How to Hard Restart an Android Phone

Written By: Nicholas Kowalski

Comments: 9

Difficulty

Very easy

Steps

Time Required

30 seconds - 1 minute

Introduction

A hard restart is a process of restarting a device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer, by manually shutting it off and turning it back on again. It is also known as a "force restart" or "hard reset."

A hard restart is different from a soft restart, which is a normal restart of the device that can be performed by selecting the "Restart" option from the device's settings menu. A hard restart is usually done when the device is not responding or has frozen, and it can help resolve some software issues. However, it is important to note that a hard restart may cause the device to lose any unsaved data or settings.

Step 1

Hold down the power button for 15 to 30 seconds, until the phone restarts.
On Samsung devices you might need to hold down the volume-down button and power button for 7 seconds instead.