While it may sound bizarre for new high-powered smartphones to give in to various types of software issues, it can happen and is actually happening. In fact, many users of high-end smartphones including Galaxy Note 8 owners have been raising several complaints regarding different types of problems they have encountered while using the phone in a day to day basis.
Among the most prevalent concerns raised is on the Galaxy Note 8 that keeps restarting and shutting down for no definite reasons. If ever you too are having the same dilemma on the same Android device and wondering why this happens and what needs to be done as remedy, then you may find help from some highlighted points in this posting. Should you be interested in getting some aid in troubleshooting the problem, feel free to use this content as reference. Keep reading to learn more.
If you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently bugged by a similar problem, continue reading as this post may help you. However, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, then I suggest you visit our Note 8 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of problems with this phone. But if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to send the information. Rest assured that we will look into your concern.
What triggers random restarts (bootloops) on your Galaxy Note 8?
When an Android device like the Galaxy Note 8 misbehaves like randomly restarts or shuts down, it could mean some complex issues on the system. More often, problems like this are tagged among other performance issues triggered by insufficient storage. Just like what happens when a computer is running low on storage. In this state, many programs start to act weird like they often become unresponsive, freezing, lagging, crashing and restarting by themselves. The limited storage space doesn’t allow them to complete certain process. The same thing can happen when your smartphone is running low on storage. Apps begin to stop working or the device itself is performing very slowly. This is often the case with constant and prolonged use on the device.
Aside from memory problems, random reboots can also be triggered by other bad apps running on the phone. Some apps when opened may tend to affect other app’s normal operations, thus causing either apps to crash. And when this keeps on happening, chances are that your device itself malfunctions. In an attempt to fix the glitch, your device restarts and reboots by itself. Or it could be the bad app that is triggering your Galaxy Note 8 to shutdown and restart by itself at times.
A bad battery can also be deemed among the culprits as it is no longer able to support the required performance. Seeing this limitation, the device will just opt to power off instead of carrying out a certain task. Physical or liquid damage, as well as poor charging habits are the common factors that can cause the battery to break. As remedy, you may consider repair or battery replacement.
Faulty updates, including major Android updates are also among the possible culprits. Aside from bringing in some new features and enhanced functions, software updates also contain bugs that might have caused certain functions or the entire system to malfunction. You can tell if an update is to blame if your Galaxy Note 8 starts to act weird or randomly shuts down and restarts after installing a firmware update.
The worst among the possible causes is a hardware damage. You can consider this among the possibilities especially if there were prior instances when your device got dropped or exposed to liquid. Symptoms of liquid damage may appear sooner or later so it might be the one that’s causing a problem. Otherwise, you can rule out the possibility of physical or liquid damage and work on the fix.
How to deal with random restarts (boot loop) problems on your Galaxy Note 8?
For as long as you are certain that the problem is not associated with hardware damage, you can try as many workarounds you want and attempt to fix the problem on your end. And if the problem persists and you already run out of options, that is when you consider seeking further assistance from Samsung Support. Otherwise, take your device to a service center for hardware assessment and/or repair, if necessary. But before doing so, consider the following options.
Boot your Galaxy Note 8 into safe mode
Booting into safe mode can help isolate whether or not the problem is triggered by other third-party applications. While in safe mode, you can securely access the firmware and if necessary, remove faulty apps that may have caused other apps to not work as intended or the device itself to become problematic. To enter safe mode on your Galaxy Note 8 and diagnose apps, follow these steps:
- Power off your device completely.
- Press and hold the Power button.
- When the Samsung logo appears, release the Power button then immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
- Keep pressing the Volume Down button until your device boots up.
- If you see the Safe Mode label on the lower-left corner of the screen, it means that you have successfully entered safe mode and your device is currently running in safe mode.
- Now, tap Settings then select Device.
- Tap Applications and Application Manager.
- Navigate to the Downloaded section.
- From this section, locate and select any suspicious apps that you wish to remove.
You may uninstall any suspicious apps, particularly the most recent apps you have installed prior to the onset of the problem. Once you’re done using safe mode, switch back to normal mode by rebooting your Galaxy Note 8 then try to observe if it still shuts down and restarts by itself.
Boot your Galaxy Note 8 into recovery mode
Recovery mode is another place for you to diagnose, restore and repair your device firmware if necessary. Device issues tied to a bad memory on the device can also be rectified through this mode. Booting your Galaxy Note 8 into recovery mode will also allow you to download and flash Samsung updates to your device firmware. Should you wish to give it a shot, here’s how it’s done:
- Power off your device.
- When it’s completely turned off, press and hold the Volume Up button, Home button and then the Power button for a few seconds.
- Release the Power button when the Samsung logo appears.
- Then release the all the remaining buttons when the Android (green bot) logo appears. Usually you will be prompted with a message that says, Installing system update, about 30 seconds before the Android system recovery menu appears.
- Press the Volume Down key to highlight or select wipe cache partition from the menu options.
- Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
- Wait until the wipe cache partition is complete. You should then see the Reboot system now option is highlighted.
- Press the Power button to reboot your device.
It may take a little longer for your device to reboot so just wait until it loads the Home screen. By then, you can use your phone again. Try to observe if it’s still rebooting by itself afterwards.
Warning: Keep in mind that while recovery mode can do offer benefits when it comes to fixing problem related to the software, incorrect use of this mode can also lead to possible fatal problems on the device.
Perform a master reset or reset your Galaxy Note 8 to factory defaults
You may opt to proceed with a master reset or factory reset if nothing else works and that you badly needed to get your device fixed without paying extra for service.
But you too should consider the consequence, which is losing all your personal information and critical data stored on your device. All these will be erased in the process. In return, you’ll get a clean, fresh, error-free and same as new Galaxy Note 8 afterwards.
You can perform a master reset or factory reset through your phone’s Settings menu. Here’s how:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Scroll to and tap Backup and reset option.
- Select Factory data reset.
- Tap Reset device.
- Tap Erase everything.
If the above steps are not applicable or cannot be done like when your device is unresponsive or frozen, use the other method which is a factory reset through the hardware keys. Here’s how:
- Turn off your device completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
- When the Android Recovery menu screen appears, release all buttons at once.
- Use the Volume Down key to navigate and highlight wipe data/factory reset option.
- Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight Yes — delete all data then press the Power button to confirm.
- Wait until the device erases all your data. When done, select the Reboot system now using the Volume key, then press Power to reboot the device.
After the restart, all settings on your Galaxy Note 8 are now set to factory defaults. You can now proceed with the device setup. Then observe your device and see if it still restarts and shuts down by itself after the master reset. If the problem persists, then consider other options.
Helpful Tip: If you suspect that the problem has something to do with the phone’s internal memory that is shrinking, try to remove all unwanted apps and contents from your device. Transferring some of your important data to other media storage can also help.
Seek further assistance
Still couldn’t get a remedy? If so, then contact Samsung Support or your carrier to escalate the problem if none of the prior methods is able to fix the problem and that your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 still shuts down and reboots by itself. Don’t forget to avail for warranty if your device is still eligible. Doing so will save you time and money from opting for service.
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