart, you can change what a long press does. After this, holding the power button shows Power off and Restart.
- Samsung Settings → Advanced features → Side button. Under Press and hold, choose Power off menu.
- Pixel Settings → System → Gestures → Press and hold the power button, then choose Power menu.
- Motorola Settings → Gestures → Press & hold power button, then choose Power menu.
Still not working?
- If the screen is frozen and the menu never appears, force a restart with the buttons. On Samsung, keep holding Side and Volume down until the phone turns off and back on (more than 7 seconds). On Pixel, hold Power for up to 60 seconds and let go when the G logo appears. On Motorola, hold Power for about 30 seconds. See how to fix a frozen Android phone for what to do next.
- If the phone will not come back on, Motorola suggests charging it for at least 5 minutes, then holding Power for about 30 seconds while it is still connected to the charger.
- If the phone shows Safe mode at the bottom of the screen after it restarts, a normal restart usually takes you out of it. See how to turn off safe mode.
- If an assistant keeps opening when you only want the power menu, change the power button setting in the last step above. To stop the assistant more broadly, see how to turn off Gemini.
Why this happens
Phone makers moved the voice assistant onto a long press of the power button. That is why the restart menu now needs two buttons, or a change in settings, on many newer phones.
A restart closes every app and starts the phone fresh. That is why it is often the first thing to try for small problems, like a slow screen or Wi-Fi that will not connect.
Normal vs. not
Usually normal
A restart takes a minute or so. Your phone may ask for your PIN, pattern, or password before it lets you use fingerprint or face unlock again.
Worth a closer look
The phone restarts by itself again and again. That needs a closer look: see [why your Android phone keeps restarting](/why-does-my-android-phone-keep-restarting).
Common questions
- Will restarting my phone delete anything?
- No. Restarting only turns the phone off and on. Your photos, messages, contacts, and apps stay as they are. It is not the same as a factory reset.
- How often should I restart my phone?
- There is no fixed rule. Restart when something seems stuck or slow. Samsung phones can also restart on their own when you are not using them: Settings → Device care → Auto optimization → Auto restart.
- Is Power off and then on the same as Restart?
- Yes, for everyday use. Restart just saves you from pressing the power button again to turn the phone back on.
Related questions
Sources we checked
- Turn your Pixel phone on & off (Pixel Phone Help (Google))
- Different ways to restart your Galaxy phone or tablet (Samsung Support)
- Customize the side button or Bixby button on your Galaxy phone (Samsung Support)
- Power your Galaxy phone or tablet on or off (Samsung Support)
- Samsung Galaxy device will not start or is in a boot loop (Samsung Support)
- Turn off phone (moto g 2026) (Motorola Help)
- Set Power button to open Camera, assistant, and more (moto g 2026) (Motorola Help)
- Phone restarts or crashes (moto g 2026) (Motorola Help)
Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.