How to fix Google Pixel 2 XL that randomly reboots by itself? [Troubleshooting Guide]

Regardless of how well structured an application is, there’s always a chance for it to encounter errors. The same thing goes for smartphones in general. No matter how optimized the platform they’re running on, there’s always time when things can go wrong. And one of these inevitable device issues is on bootloop. In fact, it appears to be one of the widespread problems transpiring in a number of Android devices these days, either tablet or smartphone.

Even high-end variants can succumb into this issue at any time. In this post, we are going to tackle a similar issue on a particular Android smartphone — the Google’s Pixel 2 XL handset. If you own this phone and are here for help in fixing a pertinent problem in which the device automatically restarts by itself, then this content is for you. Should you wish to troubleshoot the problem on your device, feel free to refer to the given walkthroughs, demonstrating potential solutions to random bootloop problems on a Google Pixel 2 XL handset.

For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our A3 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our Android issues questionnaire.

What causes your Google Pixel 2 XL to automatically reboot by itself?

There are many factors that can trigger this problem. The most common culprits are bad apps. Some apps can become rogue, gets corrupted, or crashes at times. When this happens, there is a bigger chance for the entire system to become affected. Apps are part of the smartphone system as a whole, so if something is not right with an app, eventually the device operation can likewise go wrong. Consider this as the underlying cause if the problem occurs only when using specific apps on your device.

A faulty update can also inflict the same problem on your Android device. As a matter of fact, you can see a lot of complaints regarding a smartphone that’s suddenly acting weird after installing a new update. In this case an update likely contains some bugs that causes the system to become unstable, corrupted, and therefore erratic.

Memory issues like when the internal memory is already running low can also trigger this symptom. Although this isn’t likely the case given that what you have is a new and high-capacity device, it’s still worth to check on the memory status as part of your troubleshooting procedures.

Aside from the software, hardware issues (physical or liquid damage) on the phone are also to blame in some cases. For example, if your smartphone starts to act weird, crashes or reboots by itself after an incident of dropping or liquid exposure. It is possible that the battery or other physical components of the phone has accumulated liquid damage or was dislodged from a hard fall. There are also some cases in which the problem is tied to a stuck button like when the Power button gets stuck. To rule this out from the possible cause, check and ensure that nothing is jammed in the button opening. If you’re using a protective casing, make sure the case is not putting pressure on the button at all. Unfortunately for hardware-related problems, a tech service would already be needed.

What to do with your Google Pixel 2 XL that randomly reboots by itself?

If possible, try to determine whether it’s a hardware or software issue. For as long as the hardware components are working, you’ll have a higher chance of fixing the problem by performing some applicable workarounds including the standard procedures listed below.

First solution: Restart or forced restart.

Minor software issues are often remedied by a restart or soft reset. If this is the first you encounter the problem, then it’s probably just one of the many random glitches that can be rectified by rebooting your device. If you haven’t restarted your device yet, then you should do it now. A soft reset is done by turning the device off for about 30 seconds and then turning it back on.

  • So go ahead and press the Power button for a few seconds then tap the option to Power off. After the elapsed time, press the Power button again until the device power cycles.

In case your device gets frozen after constantly restarting (stuck on bootloop), you can do a forced restart instead.

  • To force your Pixel 2 XL to restart, press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds or until it power cycles.

Both these restarts will not affect your data for as long as it you’re doing the right way.

Second solution: Boot into safe mode and diagnose apps.

Booting into safe mode can help you identify the problem if it’s caused by a third-party app or not. When your device is running in safe mode, all third-party apps and services are temporarily disabled.

Follow these steps to put your phone in safe mode or diagnostic state to determine if a third-party app is causing it to automatically restart even when not triggered:

  1. With your device turned on, press and hold the Power button until the Power off prompt appears then release the button.
  2. Tap and hold Power off option until the Reboot to safe mode prompt shows up on the screen.
  3. Tap OK to confirm. Your phone will now restart.

Wait until your phone boots up completely. You should then see Safe mode in the lower-left of the home screen or lock screen upon restart.

Alternative way to boot your Google Pixel 2 XL into safe mode

In case your device gets frozen or responsive, you can do the alternative method to enter safe mode. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the menu options appear.
  2. Tap Power off from the given options.
  3. Allow your device to power off for a few seconds.
  4. Then press and hold the Power button until the Google logo appears. then release the button.
  5. With the Google logo still on screen, press and hold the Volume Down button.
  6. When you see the Safe mode label in the lower-left corner of the unlock screen, release the button.

