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Android Phone Keeps Turning Off? Here’s the FIX!

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Writer, Android

Chizara is a technical writer who loves learning new things and sharing her knowledge with people in simple, clear terms. As part of her coursework, she is learning about Extended Reality and the Metaverse. She currently serves as a writer at Gotechtor covering all things Android.

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Does your Android phone keep turning off while you are using it? Does it keep turning off by itself even when you have a full battery? If your answer is yes, this article is for you,

If your Android phone keeps turning itself off, it might stem from hardware or software-related problems. You might have a bad battery, a corrupted app, or even an out-of-date operating system.

This can be very frustrating, especially when you are watching your favorite shows. The phone turning off is a fairly common problem among Android devices and can usually be solved quickly with a few troubleshooting tips.

In this article, we will discuss what causes your Android phone to shut down by itself and provide fixes for it. Stay with us!

Why Does Your Phone Keep Turning Off?

The most common reason Android phones keep turning off is that the battery is not correctly fitted. Over time, battery size or capacity can change due to wear and tear. Consequently, the battery can become loose when you shake your phone and disconnect it from its connectors.

Other reasons why your Android phone keeps turning off include the following:

  • Corrupt third-party apps
  • Overheating issues
  • A bad or old battery
  • An out-of-date OS
  • An unfinished or interrupted system update
  • Damage from water and fluids
  • Insufficient storage
  • High CPU usage
  • A stuck power-off button
  • Device malware
  • Device internal self resets
  • Scheduled power on and off
  • A loose battery connection
  • A stuck power button

How to Fix Android Phone Keeps Turning Off

If your Android phone keeps shutting off by itself, you must ensure the case does not jam the power button. Tight phone cases, particularly rubber ones, would continually press down on the power button and cause it to turn off. Remove the phone case, and that should fix the problem.

1. Stuck Power Button

If the power button is stuck or pressed, it will cause your device to shut down by itself. Try to loosen the power button by wiggling it around gently or using a pair of tweezers to pull it out carefully. Now, the power button should go in and bounce back out when you press it.

2. Charge Your Device

If your battery is low, your phone will shut down. Simply, plug your phone into an outlet and leave it to charge. Once it is charged, you can turn it on and keep using it without hitches.

3. Reboot Your Device

Sometimes, this error might come from a system glitch. If your phone keeps switching off, you should try rebooting the phone.

Rebooting your phone will clear the RAM and all processes running on the phone. This gives your device a fresh start and can help to clear bugs.

To reboot your Android Device, please follow these steps:

  • Long-press the ON/OFF button on the side of your device until you get a prompt like the one below.
Restart your device to clear RAM
Reboot Your Device. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

Note: The interface you get may differ from the image above if you have a different Android brand. The buttons will still be the same.

4. Check Your Battery Status

If rebooting your device doesn’t fix the issue, the problem can come from your battery. To confirm if the problem is from your battery, check your device’s battery status.

To check your phone’s battery status, follow these steps:

  • Open the Phone or Dialler app.
  • Dial *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#INFO#*#* in the dialler.
  • Go to the Battery Information page.
  • Ensure the battery status says it is in good health.

Charge your phone immediately if the battery is dying. If the phone still keeps switching off, recheck the battery status. If your phone won’t charge, you may need to replace its battery.

5. Turn Off Scheduled Power On and Off

If you enabled scheduled power on and off on your device, your phone would automatically shut down and power on at specific times of the day. You will have to turn off the feature.

To do so, follow these easy steps:

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Go to Utilities and go to the Schedule Power On and Off tab. Alternatively, by using the search option, you can search for Schedule Power On and Off straight from Settings.
  • When you get to the Schedule Power On and Off tab, switch off all the timers you have and save the settings.
turn off schedule power feature
Turn Off Power On and Off. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

6. Update Your Android Device

An out-of-date Android version can cause problems for your phone and its apps. Regular updates allow your Android device to work optimally and get rid of bugs.

To update your Operating System, follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings and select Software Update.
Software update tab
Click on Software Update. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • If there is an update available, click on Download and Install.
Click on Download and Install
Download Software Updates. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Click on Download to start the software update.
Download Android update
Download the Android update. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

Wait for the OS to install. After updating and installing, your phone will no longer turn off by itself.

7. Update All Apps

When your apps are out-of-date, they clash with the software and other services running on your device.

Follow these steps to update your apps:

  • Open the Google Play Store app and click on your account icon at the top right corner of the screen. Your google account icon should be your profile picture or the first letter of your name.
Google account profile icon
Google Account Icon. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Now, click on Manage Apps and Device.
Manage apps and devices tab
Manage apps and device in Google Play Store. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • If there are updates available, you will see “Updates Available.”
  • Select Update All.
Update all apps on Android
Update all Android apps. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

Restart your device, and the shutting down will stop.

