How to fix an Android that’s stuck and won’t boot past its logo

Has your Android suddenly gotten stuck on its startup screen and wont load past its logo? Does your phone restart over and over again and simply refuses to power on correctly? Here are some possible reasons why this may be happening as well as some suggestions on how you might be able to fix it.

Disclaimer

I try to avoid giving advice about software manipulation and or customization but I get asked for help regarding this type of issue a lot. Since there is very little documentation online about how to try and troubleshoot or resolve these types of problems once they have occurred (whatever the cause may be), I decided to write up this guide to be used as a reference on how to try to combat this annoying issue.

Have no illusions though, as you probably already know, this issue can be extremely annoying and stubborn and can be one of the more difficult issues to try and resolve on an Android smartphone. If you find the information in this guide informative or helpful then PLEASE let me know by leaving a friendly remark in the comment section below this article and by sharing it through Google +, Facebook, Twitter or by linking back to this page from somewhere else on the net. It helps others to find this guide and with any luck gives them a chance at fixing these types of issues as well.

That being said let’s roll up our sleeves and see if we can get your cell phone to turn on and work properly again.

Possible causes as to why your Android won’t turn on properly

There are a few reasons as to why this issue might creep up on an Android smartphone so let’s start with some of the common reasons and go from there…

Software customization or manipulation

One of the many things that make Android so great is that the operating system and software on Android devices (especially smartphones) is very customizable. Android phones can be unlocked, rooted, flashed and tinkered with and are one of the most flexible operating systems available for smartphones to date.

If you have taken it upon yourself to tinker or change the software on your Android smartphone then you have taken the risk of running into annoying software problems such as this. Luckily Android smartphones are very resilient devices and it is difficult to “brick” an Android to the point of it being completely inoperable.

If your cell phone is stuck in this boot loop or refuses to power on properly after you have attempted to edit or change its original stock operating system or software then it’s likely that something did not go right during the procedure and standard troubleshooting including a factory data reset is not going to help solve this particular problem as the issue lies with the software itself.

If you are following directions online regarding this customization process and these instructions are from a trusted source or at least seem legitimate then you might want to try doing whatever it is you did again starting from the beginning.

There might have been an error or glitch in the process, sometimes completely outside of your control, and starting over from scratch might just be the answer that your phone needs to correct the problem. If you cannot get the customization to go through properly then you might want to consider reverting back to the original software that was intended for your phone.

Just make sure to review the entire troubleshooting portion of this guide first as there are a few things that you might want to consider trying before starting over again.

Android stuck after software updates

This is one of the more common causes that can trigger this issue to happen on an Android especially if the update did not get to finish properly.

There are many things that can happen which can cause a software upgrade or update not to finish correctly including:

  • The computer being used to apply updates froze or powered off during the procedure.
  • The phone was unplugged from the computer before the update was finished.
  • The phone froze during the update and didn’t get to finish properly.
  • The phones battery ran out before the phone was finished with the installation.
  • The update was interrupted for whatever other reason(s) causing the installation to fail.

Many Android smartphones have some type of warning message emphasizing that updates can take time to complete and should not be interrupted. Many Androids will not even allow an update to take place unless the battery is charged to a certain percentage just to avoid any complications during the installation.

To avoid issues with updates in the future feel free to review how to avoid complications when updating the software on an Android smartphone for more information.

In any case if your phone was interrupted during an update or if for some reason it didn’t get to finish properly and/or no longer works properly then the software that your phone uses to function may have become corrupt. If this or a similar situation has happened to your smartphone then you are in the right place and should proceed to the troubleshooting section below.

Bad or Troublesome Applications

Do you remember recently installing or updating an application before this issue started?

An application that’s installed on your cell phone might not be getting along with a new update, it might be conflicting with other apps, it might be malfunctioning or outdated itself, if downloaded from somewhere outside of the Google Play Store it might even contain malicious code such as a virus.

In any case, locating and if necessary removing troublesome applications is going to be one of the first things to do when troubleshooting software related issues on and Android including this particular issue.

Software Bug, Glitch, or Virus

If your phone just suddenly powered off for no apparent reason and then wouldn’t turn on again then it might simply be the result of a software bug or glitch which was completely outside of your control.