Test the device and app functionality while in safe mode. If the problem is gone in safe mode, restart your phone then try to remove the apps you’ve downloaded recently. After removing each app, restart your device then see if that fixed the problem. Just take note of the apps you’ve removed so that you can have them installed again if needed.

If the problem persists while in safe mode, a third-party app is not the trigger. Restart your device then try other applicable solutions to troubleshoot the system software.

Third solution: Check the memory status/free up some space.

Again if the internal storage of your device is almost full or full, problems like random restarts can occur. In this case, you will need to free up some space in order to make your device work properly. You can remove unwanted apps and unused files from your device. Clearing cached data can also help. For starters, here’s how to check the memory or available storage on your Pixel 2 XL:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Storage.

On the next screen, check how much storage is available. If the available storage is less than 10 percent, then you need to remove some of your contents to increase storage space.

 

Fourth solution: Perform a wipe cache partition in recovery mode.

Wiping the cache partition can help fix your Google Pixel 2 XL that’s automatically restarting due to complex software errors, including corrupted temporary files or cache data residing in the system cache partition. It also help removes all unwanted files that used up memory space and trimmed down storage for better and smoother performance. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Turn off your phone.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously until the logo appears and the phone vibrates.
  3. Release the Power button but keep holding down the Volume Down button until the recovery mode screen appears.
  4. Press the Power button to restart your device into recovery mode.
  5. Use the Volume button to highlight Wipe Cache Partition then press the Power button to confirm selection.
  6. Press the Volume Down button to highlight Wipe all user data option then press the Power button to confirm selection.
  7. Wait until your device wipes out all cache or temporary data from the system partition.
  8. Then press the Volume Down button to highlight Reboot system now option.
  9. Press the Power button to confirm selection.

Your phone will then restart. After the restart, try to see if the problem reoccurs or not. If it persists, then consider a factory reset.

Fifth solution: Reset your Google Pixel 2 XL to factory settings.

Various complex software issues in smartphones can be resolved by a factory reset. Errors caused by faulty apps or software update for example that are tough enough to withstand the prior procedures can be dealt with by a full system reset. The only downside is that this reset will erase every personal data you’ve stored on the phone as everything will be reverted back to factory defaults. For this reason, creating a backup of all your critical data is highly recommended beforehand. Once everything is backed up and ready, follow these steps:

You can perform a factory reset through your phone settings. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap System.
  3. Then tap Reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset.
  5. Select Reset phone.
  6. If prompted, enter your device password.
  7. Tap Erase everything to erase all data from your phone’s internal storage.

Wait until your device has finished erasing all data then select the option to Restart.

See if the problem is gone after the restart. If everything goes well, you may then proceed with the initial setup.

If your Google Pixel 2 XL is unresponsive, you can do the alternative reset using the hardware keys. Here’s how:

  1. Ensure that the phone is turned off.
  2. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons until the bootloader mode appears then release. It’s represented by an Android bot image with Start label on top.
  3. Press the Volume Down button to select Recovery mode then press the Power button to confirm selection. After doing so, your phone will flash the Google start screen momentarily then restarts in Recovery Mode.
  4. When you see the Android bot image with an exclamation point inside a red triangle with No Command label beneath, press and hold the Power button.
  5. Press the Volume Up button once then release the Power button.
  6. Use the Volume button to select Wipe data/factory reset option from the Android Recovery screen.
  7. Select Yes to confirm.
  8. Wait until the factory data reset process is finished.
  9. Select Reboot System Now.

Once the factory data reset and reboot processes are completed, set up your device.

Then see if that fixes the problem. If the problem persists after performing a factory reset, then it’s probably a hardware issue. And that means the need for service or repair.

Other suggestions (if applicable)

If you have some apps running in the background, try to quit these apps. Any of these apps might have crashed and eventually caused the system to become unstable. To shut down these apps and background services Go to Settings-> Apps & notifications-> App info-> then tap on the app that you want to close. Then tap Force stop to confirm. Do the same on the rest of the apps and services running in the background.

Escalate the problem to Google Support if your Google Pixel 2 XL still restarts by itself after performing all the aforementioned procedures. Do so especially if the problem started after installing a software update.

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