8. Free Up Your Phone Storage

This can be a manual and tiring fix, but it has been proven to work most of the time. Clearing out unused files and app cache can help to free up space on your Android phone.

Delete any file you don’t need, and then clear the cache of your apps. To clear the app cache, follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings and then click on Apps.
Apps panel in Android settings
Settings on Android Device. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Select an app in the Apps list, go to Storage, and click on Clear Cache at the bottom of the screen.
Clear Camera cache
Clear the Camera app cache. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

Do this for other apps, especially those that use up a lot of memory.

9. Check for Overheating Issues

Usually, a phone overheats when you play games, stream movies, or use memory-intensive apps. If your phone is constantly overheating, or becoming extremely hot, your phone might shut down to protect itself.

Check out our guide for step-by-step instructions on how to stop your phone from overheating.

10. Check for Third-Party Apps Interference

Third-party apps are applications created by people or organizations other than your device manufacturer.

Sometimes, these apps aren’t compatible with your device and can cause problems. If your phone has buggy apps, it can cause it to shut down on its own.

To check for third-party interference, run your Android device in Safe Mode. Safe Mode disables all third-party applications.

When your phone is in Safe Mode, you can only access apps created by your manufacturer. All other apps will be greyed out.

To run your device in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

  • Press and hold the ON/OFF button on the side of your Android device.
  • When the menu pops up, long-press the Power Off button.
Android power off button
Long-press the Power Off Button. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Click on Safe Mode and wait for your device to restart.
restart Android phone in Safe mode
Restart Android phone in Safe mode Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

When your phone comes up, it will only have the manufacturer’s apps. All third-party apps will be greyed out. A grey box with “Safe Mode” will also be written at the bottom of the screen.

All apps not created by the manufacturer will be greyed out.
Android device in Safe Mode. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

Use your phone and check if it shuts down on its own. If it doesn’t, the problem is from your third-party apps.

Now that you have found the issue, you have to uninstall the third-party apps manually, one after the other.

Restart your device after uninstalling each app and check if you fixed the problem by removing that app.

Uninstalling an app is pretty simple. Follow these steps to uninstall your third-party apps:

  • Go to your apps list and long-press the app of your choice. In the options there, click on Uninstall.
Uninstall Android apps
Click Uninstall. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Confirm that you want to uninstall the app by clicking OK.
Click OK to uninstall the app
Click OK. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

If the problem persists, uninstall another app, restart and check. Soon, the error will be gone.

11. Factory Reset Your Device

A factory reset should always be the last resort, but this might be your only option if all fails. Back up all your important data and files in a cloud storage service of your choice, as a factory reset will clear all your data.

Before resetting your phone, here’s a step-by-step guide on safely backing up your Android phone.

To factory reset your phone, follow these simple steps:

  • Open Settings and go to General Management.
General Management in Android settings
General Management in Android Settings. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Click on Reset.
Reset panel in general management settings
Reset Panel in General Management. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Choose Factory Data Reset. It will wipe out your phone and erase all of your data.
Reset your device to Default settings
Factory Data Reset Tab. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor
  • Click the Reset button to completely reset your phone to the factory settings.
Android Reset button
Android Reset button. Screenshot: Chizara Ibeakanma/Gotechtor

After resetting your device, it should no longer turn off by itself.

12. Contact Your Phone’s Manufacturer

If all these fixes fail, there is something wrong with your device. Contact your manufacturer or take the device to an accredited repair shop to get it checked.

Final Thoughts on Fixing “Android Phone Keeps Turning Off” Error

Using one of our solutions, you can easily fix your “Android phone keeps turning off” problem. Soon, you will be back to using your phone.

  • Unstuck your power button
  • Charge your phone’s battery
  • Restart your phone
  • Check your battery status
  • Turn off scheduled power on and off
  • Update your Android device
  • Update all apps on your phone
  • Free up your phone’s storage
  • Check for overheating issues
  • Check for third-party apps interference
  • Factory reset your Android device
  • Contact your phone manufacturer

If you have tried the above steps and the problem persists, we recommend you buy a new phone. Check our smartphone buying guide to get the best bang for your buck.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, don’t hesitate to suggest them in the comment section below.

Writer, Android

Chizara is a technical writer who loves learning new things and sharing her knowledge with people in simple, clear terms. As part of her coursework, she is learning about Extended Reality and the Metaverse. She currently serves as a writer at Gotechtor covering all things Android.

Chizara Ibeakanma

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