If however something has found its way onto your phone and is causing problems then that something may be the cause as well.

These types of things can be difficult to notice much less locate and eliminate but don’t fret the troubleshooting steps listed below can help with these types of problems as well.

Defective or Malfunctioning Memory Card

A very uncommon but easily overlooked cause could be a defective or malfunctioning memory card. If your phone is currently utilizing a memory card (like a MicroSD Card) then try to power off your phone and then remove that SD card. If your phone is being stubborn and wont power off then try removing the battery, if your phone allows you to do so.

After the memory card has been removed try to turn the phone on and see if it will boot up properly. If it does then you have narrowed it down to an issue with the memory card (or memory card port on your cell phone) and I suggest that you back up the important information stored on your phone to a computer (just in case) and then you can start to try and troubleshoot that memory card.

You can check and see if reinserting the card leads to the same problem, if another memory card will work properly in your cell phone, if a PC will read the card properly, or if reformatting the card seems to help etc. If you narrow it down to a malfunctioning or defective memory card then you might need to look into buying a replacement SD card.

Trying to fix the dreaded Android boot loop

Soft Reset

Start with a soft reset. A soft reset can sometimes resolve minor software issues and should be the first step to take when troubleshooting an Android smartphone.

Power Cycle

Chances are you have already performed a soft reset by attempting to power your phone off and on or by merely restarting your cell phone. If you have not already tried this then go ahead and do so. The solution might be as simple as rebooting your smartphone.

Battery Pull

If possible try removing the battery from your cell phone for 10-15 seconds then reinsert the battery put your phone back together and then see if it will power on properly. If the phone powers on correctly then enjoy your working smartphone.

If your cell phone has a non-removable battery (not all Android cell phones are designed to have a removable battery these days) then you may have to do some research to see if your smartphone will allow you to perform a simulated battery pull instead. If this option is not available then you can skip this step in troubleshooting.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a feature on most Android devices that allows the phone to boot up without any third party apps or programs and on its original default settings. This is a powerful tool when troubleshooting an Android device as it helps disable and rule out problematic applications.

If you have an application on your smartphone that’s causing problems and not allowing the phone boot up properly then Safe Mode will disable that app on the startup and allow you to access the phone, remove or uninstall that application, reboot and be good to go. Best of all there is no unnecessary loss of data.

You can read more about this feature at How to use Safe Mode on an Android Smartphone but to enter Safe Mode on an Android cell phone you’ll basically need to power the phone off and then hold down a certain set of keys (such as the volume or power keys) which will instruct the phone to boot into Safe Mode. The key combination that you will need to use will depend on which cell phone you are using and may differ depending on what version of Android the phone is running on.

It would be very difficult for me to list all of the methods commonly used for activating Safe Mode on an Android smartphone so if you are unsure what method to use for your specific phone then a simple search online would be your best bet at finding the proper technique for your particular smartphone.

Note: I humbly request that you please do not ask me how to activate Safe Mode on your specific smartphone, it’s very difficult to keep up with those kind of requests and I plan on writing an article listing the most common methods for this topic but until then Google’s Search Engine will be your best friend in accomplishing this task.

Once you have located the proper method to use in order to boot your phone into Safe Mode, you should attempt to do so.

If it works and your phone turns on completely then you should locate the latest piece of software, the latest app downloaded or updated, any new themes, etc that have been added to your cell phone and uninstall or remove them from your device. Then restart the phone and see if it will boot up properly. If it does then you have located the cause and you can enjoy your working smartphone. If it doesn’t work then you might have to enter Safe Mode again and do some more searching in order to find and remove the culprit.

If you cannot access Safe Mode on your particular Android for whatever reason then continue with the suggestions below.

Wipe the cache

Try to wipe the cache partition of your phone using the Android System Recovery tool. Accessing the system recovery tool is going to vary from device to device so if you are not sure how to access this tool on your specific smartphone then much like accessing Safe Mode a quick Google search may be required. Again, I humbly request that you please do not ask me how to activate the Android System Recovery tool on your specific smartphone. For a list of common methods you can refer HERE or read more about what the Android System Recovery tool is and how to use it by clicking HERE.

