How to fix random reboot issue on Google Pixel 3 XL (restarts on its own)

Today’s troubleshooting article will tell you the ways on how to fix random reboot issue on Google Pixel 3 XL.

How to fix Google Pixel 3 XL random reboot issue (restarts on its own)

Fixing random reboot issue on Google Pixel 3 XL requires patience. Often, there’s no easy way to identify where the problem is coming from so a lengthy troubleshooting is needed. Below are the things that you can do to deal with this issue.

Check for overheating

If you find yourself dealing with a Pixel that reboots randomly for no apparent reason, the first thing that you want to check is if it’s overheating. Google designs the Pixel 3 XL to turn itself off when its internal temperature reaches a certain level. This is to prevent causing damage to the system when too much heat in the system.

Overheating usually occurs during gaming, or when the device is trying to do heavy tasks like video editing, playing HD videos, streaming, etc. If the phone reboots randomly when you’re using a particular app or doing something that requires a lot of computing resources, it may be overheating. What you need to do in this case is to allow the phone to cool off for at least 30 minutes. As much as possible, you want to turn it off and leave it at room temperature. Don’t be a fool by placing it inside a freezer. Doing so can potentially damage the battery or the motherboard. Just let the phone cool down naturally for half hour and it should be good.

If your Pixel continues to overheat when doing demanding tasks or gaming, we suggest that you stop whatever you’re doing and not do it again. Your Pixel device has excellent hardware specifications but the current task may be too much for it.

Check for third party app

Another reason why your Pixel 3 XL may be restarting on its own is apps. Some poorly coded apps may interfere with Android and cause problems. To check if that’s the case, boot the device to safe mode. Here’s how:

  1. Press and hold the Power button.
  2. On your screen, touch and hold Power off.
  3. Tap OK.
  4. After you see “Safe mode” at the bottom of your screen, wait to see if the problem goes away.

Once your Pixel 3 XL is on safe mode, all third party apps, the ones you downloaded after setting up the device, will be suspended. Make sure to check for the problem by using the phone for at least 24 hours to see if there’s any difference. If your device won’t restart on its own on safe mode, a downloaded app must be the culprit.  To identify which of your downloaded apps is causing the problem:

  1. Exit safe mode by restarting your device.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. If the problem returns, boot to safe mode again.
  4. Uninstall an app. Start with the most recently downloaded one.
  5. After each removal, restart your device and see whether removing it solved the problem.
  6. Repeat steps 1-4 until you’ve identified the culprit.
  7. After you remove the app that’s causing the problem, you can reinstall the other apps that you removed.

Install system updates

Some bugs are caused by poor coding. One of the perks of using a Google Pixel device is the fact that you can be one of the first to experience the newest features Android has to offer. However, that can also be the reason why your device may be a source of frustration. There’s no perfect Operating System so first versions are usually buggy. If your Pixel 3 XL started to restart on its own after an update, it may be due to an inefficient code. As Google irons out bugs, updates are released to implement them. Be sure that you install the latest available system updates as they come along.

By default, Pixel 3 devices are set to automatically install system updates. However, you can also manually check it yourself to see if there’s a more recent Android version for your device at this time. Here’s how:

  1. Connect your Pixel 3 XL to wifi.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Near the bottom, tap System.
  4. Tap Advanced.
  5. Tap System update. If you don’t see ‘Advanced’, tap About phone.
  6. You’ll see your update status. Follow any steps on the screen.

Forced reboot

Sometimes, temporary bugs may cause a system to become unstable. Some of these bugs may go away when a system is refreshed so one of your troubleshooting steps would be to force reboot the device by pressing and holding the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds. Once the phone restarts, use the phone as normal and check for the problem.

Calibrate battery

If left for a long time, Android may become inaccurate in reading battery levels. While this does not usually result to significant problems, it can lead to annoying random reboot issue, especially when the battery level becomes low. What you can do to minimize this situation from happening is to calibrate the battery and Android.

To calibrate the battery and OS again, follow these steps:

  1. Drain the battery completely. This means using your device until it powers down by its own and the battery level reads 0%.
  2. Charge the phone until it reaches 100%. Be sure to use original charging equipment for your device and let it charge up completely. Do not unplug your device for at least two more hours and also don’t use it while charging.
  3. After the elapsed time, unplug your device.
  4. Restart the device.
  5. Use your phone until it completely runs out of power again.
  6. Repeat steps 1-5.

Factory reset

A more drastic troubleshooting step that you can do in this case is factory reset. This will revert all software settings back to their defaults. In majority of cases, this is an effective way to fix software problems, including the possible reason why your Pixel 3 XL is restarting.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data.
  2. Turn off your Google Pixel 3 XL.
  3. Press and hold the Power+Volume Down buttons until bootloader mode (image of an Android with Start above it) appears, then release.
  4. Select Recovery mode. You can use the Volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the Power button to select. The device will flash the Google start screen momentarily and then restarts in Recovery mode.
  5. If presented with an image of a broken Android with “No Command” printed on the screen, press and hold the Power button. Press the Volume Up button once. Then release the Power button.
  6. From the Android Recovery screen, select Wipe data/factory reset.
  7. Select Yes. Wait for several minutes for the factory data reset process to complete.
  8. Select Reboot system now. Allow several minutes for the factory data reset and reboot processes to complete.
  9. Set the phone up again.

Get professional help

If nothing works after doing a factory reset, that means that the cause of the problem is deeper. It may be hardware-related, or it’s buried deep within the operating system or firmware. At this stage, there’s nothing much that you can do except to get support from Google.



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