How to fix Galaxy S8 random restart issue after rooting [troubleshooting guide]

Rooting is risky. You’ve been warned but still you did it anyways. In this #GalaxyS8 troubleshooting article, we try to answer how to fix random reboot issue following a rooting procedure. There’s a lot of S8 users who root their device out there so hopefully you’ll find this material helpful when faced with a similar situation like below.

Today’s problem: Galaxy S8 keeps restarting after it’s been rooted

Dear/Sir I have a problem about my S8 device. I just rooted my phone and downloaded apps which need root. When i try to open the apps like xmod and luckypacher, my phone is rebooting suddenly. I tried to root again a few times but its still has same problem. How can i solve this problem? Thank you. — Dony_i_s

How to fix Galaxy S8 random restart issue after rooting

Hi Dony. Before we proceed, we want to make it a point that rooting is a risky procedure that will not only make the system unstable, but can also potentially compromise the security of information you store in your device. We would like to assume that you know of these risks before you rooted your S8. If you didn’t then there’s no need to worry as your issue is a fairly common one and there are a set of handy solutions that you can try to fix it.

Because rooting a device means changing how core system works, there’s always a fair chance of some issues to develop. Some such issues can be fixed easily, while others may require that you totally reverse what you did — by unrooting the device.

Solution #1: Clear the cache partition

Clearing the system cache should the first troubleshooting step that you must do in this case. Before we give you the steps on how to do it, let’s give you a brief explanation why this may be helpful.

Every Android device has several partitions in its storage device in order to organize files and folders efficiently. One such partition is called the cache partition, where the system cache is kept. As its name suggests, it’s a set of temporary files and folders (cache) that the system uses in order to load apps quickly, to display web pages, ads, etc in a timely manner, or to make apps perform smoothly once it’s been loaded. The problem occurs when this cache gets corrupted for some reason (and sometimes after rooting or installation of an app). Problems that can ensue due to a corrupted cache can vary. To ensure that your device has a good system cache, you need to regularly clean it up.

In order to clear your S8 system cache, follow these steps:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key to highlight wipe cache partition.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Solution #2: Boot to safe mode

Not all apps are built with the same expertise, resources, and experience so others are bound to be problematic. While most Android apps are okay, others may be not be good at all. This is true for apps that can be downloaded in Play Store and for those that are made by Android community (and may not be available in Play Store). To check if one of your installed apps is causing your S8 to randomly restart, you must restart the device to safe mode. In this mode, your S8 will only run pre-installed apps so if it will work normally and won’t restart randomly at all, our suspicion must be on the money.

To restart your S8 to safe mode, follow these steps:

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
Uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

Solution #3: Uninstall apps

Remember, booting your S8 to safe mode may tell you if a third party app is problematic but it won’t pinpoint what that app might be. If you think an app is causing the problem, you must use the method of elimination to identify it. To do that, you should uninstall apps one by one, making sure to observe how the phone works after every uninstall.

For example, if you think that the phone began to show the random restart problem after installing Xmod and Luckypacher, there’s a chance that one or both of them may be the reason. To test our hunch, try to uninstall one of them first, then let your S8 run for a few minutes. If it won’t restart on its own, then that app must be the cause. On the other hand, if the issue continues, move on to the next app, then observe the phone again. This procedure will definitely take time, especially if you have plenty of third party apps but it’s the only way to fix the problem for sure.

Solution #4: Unroot the device

Sometimes, the rooting software itself may interfere with the Android version your phone is running so if all three solutions above won’t work, don’t hesitate to remove root access from your S8. If you were the one who rooted your device, then you surely should know how to unroot it. Unrooting can vary slightly, depending on the software you used so it’s up to you to find a guide how to do it. We hope that after doing this, your S8 will behave normally again. If not, don’t hesitate to master reset it. Here’s how:

Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.