Wipe the Dalvik cache

If you have recently tried to flash a new ROM to your phone and have CWM (ClockworkMod Recovery) installed then don’t forget to access the Advanced menu options under this tool and select the wipe dalvik cache option and then confirming the wipe if necessary. Your Android might be attempting to use the older Dalvik-cache which could be the very reason why your phone is getting stuck in this bootloop.

If you have never installed CWM on your phone, have never tried to flash a different ROM to your phone or simply have no idea what I am referring to then you can skip this specific section of troubleshooting.

Manufacturer specific PC Suite

While not every cell phone manufacturer offers PC software for their phones many manufacturers offer this service to their customers.

Samsung offers Samsung Kies for its smartphones, Sony Xperia smartphones can use Sony’s PC Companion, LG phones can utilize the LG PC Suite, and so on and so on.

These programs allow you to sync your phone to a PC to accomplish many different tasks including software updates, transferring media files like pictures and videos from the phone to the PC, or manage the phones music library, create backups for the device and in this case the program can be used to troubleshoot the phone when problems like this happen.

If you are unsure if your smartphone can use one of these programs then one of the best ways to check is to do a search online for “Manufacturer PC Suite” where the “Manufacturer” is the manufacturer of your particular cell phone.

If your cell phones manufacturer doesn’t offer such a program or the program that they offer doesn’t help fix your phone and your smartphone still refuses to boot up properly then you should consider performing a hard reset.

Hard reset

A hard reset is designed to remove all the user data from an Android smartphone and return that phones settings back to their original factory defaults.

A hard reset is often part of standard troubleshooting as it can help to solve most software related issues that can occur on an Android smartphone. Since this particular issue is almost always a software related problem a hard reset can sometimes solve this problem depending on what is causing it to happen.

You can find a list of hard reset commands or hard reset methods that are commonly used to hard reset Android cell phones which the settings cannot be accessed at how to hard reset an Android smartphone.

What a hard reset CAN fix

If your phone not powering on properly is the result of something being added to the phone which is causing trouble then a hard reset should resolve the issue as it will remove whatever is causing the problem from the phone. This is a great solution for eliminating viruses, bad or outdated applications etc. unfortunately a hard reset does not discriminate between what information it should remove and what it shouldn’t.

You can read more about the effects and the results of a hard reset HERE but in essence a hard reset is going to remove all the user data from the phone, including pictures, videos, music, contacts etc. and returns the phone to the state it was in when it was brand new right out of the box.

So whenever possible you should try to use Safe Mode to eliminate and resolve these types of problems as Safe Mode is supposed to disable third party programs (that didn’t come with the phone originally) and prevent them from running allowing you to troubleshoot. If you are able to use Safe Mode to get into your phone then you might want to take some more time to try and locate the problem and resolve it this way.

If Safe Mode is not an option or is ineffective then sometimes performing a hard reset is unavoidable.

What a hard reset CAN’T fix

A hard reset is usually a last resort and like I mentioned earlier it can be a powerful tool in troubleshooting as it can help solve many different type of software related problems. There are some things that a hard reset will not and cannot fix however, including any software problems that are the result of the phones operating system including its firmware, bootloader, ROM, version of Android, etc.

So a hard reset will not help resolve any problems that were the result of software customization or manipulation (as mentioned earlier). If you tried to install a custom ROM, unlock, flash, or customize your phones software and it then started to have issues turning on properly then a hard reset is not likely going to solve this problem.

A hard reset will not help remove software updates or upgrades. So for example if you upgraded your smartphone from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop a Hard Reset will not reset the phones version of Android back to KitKat. The phone will remain on the latest version of Android.

If a software update or upgrade was interrupted during its installation then it could have resulted in corrupted software and more advanced troubleshooting may be required in order to fix it.

More advanced troubleshooting

After attempting all of the suggestions listed above (including or excluding a hard reset) this advanced troubleshooting section should help to get your cell phone to power on properly once again and get your cell phone out of the dreaded bootloop.

Before we begin…

If your phone is still covered under its manufacturer’s warranty then you might want to consider filing a warranty claim on the phone as this issue should be covered. This guide is about to get into the subject of troubleshooting the software and firmware of the phone itself. This type of action may void a phones warranty and you may prefer to let the phones manufacturer fix your phone as opposed to trying to fix it yourself.

