How to fix a Google Pixel 2 that won’t turn on or charge [troubleshooting guide]

Welcome to another troubleshooting article that addresses some common issue on the #GooglePixel2. We’ve been getting a number of similar reports about Pixel 2 devices not turning on or charging so we’ve decided to address these issues in this post. We hope you’ll find it helpful.

Problem #1: How to fix a Google Pixel 2 that won’t charge

I have had a Google Pixel 2 for less than a year and I am so frustrated because the battery will not charge. Even with the charger that came with it. It appears to me to be a hardware issue, although I am not totally ruling out a software issue because I have many applications on this phone. Please help me fix this I am so frustrated.

Solution: An issue like this can be caused by a software bug or a hardware malfunction. If the main reason for your Pixel 2 failing to charge is software in nature, then you’ll most probably resolve it on your end. If not, repair may be the ultimate way to fix it.

To check if software is to blame, these are the things that you should try.

Solution #1: Force reboot your device

Sometimes, charging bugs are fixed by doing a simple troubleshooting step — restart. In your case, you don’t just want to restart your Pixel normally but to force reboot it. This will simulate the effects of having disconnected the battery from the phone. This procedure is usually recommended for devices that become unresponsive. If you haven’t tried it yet, follow the simple steps below:

  1. Press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds
  2. Wait until your Pixel 2 power cycles.

Solution #2: Use another set of charging accessories

Like the main device itself, charging accessories like the USB cable and adapter can get broken too. To see if there’s a problem with them, try using another official Pixel 2 charging cable and adapter. If the phone charges fine with the second set, it means the problem lies on either the cable or adapter.

Solution #3: Check the charging port

This is just a suggestion and is not meant to tell you to fix the charging port itself. The most that you can do is to clean it using a can of compressed air. Before you do that, you want to see if there’s any dirt, debris, or broken pin in the port. Sometimes, dirt may interfere with the inserted  charging cable causing charging to go awry. If you think the port may be dirty, try cleaning it without inserting anything. A can of compressed air can come handy in this situation. If the charging port appears normal or if you can’t see anything that might cause charging to fail (there’s really nothing much there to see), then just leave it as it is. Do not stick anything insider as that might bend or damage something.

Solution #4: Factory reset

This is the ultimate troubleshooting step that you can do in this situation. By resetting, you are returning all software information to their defaults, which is free of charging bugs.

To factory reset your Pixel 2:

  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.

Solution #5: Get professional help

If your Pixel remains problematic after a factory reset, that means the problem is beyond your ability to fix. Make sure to bring it to Google service center so its hardware is checked and repaired.

Problem #2: What to do if Google Pixel 2 won’t turn on

Last 2 weeks the phone was switching itself even battery is about 64%. Then I charge the phone for about 1 min. Take out charger in and out few times then phone was turning on. I was about to send the phone in envelope to insurance but phone fell down on wooden floor and it was started. But today when battery was 82% I insert the charger. As soon as charger usb inserted the phone switched off and is not turning On.

Solution: Try charging your Pixel for at least an hour before you attempt to turn it back on. If nothing will change, charge it using another cable and adapter. If that won’t work either, that means it’s dead. Maybe the charging port is fried, perhaps it’s the battery, or there may be a motherboard issue. Whatever it is, you need to let a technician check the device physically.

There’s no way to examine it remotely and fix it by doing some software tricks.

Problem #3: Google Pixel 2 restarts on its own when using Google Chrome

My Pixel 2 randomly shuts off several times a day for reasons that I can’t associate with a specific application (though I notice it most frequently with the Chrome browser). I’ve cleared all applications’ cache and data and wiped, all to no avail.  I’m on the verge of attempting a master reset, but, as a newbie (backup – and restore-wise), I have a question about first backing up the existing content. If there’s a problem with one or more specific applications and their data, why should I back up all of my apps? Would I be better off starting fresh and just adding individual apps until I have a problem?

Solution: Some bugs may be carried over to backup versions if they happen to be associated with how that particular app is configured. In other words, app problems may continue if the app itself is poorly configured, incompatible with the current operating system, or poorly coded. Before you create your backup, we suggest that you boot your Pixel 2 to safe mode first to confirm further if your suspicion is true.

Safe mode blocks third party apps so it’s a good tool to use if you think the problem comes from one of your third party apps. If it’s due to a bug in Google Chrome though, you should skip it and try to simply factory reset the device. This will return all software and app information to their defaults and hopefully clear the Google Chrome bug you’re experiencing.

For reference, these are the steps on how to boot your Pixel 2 to safe mode:

  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.

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