Some apps that you download can cause issues with your phone. Try the steps below if your phone has any of these problems:
- Restarting itself.
- Freezing.
- Crashing.
- Running slow.
Restart in safe mode
Important: Safe mode removes some Home screen widgets. If you use widgets, take a screenshot to help you put them back.
See Also
How to Turn off Safe Mode on Your Android Phone or TabletWindows startup settings - Microsoft SupportUninstall AT&T AntiVirus PlusHow Safety Check on iPhone works to keep you safe- Turn your phone off.
- For Pixel 5a & earlier:
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
- On your screen, tap Power off
.
- For Pixel 6 & later, including Fold:
- Press and hold thePower and Volume Up buttons for a few seconds.
- On your screen, tap and holdeither thePower off or Restart buttons.
- Tap OK.
- For Pixel 5a & earlier:
- After you see "Safe mode" at the bottom of your screen, wait to see if the problem goes away.
.- Press your phone's powerbutton.
- Whenthe animation starts, press andhold your phone's volume downbutton. Keep holding it until the animation ends and your phonestarts in safe mode.
- You'll see "Safe mode" at the bottom of your screen.
Tip: Airplane mode is automatically turned on when you enter safe mode. We recommend turning airplane mode off in order to continue using features such as GPS, Wi-Fi, and making phone calls.
Step 2: Check if the problem goes away
- Use your phone normally and check if the problem goes away.
- If it does, an app is likely causing your problem. Go to step 3 below.
- If the problem doesn't go away, an app isn't causing your problem. See a list of other troubleshooting solutions.
Step 3: Exit safe mode
- Restart your phone.
- On Pixel 5a and earlier: Press and hold the Power button for about 30 seconds, or until your phone restarts.
- On Pixel 6 and later, including Fold: Press and hold the Power button +Volume up buttonfor a few seconds.
- Tap Restart .
.Tip:After you leave safe mode, you can put back any removedHome screen widgets.Learn how to add widgets.
Step 4: Check apps
- One by one, remove recently downloaded apps. Learn how to delete apps.
- After each removal, restart your phone normally. See whether removing that app solvedthe problem.
- After you remove the app thatcausedthe problem, you can add back the other apps that you removed. Learn how to reinstall apps.
Tip: To help identify which apps are causing problems, make a list of the apps you force stop.
Related resources