Another disclaimer

There are no guarantees when it comes to troubleshooting an Android smartphone that’s caught in a bootloop and there is no guarantee that the information currently stored to the phone will be un-touched or unaffected. Quite the opposite in fact; since the phone will not power on retrieving or saving the information on your phone is going to be extremely difficult if not impossible and your primary mission at this point should be to get your phone functional again. There is no point in having a phone that will not power on.

Remember that I try to avoid giving advice regarding software manipulation and or customization and the following advice is intended to be used as a reference only. You should use the following information to research the best course of action for your specific smartphone and then proceed accordingly.

Again I respectfully request that you please do not contact me and please refrain from leaving a post in the comment section below this article inquiring as to where you might be able to find the correct software to use for your particular cell phone. You will need to do further research online to obtain this information.

Important words of caution

Here are some important things that you need to remember when it comes to this more advanced troubleshooting:

  • Unlocking an Android smartphones bootloader will format the internal memory and will remove all of the user data from the device.
  • Before installing any ROM (stock or custom), make sure that you confirm that it is made for your specific device. Confirm this piece of information using your phones model number.
  • Do NOT forget to backup your current ROM before installing any custom patch, mod, Kernel, or ROM.
  • When adjusting or changing the software or firmware responsible for keeping your phone running properly make sure to read and follow all of the directions. Not doing so can result in an annoying software problem like this one that can be difficult to resolve.

Advanced troubleshooting

So at this point if your phone still will not load past its startup logo or if it is still caught in a boot loop booting up loading a bit turning off turning back on and back off over and over again and the troubleshooting above didn’t seem to help then its highly probable that there is a serious issue with your phones software and that software will need to be replaced with a functional version in order for your phone to work properly again.

So check your sleeves, roll them up again if you need to, and brace yourself. Things are about to get a little technical.

Bootloaders

One of the reasons why this might be happening on your cell phone is that its bootloader may not be functioning properly.

The bootloader is a piece of software or code which gets executed before an OS (Operating System), in this case the Android OS, starts to run. Every Android smartphone has a bootloader that tells the OS kernel to boot normally. If there is a problem with the bootloader then the phone may not know how to boot correctly and can turn on get to the phones logo and then power off, over and over again in an endless loop.

Most bootloaders are locked by the phones manufacturer by default and with a locked bootloader it’s not possible to customize the software that runs your smartphone. Unlocking the bootloader gives you Super User access and allows you to tinker and customize to your heart’s content.

So if you recently wanted to flash a custom ROM to your smartphone and you unlocked your phones bootloader to allow you to do this and now your phone wont power on properly then something might have happened to the bootloader and it may now be malfunctioning.

If your phone just started re-booting continuously then it too may have something wrong with its bootloader.

Troubleshooting an Android’s bootloader

So if you do have a problem with your phones bootloader and your phone is caught in a bootloop as a result of it what can you do to fix it?

Try unlocking your phones bootloader and then reboot the phone to see if it will power on properly again…

If it boots up then you’ll have two options to choose from:

  • You can choose to leave your phones bootloader unlocked and continue to use the phone as a super user. Which you should give some thought about because a super user can accidently change things on an android that shouldn’t get changed and can cause some other serious software related problems).
  • You can also choose to relock the bootloader as the manufacturer intended and you won’t have to worry about accidently deleting or moving a file or folder that the phone needs in order for it to continue functioning properly.

If unlocking the bootloader doesn’t seem to help then relock it, restart the phone, and see if relocking the bootloader seems to do the trick.

There are many guides online that can walk you through the process of unlocking your Androids bootloader if you are not quite sure how to do this.

If the phone boots up normally then enjoy your working cell phone. If not then you might need to look into flashing the phone.

Replacing corrupt or malfunctioning software

If locking and unlocking the phones bootloader didn’t seem to work then the next step is going to be to try and eliminate any corrupt or malfunctioning software by basically replacing the faulty software with a nice, clean, new and working piece of software.

At this point I recommend that you try installing a new ROM onto your smartphone. It should not matter if the ROM you install is an official stock ROM released by the manufacturer or a custom ROM. As long as it’s made for your specific smartphone then you and your phone should be in great shape.

