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Samsung phone or tablet unexpectedly powers off

Suddenly shutting down can be an unwelcome surprise, especially if you are in the middle of something. Follow along to find out what's causing the shutdowns and how to prevent them from happening again.
A person's hand holding a Galaxy phone with a blank, turned-off screen, implying a sudden shutdown.
A person's hand holding a Galaxy phone with a blank, turned-off screen, implying a sudden shutdown.

Samsung phone or tablet unexpectedly powers off

Checkpoint

Check for possible causes of unexpected shutdowns
Check for possible causes of unexpected shutdowns
1

Close power-hungry apps or features.

If the battery is low, features or apps that require more power may cause the device to suddenly turn off. This is a measure designed to protect the battery.

 

Close-up view of a Galaxy phone screen displaying app settings, highlighting options like 'Mobile data', 'Open', 'Uninstall', and 'Force stop'. The background indicates the settings for app permissions and defaults.

 

2

Check the battery.

  • If you have a removable battery, remove it and look it over. Make sure it's a genuine Samsung battery, and that there's no damage to the battery or the pins in the compartment.

  • If you cannot remove the battery, press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons for 30 seconds to force a reset on the device.
3

Check the Power button or Side button.

  • Remove any cases or accessories that may interfere with the buttons on the device.

  • Check the Power button or Side button for normal movement. There should be a slight but distinct clicking feeling when pressing the button. If the button is jammed, or soft, it could cause unexpected shutdowns.

 

Two Galaxy phones placed back-to-back with the rear camera panels visible. The phone on the left is burgundy with five camera lenses, and the one on the right is white with three camera cutouts.

 

4

Charge the device.

Use only a genuine Samsung charger and USB  cable. Allow the device to charge to 100%.
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Disable Auto restart on the phone or tablet
Disable Auto restart on the phone or tablet
1

Open Device care settings.

Navigate to and open Settings, and then tap Device care.
2

Disable Auto restart.

Tap Auto optimization, then tap Auto restart, and then tap switch next to Restart when needed to disable automatic restarts.
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Boot the device into Safe mode
Boot the device into Safe mode
1

Learn about Safe mode.

Certain downloaded apps can make your phone or tablet freeze, crash, or lag. Some apps can even affect camera functionality, cause audio issues, and affect network connectivity.

Using Safe mode disables all downloaded apps and loads only the original software that came with your phone or tablet, allowing you to determine if the issue is caused by an app or with the device itself.

If the issues do not appear while in Safe mode, the problem is caused by a downloaded app, and it should be uninstalled.

Important
If you have a security feature set up on the phone or tablet, you'll be required to enter your credentials once the phone or tablet reboots.
2

Reboot the phone or tablet in Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

  • On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.

  • On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode icon is displayed. Tap Safe mode to start your device in Safe mode. If you've entered Safe mode successfully, you'll see “Safe mode” displayed at the bottom of the screen.

3

Check if the phone or tablet is still having the same problem.

Use the phone or tablet normally to see if the issue has been resolved. If the phone or tablet is operating normally, a recently installed app was most likely causing the issue.

  • If the issue is gone in Safe mode: One of your recently downloaded apps was likely the cause of the problem. Proceed to Step 4.

  • If the issue still exists: Downloaded apps may not be the cause of the problem. You may need to reset the phone or tablet to its factory setting.
4

Uninstall apps.

One by one, uninstall any apps you downloaded just before your phone or tablet began having the issue.

From your Home screen, swipe up to open the App drawer. Find the app you want to remove, and then touch and hold the app's icon until a popup menu appears. Tap Uninstall, and then tap OK to confirm.

After uninstalling each app, exit safe mode and check for normal operation.

After you uninstall the app that caused the issue, you can reinstall the other safe apps you just deleted.

5

Exit Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

  • On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.

  • On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Tap Power off to turn off the device. Wait until the phone or tablet completely turns off, and then press the Power button again to turn it on. Check if the issue has been resolved.

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Perform a factory data reset on your phone or tablet
Perform a factory data reset on your phone or tablet
Warning
You may need your Samsung account password or Lock screen password when resetting your phone or tablet. All your data will be erased. However, before resetting your device, you can use Smart Switch or a cloud account to back up your data onto an SD card or USB drive. If you have encrypted your SD card, it must be decrypted before resetting your device.
1

Prepare your phone or tablet for reset.

  • Make sure to back up your phone or tablet. All data and settings will be erased.

  • Write down the username and password for the account that you used to back up your data.

  • We recommend having your phone or tablet plugged into the wall charger during the reset process because it may take up to an hour.

  • If you have encrypted the SD Card inserted in to your phone or tablet, make sure to decrypt it before the reset. Navigate to Settings, search for and select SD, and then tap Decrypt SD card.

2

Perform the reset.

Navigate to Settings. Search for and select Factory data reset. Tap Factory data reset again, and then tap Reset. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the reset. You may need to enter your Samsung account password or Lock screen password. The phone or tablet will reboot.
3

Set up the device.

When the phone or tablet reboots, it will have its original factory settings. Now you will need to go through the initial setup to finish setting up the phone or tablet. The phone may require you to enter your Samsung or Google account information to complete the setup.
4

Test the device.

Before installing any apps, make sure that your phone or tablet is functioning normally.

If you are still encountering any issues, please visit a Samsung walk-in service center or you can schedule a repair service online.

Note
If you are still experiencing network service issues with calling, SMS or MMS messages, network signals, mobile data, or hotspots after resetting the device, you may need to contact your carrier.
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