Some apps that you download can cause issues with your phone. If your phone has any of these problems, try the steps below:
- 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.
If your phone is on
- Turn your phone off.
- For Pixel 5a and earlier:
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
- On your screen, tap Power off
.
- For Pixel 6 and later, including Fold:
- Press and hold the Power and Volume up buttons for a few seconds.
- On your screen, tap and hold either the Power off or Restart buttons.
- Tap OK.
- For Pixel 5a and earlier:
- After you see 'Safe mode' at the bottom of your screen, wait to see if the problem goes away.
.If your phone is off
Tip: Aeroplane mode is automatically turned on when you enter safe mode. We recommend turning off aeroplane mode in order to continue using features, such as GPS, Wi-Fi and making phone calls.
- Press your phone's power button.
- When the animation starts, press and hold your phone's volume down button. Keep holding it until the animation ends and your phone starts in safe mode.
- You'll see 'Safe mode' at the bottom of your screen.
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 to be 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 button for a few seconds.
- Tap Restart
.
Tip: After you leave safe mode, you can put back any removed home-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 solved the problem.
- After you remove the app that caused the problem, you can add back the other apps that you removed. Learn how to reinstall apps.
Tip: To help to identify which apps are causing problems, make a list of the apps that you force stop.