Reinstalling or flashing a fresh ROM to the phone will often fix an Android smartphone that’s stuck in a bootloop or which refuses to power on properly.

Just make sure to research the entire process before undertaking the task. It might seem overwhelming at first, especially if you are not too tech savvy, but there are often many great resources online that can help walk you through the process.

Recap and conclusion

So if your phone seems to be getting frozen during its startup sequence, or if your smartphone is caught in a bootloop and seems to be powering off and on over and over but won’t actually power on all the way then you should:

  • Soft reset – Try a normal restart and if possible a battery pull.
  • Safe Mode – Safe mode is a great way to make sure that a third party app or program isn’t causing mischief on the phone and is a great place to start when troubleshooting software related issues like this one.
  • Wipe the cache – Try flushing, clearing or wiping your phones cache.
  • Wipe the Dalvik cache – If you have CWM installed on your phone and or have recently installed a new ROM to your phone then try to “wipe dalvik cache” as well.
  • PC Suite – Many smartphone manufactures offer computer programs or software that can help troubleshoot their devices. Do a quick search online to see if one of these types of programs is available for your smartphone as it too may help fix or repair the problem.
  • Hard reset – A hard reset erases all of the data that was added to the phone after its initial purchase. This is a powerful tool when troubleshooting bad or malfunction third party apps or software as it will often remove it from the phone entirely.
  • Bootloader – Try unlocking and relocking the bootloader. It may have been a simple glitch which this may help correct.
  • Install a new ROM – This is the more advanced option and is a powerful tool as it replaces any malfunctioning code with a fresh and working copy. If all else failed a new ROM can often fix this type of problem.

Thanks for reading

Thanks for visiting the site and for reading this guide on how to try and fix a smartphone that’s caught in a bootloop.

I hope that you found it helpful and insightful. If you liked this article then don’t hesitate to show me that you liked it by taking a second to share it with the Facebook Like and Google + buttons below or by linking back to this webpage from somewhere else on the internet.

Feel free to also leave a friendly remark in the comment section below.

Before leaving a comment

I welcome all friendly remarks and encourage you to post in the comment section below if you found this article helpful or at least informative regarding how to fix an Android smartphone that won’t boot up properly. Such comments are always appreciated and I always look forward to reading them.

If you plan on posting or asking a question however, I understand that this particular problem can be frustrating and difficult to try to resolve and will likely require more research regarding how to accomplish the suggestions listed above for your particular cell phone. In this regards the internet search engine(s) are going to be your best friend. Make sure to do lots of research especially if you need to flash a new ROM to your device.

As a reminder, PLEASE do not ask how to perform specific tasks for your particular smartphone and or where to find the exact software that you will need to use for your particular smartphone. I cannot keep up with these types of questions and they become overwhelming at times; especially for topics such as this one. If you are not sure then your preferred search engine is going to be you’re most powerful tool available to you. It’s likely how to found this little gem.

Otherwise I welcome all well written, thought out and detailed comments. If you are asking a question then don’t forget to mention what type of phone you have (its make and model) and if possible what version of Android it is running on. Providing as much detail as possible in your explanation often helps take a lot of the guess work out of the equation as well and the more information I have to work with the better answer I can usually provide.

If you have a question that is a little off topic then someone else may have already asked that same question on the site and you might want to perform a search using the search bar on the right of the page.

Thanks again for reading, I wish you the best of luck in resolving this problem, and I hope you have a fantastic day.

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36 thoughts on “How to fix an Android that’s stuck and won’t boot past its logo”

  1. lg d325 boot loop
    Hello… I rooted my mobile lg d325 and tried to install CyanogenMod 12 rom in it… after installation I rebooted it… then it started with the lg logo and showed the Cyanogen logo… from then on its showing nothing… just the CyanogenMod logo is blinking and that’s it. I have no idea.

    1. That’s a risk you take…

      Hi Jin,

      Sorry to hear about your LG smartphone. Unfortunately this issue is one of the more common issues that can occur when choosing to manipulate the preloaded software on an Android smartphone.

      Luckily the Android OS (Operating System) is a pretty solid piece of software and it’s really difficult to brick an Android to the point of no return. There is always hope.

