A phone that keeps restarting and never reaches the home screen is stuck in a boot loop. It's scary, but most boot loops are software problems — and software problems can be fixed without losing your data. Work through these in order.
1. Force a full restart
Hold the Power button for 20–30 seconds until the phone powers off completely. Then power it on again. Some boot loops are caused by a stuck process that a long-press restart clears.
2. Remove the SD card and SIM
A corrupt SD card is one of the most common boot-loop triggers. Power the phone off, remove the SD card and SIM tray, then power on. If the phone boots normally, you've found the culprit — back up the card and format or replace it.
3. Boot into Safe Mode
On most Android phones, hold Power, then long-press "Power off" on screen and tap OK to reboot into Safe Mode. In Safe Mode only system apps run. If the phone boots fine here, a third-party app is causing the loop — see step 5.
4. Wipe the cache partition from Recovery
Power off the phone, then hold Volume Up + Power (varies by brand) to enter Recovery Mode. Select "Wipe cache partition" and confirm. This removes corrupted temporary files without touching your photos, apps, or data.
5. Uninstall the most recent app
Think back: did you install or update an app right before the loop started? In Safe Mode, go to Settings > Apps and uninstall that app, then reboot normally. Rogue launchers, cleaners, and battery apps are frequent offenders.
6. Undo a recent system update
If the loop began right after an OTA update, the update may be corrupted. On some phones, Recovery Mode has an option to apply updates from storage or roll back. Alternatively, wait for the next incremental patch if the loop is intermittent rather than constant.
7. Factory reset from Recovery (last software resort)
Back up anything you can first — in Recovery Mode, select "Wipe data/factory reset". This erases everything and returns the phone to out-of-the-box state, which clears even stubborn software corruption. Only do this if steps 1–6 failed.
8. Reflash the firmware with a PC
For advanced users: tools like Odin (Samsung), Fastboot (Pixel), or manufacturer flash tools can reinstall the stock firmware cleanly. Download firmware only from the manufacturer's official site, and follow the tool's instructions exactly.
9. Check for hardware faults
If the phone still loops after a factory reset and a fresh firmware flash, suspect hardware: a failing battery, a stuck power button, or water damage. Try booting with the charger connected — if behavior changes, the battery is likely dying.
If you'd like a guided version of each step with the exact buttons and menus to press, this interactive guide walks through the same fixes: this step-by-step boot loop guide
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