One of the most common problems many Android users encounter is No Power issue. In this troubleshooting article, we provide the steps on how to fix your Google Pixel 3 XL that won’t turn on.
Before we proceed, be reminded that we provide answers to Android problems. If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
What are the causes of Google Pixel 3 XL won’t-turn-on issue?
There are a number of things that you must check to determine the real cause why your Google Pixel 3 XL fails to power back on. Depending on the history of your device, it can either be a charging accessory problem, a bad app, a software glitch, or a bad hardware. So, for instance, if you dropped your Pixel device before experiencing the problem, the most likely issue must be hardware-related. In this case, doing software troubleshooting may be futile as the most likely reason why the phone has become unresponsive or dead is a broken hardware. For this one, you don’t want to look for software solutions anymore and instead have the phone checked by Google for repair or replacement. If the phone was working normally before and it was never dropped, physically impacted, or exposed to elements, there may be a software problem causing the system not to boot up. There’s a chance that you might be able to fix the problem on your level.
Below are some of the common reasons why a Google Pixel 3 XL may not power on:
- broken charging accessory
- damaged charging port
- battery may be fully empty
- screen issue
- software glitch
- bad app
- hardware malfunction
How to fix a Google Pixel 3 XL that won’t turn on
Troubleshooting your Google Pixel 3 XL can take some time. Be sure to do our suggestions below when you have plenty of time to spare. Again, depending on the real reason, this problem may or may not be fixable on your level.
Verify charging accessories are working
One of the most common reasons why a flagship phone dies prematurely is the use of aftermarket or third party charging accessories. Some of such accessories, especially the cheap ones, may not provide the right amount of power to the system during charging because they operate in different parameters. It is for this reason that we always recommend that you stick with official accessories for charging. Your Google Pixel 3 XL was only tested to work with Google provided charging cables and adapters. Using a non-official cable or adapter may create a conflict with your phone’s power requirements.
For the sake of this troubleshooting, be sure to use official charging cable and adapter only. If you can’t find the cable and adapter that came with the phone, borrow them from a friend, or visit your local Google store and use the in-store accessories.
Also, make sure that the cable is connected properly to the adapter and to the microUSB port in your phone. If the adapter or charging cable is dirty, a solid connection may not be properly established during charging.
If you’ve been using the same charging outlet all along, make sure that it’s working. Or, you can use a different one.
Check if device is charging
Once you’ve made sure that you have good working charging accessories, the next troubleshooting step is to see if the device holds a charge. Normally, a Pixel device show indicate that it’s charging a minute after you plug it in. This is indicated by either a red LED light or a displayed battery icon.
If a battery icon shows after waiting for 1 minute, your Pixel must have powered off after losing battery charge. In this case, you can simply restart it after leaving it charged for a few minutes.
If there’s a red LED light instead, that means the battery has completely been emptied. You don’t want to allow this to happen again as that might render the battery completely inoperable. If your Pixel 3 XL shows a flashing red light, try leaving the phone charged for at least 30 minutes. Afterwards, restart the phone.
Check if screen is damaged
A lot of users mistake a screen issue with a No Power issue. The latter is different because it means that the system is totally dead or unresponsive. A screen issue on the other hand can mean there’s an issue with the screen assembly only but the system is working normally otherwise. If your Google Pixel 3 XL still makes notification sounds, displays LED light when charging, or charges when there’s incoming notifications or messages, but the screen stays black all the time, it means that there must be an issue with the screen only. If you dropped the phone or got it wet before, there must be a hardware problem that prevents the screen from working properly. You can either troubleshoot the screen or send the device to Google for repair or replacement.
Charge using a PC
Sometimes, charging with official charging cable and adapter may stop working due to a bug. If this happens, try to see if your Pixel 3 XL will charge via a computer. Here’s what you need to do:
- Turn on your computer.
- Connect your Pixel 3 XL to your computer using a known working charging cable.
- Let your phone charge for at least 30 minutes.
- Disconnect and reconnect the cable from your phone within 10 seconds.
- Try restarting your phone by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds. Then, tap the Restart icon.
Use hardware buttons
With your phone connected to the wall outlet or computer, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Do this for at least 20 seconds. If there’s a red LED light, it means the battery has been fully discharged. Make sure to allow the device to charge for at least 30 minutes before you attempt to power it back on.
If Android icon and the word “Start” with an arrow around it when charging, you’ll need to charge the phone for 30 minutes before restarting it. After charging for 30 minutes, press and hold the Power button and tap Restart.
Get professional support
As an end user, there’s only so much that you can do if your Google Pixel 3 XL decides not to power back up. If the suggestions above won’t make any difference, that means that the problem is not fixable in your end. Powering up your device is a complex process that requires synchronized software and hardware processes. Since there’s no clear cut way to know exactly what’s going on with the entire system, the best option for you is allow a trained professional check the phone physically. In this case, you want to let Google handle the repair.