      What I suggest that you do is to start over from the beginning. Try reinstalling that software again. Perhaps it just didn’t install properly and needs another attempt in order for it to work correctly.

      If another attempt at installing doesn’t seem to help, try installing a different stable release of the software. If that too is unsuccessful you might want to consider locating and installing the original or an up to date official firmware release by LG for that specific smartphone.

  2. Jason Youngsmith

    Thank you!!!
    Thank you!!! My phone was stuck in its bootloader and my father was gonna kill me if I didn’t fix it before he came home.. Thank you!!!!

  3. Bootloader not starting in My Asus Zenfone 5
    Can you help me start the bootloader of my phone. It always get stuck on the usb clover sign and then switches off.
    When I try to start the bootloader from the assigned keys, the phone starts.
    What should I do? Please help.

  4. Lenovo a7-10
    My tab keeps saying android is upgrading and is stuck there. After a hard reset it got stuck on the Lenovo logo and after a reboot it says Android is upgrading. Can you help me?

    1. Try giving it some time

      Hello Vasi Parker,

      That same thing happened to my mother’s phone last year. She got a prompt to update the phones software, accepted and the phone started to update but seemed to get stuck or frozen on that update screen and then frozen on the HTC screen. The phone stayed like this for a whole day.

      I suggest that you plug your tablet into a charger (so that the battery doesn’t die), then get in range of a Wi-Fi network which you have connected to on your tablet before (just in case a quicker internet connection might help) and then let the phone try to finish its upgrade. I have run across the rare occasion where for whatever reason a phone took over 48 hours to complete its upgrade. This is uncommon of course as a phone or tablet should be able to update fairly quickly but perhaps your tablet has fallen into this category and just requires more time to finish upgrading.

      If the upgrade didn’t complete properly (possible but you should wait to see) and there is a problem with the piece of software that instructs your device how to boot up properly (its boot loader) then you might have to re-install the software update manually through a tool like ODIN.

      I recommend waiting for a good 48 hours before proceeding to this step in troubleshooting though just to see if your tablet will finish and start working again on its own. 

        1. Connecting to Wi-Fi

          Hi again Vasi Parker,

          You do not have to worry about manually connecting to a Wi-Fi network because as you correctly pointed out your tablet will not even turn on properly much less allow you to access its Wi-Fi settings.

          Many smart devices will automatically connect to a Wi-Fi once they have booted to a certain point so long as the device has successfully connected to that Wi-Fi before and if it still retains that networks information. Whether your tablet will be able to actually start up to the point of being able to connect to a Wi-Fi network and then establish an internet connection is currently a mystery and even if it could there is no telling if the hard reset that you mentioned doing wiped out any of the saved network data which may have been stored on your tablet.

          I simply mentioned this step to give you a little more of an edge when trying to resolve your current issue should your tablet make an attempt to reach out and try to establish an internet connection through a familiar Wi-Fi network.

          Give it another 24 hours my friend. If it still refuses to boot up properly and the advice in the article above doesn’t seem to be effective (make sure to try Safe Mode and another Hard Reset), then you can look into your tablets warranty or other replacement options. If it is no longer covered under its manufacturer’s warranty then you can try installing a fresh and functional version of software to the device and hopefully with any luck that will allow your tablet to start up and work properly again.

  5. Installing fresh
    I prefer installing fresh because I rooted my tab. But I can’t find a correct software for my device.

  6. Factory Reset Galaxy S4
    I have a S4 GT-I9506 4G+ which was stuck on the animated Samsung boot logo, and I guess I know why – it had drained the battery during some critical software update. It stayed in my jacket at home (WiFi enabled) and when I connected the charger the battery was at 1%, and at 10%, I powered it on, but it never finished booting. The recovery mode: VolUp+Home+PowerOn after battery un-pluging works nicely. Tried the different steps; soft reset, wipe cache etc, but I was anxious to do the factory reset – but it works.

    Just, with a little patience (1-2 minutes) while the animated logo is displaying and the system is loading factory firmware (you can’t distinguish this from the stuck boot logo) the Progress bar shows up beneath the logo.

    Luckily, apps and data back-up on Google account installed seamlessly.

    Thanks for your advice – Benny

  7. Bootloop
    My phone is stuck in a bootloop after flashing a stock ROM… I tried to format the cache as well as data/factory reset but it didn’t work. It’s a Samsung Galaxy Core 2 SM-G355H..
    Please help!! ;-(

  8. LG Realm Phones
    I have a LG Realm phone which is currently not starting up properly (getting stuck in the power up mode repeating the logo screen). And I have found this to be really helpful, though the safe mode suggestion did not work with my phone. But I still really find this useful, being as I did not know that there were so many different options for me to choose from. Even though I am a little bit hesitant to try all of these because of fear of loosing important documents and files! I really do appreciate the person who took the time to make this android forum!

  9. Help – LG L65 stuck on the Metro PCS logo
    I have an LG L65 and it passes the LG logo but it wont pass the “metro PCS” logo and it will restart again and again… I don’t want to do the factory restart because I don’t want to lose my phone numbers…

  10. Hardware issue?
    I have had my LG G4 for less than 7 months and it is stuck in boot loop mode showing LG and rarely the Verizon logo and then back again.
    I tried everything you listed that I could (except the boot loader software since I can’t get to that screen on the phone). I also tried freezing the phone for 30 min which helped to turn it on once.
    I am sad to loose all of the pictures. Any ideas?

    1. Frozen Software vs. Frozen Hardware

      Hi Dima,

      My first suggestion is to never ever expose your phone to extreme temperatures. This includes freezing your phone in a freezer or heating the phone up using a blow dryer or an oven or any other such methods.

      Freezing your phone in the freezer can lead to a high risk of actually causing physical damage to your phone as opposed to preventing physical damage to your phone. Have you ever reached into the freezer and grabbed something and a bunch ice fell off of it? Imagine that moisture getting into your cell phone and freezing there by expanding and causing physical damage to the phone. It’s just not a good idea.

      That being said this issue is often a software related issue so make sure to review and follow all of the steps listed above. Saving pictures and data from a phone when this specific issue occurs is not always possible. But you want to fix your phone because there is no point in having a phone that doesn’t even turn on.

  11. I have an unrooted T-mobile Alcatel One Touch Evolve…
    Hello, I have an unrooted T-mobile Alcatel One Touch Evolve. For the past few days it’s been giving me pop-ups that random apps have stopped, and need to be force closed. I’ve had to restart the phone many times because of this. Yesterday I tried to restart my phone and it wouldn’t boot past the logo. It booted up this morning, but the pop-ups made it impossible to use so I restarted it and it’s not booting up again. I performed a factory reset about 3 days ago but after I backed up my data the problem came back.

    1. Sounds like something is causing problems

      Hello Ky,

      It sounds like something on your phone is causing mischief. You might have to go through and delete some stuff on your phone in order to locate what is causing problems and then either update that application or remove it from the device.

      Try booting your phone into safe mode and it will likely disable the troublesome application that is preventing your phone from starting properly, and allow you to start the phone which should allow you to go through those applications and remove some of the ones what you think might be the culprit.

      If performing a factory data reset fixes the issue and then the problem comes back once you’ve restored backed up information, then the problem lies with something in that backed up information. The hardest part is going to be locating what exactly is causing the problems.

      I hope that helps Ky. If I was you I would start with any applications that were updated or installed around the same time that this issue started happening.

    2. It could also be…
      It could also be doing that if its getting a tad bit too hot at least my tablet does that when that happens but as soon as it cools off it dont do it

      Advice is if you have been

      Dont play with it while charging

  12. My Android phone is stuck at the Android logo
    My Android phone is stuck at the Android logo and it doesn’t open even if I already did a factory reset. Can you help me with this? Thanks.

  13. Bootloop on Samsung Galaxy Young
    I’ve got my phone stuck in a bootloop, but I cannot reboot into safe mode or download mode. This means I cannot flash another ROM to the phone. Are there any other options?

  14. Detail post
    Hello,
    Thanks for this detailed guide.
    I’ve tried most of the steps you talked about but my LG d959 still wont get past the boot logo or reformat. I give up.
    I guess installing the firmware would work but i can’t get it to enter download mode (Up button + power).

  15. John Lloyd Casuga

    I deleted some file…
    Please help me. I deleted some file (folder bin) from the internal memory on my Lenovo A3000-H tablet because I though it wasn’t an important file. Now my tablet is stuck on its logo. I tried to flash it but my tablets usb debugging is disabled because I don’t know how to enable it. Please somebody help me fix it… I want my tablet back. ;(

  16. Booting problem on my Micromax A106 Unite 2
    Hi. My Micromax A106 Unite 2 is having problems booting and not moving from its startup logo. I have done a Hard reset and have wiped the cache but the problem remains the same. What else I can do?

    1. You’re on the right track

      Hi Sandeep,

      You’re on the right track my friend. There’s still some more things that you can try though. Make sure to reread the article above making sure that you do not skip any steps or suggestions as to what you might be able to try.

      Resolving this problem can be very difficult so don’t give up my friend.

  17. USB connection for non booting device
    Thank you for your comprehensive guideline. In all the many threads all are talking about the USB connection. However, I did not find a guideline how to connect a device that is stuck on the boot screen. The options to put the phone into the debugging mode or MTP mode is not available.
    So how can I connect a phone that is stuck with USB? Thanks

    1. Connecting your phone through a USB

      Hi Max,

      You won’t be able to transfer any data from your phone through a USB connection unless you can get the phone to power up properly. Just like you will not to be able to transfer information from most smartphones unless you unlock them first. The phone has to be on for you to be able to transfer information through a data cable.

      Now if you cannot get past that loading screen and your phone is stuck and not booting properly then you have to try to get that issue resolved and sometimes saving information from the device is not going to be possible.

      If you are unable to get into the debugging mode or safe mode or if you are unable to re-flash your phone for some reason, then you might be able to look into using what’s called jig. A jig is basically a USB storage device which you can plug directly into the phone and has the operating system built into it and you can use it to reload the operating system on the device. Sometimes a jig can even get a phone that won’t even power on to boot up properly. Finding a jig for your specific cell phone might be a challenge though depending on which device you own.

      I hope that helps Max, good luck my friend.

  18. Lava iris 406q stuck on its logo
    I tried to restart my phone many times but it didn’t start.
    I also did a factory reset but that too didn’t work.

  19. Kristijan Fuks

    Safe mode freeze
    Hi, my HTC One Max suddenly stopped working.. When I attempted to turn it on, it just stays at the HTC logo for a few seconds.. and a red light would flash, when I plug it in. I couldn’t get in to safe mode either. So I bought a new battery and switched it out.. Now it still gets stuck at the logo, but the red light doesn’t flash (although it shows the battery on the screen and it doesn’t charge). Now I can get into safe mode, but whenever I want to choose something it just freezes. Is there any solution, or can I just throw my phone out the window?

  20. Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
    My Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 doesn’t seem to have the same problem as anything listed above. It powers on until it gets to the AT&T logo, then freezes. You can’t do anything at this point to change anything on the screen except run the power out. I can’t get past this stage at all. I’d love to hear anything you’ve got.

  21. This page or site helped me a lot
    This page or site helped me a lot. Thank you, Thank you so much. Without this I think I was gonna cry because I really couldn’t start my phone. Thank you. Anyway, this is my first time leaving a comment in a page to show my deepest gratitude so Thank you and Keep it up 🙂

  22. Stuck on powered by Android
    I’ve tried Hard Resetting but can’t get into safe mode and I have wiped the cache. This phone hasn’t been rooted or anything. What should I do?

  23. Apps and phone issues
    Hello, my phone takes a long time in coming on. It started about 2 weeks ago.
    First it freezes, then it will go off and while it is trying to come on, it will not completely boot, then it starts all over again, I have to keep restarting and restarting and this may take like 5 to 20 mins .
    Also most of my apps have stopped working, whenever I try to open the apps, what I see is unfortunately Gmail has stopped working.
    Please what should I do. I need help
    I use a HTC Desire 626 G+ dual sim.

    Thanks

  24. HTC Desire 510 Frozen Home Screen issue
    Hi there, Just wanted to thank you so much for your thoughtful, friendly, comprehensive advice. I’m so grateful to have found something easy to follow to try, even though it did not work for me and I need to get a new phone. At least I know I have tried everything I could and that is because of your generous helpful advice. Thank you!!

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