FIX: Samsung Phone Stuck in Boot Loop and Wont Turn On

A boot loop is to an Android phone – like a Samsung phone – what cancer is to a human. A boot loop is when an Android device can’t boot past the logo screen and either restarts following the appearance of the logo screen or simply gets stuck on it. A boot loop basically means that the affected phone can’t boot up into the Android Operating System, and that makes it a HUGE issue.

samsung off

However, while cancer is a tremendous problem, it is not entirely impossible to overcome it, and that is also the case with a boot loop on a Samsung phone (or even a Samsung tablet!). A boot loop can be caused by any one of dozens of different things, which is why there is not one but a whole myriad of possible solutions for a boot loop.

The following are some of the most effective solutions that you can use to try and fix a Samsung device that is stuck in a boot loop and simply refuses to boot past the Samsung logo screen:

Solution 1: Remove the phone’s battery, wait for a while and then re-insert it

As simple as it may seem, in many cases, simply removing the battery of a Samsung phone that is stuck in a boot loop and re-inserting it after waiting for a while fixes the issue.

Peel the Samsung phone’s back cover off.

Remove the phone’s battery.

remove samsung battery

Wait for 30-60 seconds for the residual charge to leave the phone’s circuits entirely.

Re-insert the battery.

Boot the phone up and see if it boots up successfully.

Of course, the steps listed and described above are only applicable to Samsung phones that have removable back covers and allow users to access their batteries. For Samsung devices with non-removable batteries, simply power the device off, let it sit for 5-8 minutes so as to allow the residual charge in its circuits to dissipate, and then boot it up to see whether or not the problem still persists. If the problem persists, try another one of the solutions listed and described below.

Solution 2: Remove the phone’s SD card

In many cases, a Samsung phone goes into a boot loop because of an incompatible or corrupt SD card or simply an SD card that it is having trouble “talking” to. In such cases, removing the SD card of the phone in question and then trying to boot it up results in the boot loop problem being fixed. There is no harm in removing your Samsung phone’s SD card and then trying to boot it up to see if this fixes your boot loop problem.

 

remove samsung sd card

However, it goes without saying that this solution can only be applied to Samsung phones that not only support but also have SD cards for increased storage space.

Solution 3: Plug the phone into a charger and press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons

Plug the faulting Samsung phone into a charger, and make sure that the charger is turned on.

Once the phone starts charging, press and hold the Power and Volume Up

Release the buttons once the Samsung logo appears.

 

samsung power volume up1

Check to see whether or not the phone boots up successfully. If the phone gets stuck on the Samsung logo and/or reboots, head down the list and try a different solution.

Solution 4: Plug the phone into a charger and press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons

Plug the faulting Samsung phone into a charger, and make sure that the charger is turned on.

Once the phone starts charging, press and hold the Power and Volume Down

Release the buttons once the Samsung logo appears.

Check to see whether or not the phone boots up successfully. If the phone gets stuck on the Samsung logo and/or reboots, try another one of the solutions listed here.

Solution 5: Get the phone into Download Mode and then reboot it

Sometimes, all it takes to snap a Samsung phone out of a boot loop is to boot it up into Download Mode and then restart it.

With the faulting, the device turned off, simply press and hold the Power, Volume Down, and Home buttons, all at the same time.

Release the buttons once you see a warning screen.

Once at the warning screen, press the Volume Down button to exit Download Mode and boot the phone up.

samsung download mode

Solution 6: Get the phone into Recovery Mode and then reboot it

With the Samsung device turned off, press and hold the Power, Volume Up and Home

Release the buttons once your phone boots up into a screen that says Android system recovery at the top.

Use the volume rocker to highlight the reboot system now

Press the Power button to select the reboot system now

See whether or not the phone boots up successfully.

Solution 7: Boot the phone into Recovery Mode and wipe its cache partition

Wiping the cache partition of a Samsung phone that is stuck in a boot loop could very well fix the issue, and to top it all off, no data is lost when an Android device’s cache partition is wiped. To apply this solution, you need to:

With the Samsung device turned off, press and hold the Power, Volume Up and Home

Release the buttons once your phone boots up into a screen that says Android system recovery at the top.

Use the volume rocker to highlight the wipe cache partition option and press the Power button to select it.

Once the phone’s cache partition has been wiped clean, use the volume rocker to highlight the reboot system now option and press the Power button to select it.

The phone will start booting up. Check to see if it boots up successfully.

Solution 8: Reset the phone to factory settings via Recovery Mode

If all else fails, you still have the option to reset your phone to factory settings through Recovery Mode. While factory resetting a Samsung phone stuck in a boot loop does mean that all data on the phone is going to be lost and it is going to be reverted to its factory state, a Samsung phone with no data is much better than a Samsung phone that doesn’t boot up completely and gets stuck in a boot loop. Resetting a Samsung phone stuck in a boot loop to factory settings has proven to be a pretty effective antidote to the problem. To reset a Samsung phone to factory settings via Recovery Mode, you need to:

With the Samsung device turned off, press and hold the Power, Volume Up and Home

Release the buttons once your phone boots up into a screen that says Android system recovery at the top.

Use the volume rocker to highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.

On the next screen, use the volume rocker to highlight the yes – erase all user data option and press the Power button to select it.

Once the phone has been reset to factory settings, you will be returned to the Android system recovery Once here, use the volume rocker to highlight the reboot system now option and press the Power button to select it.

The phone will start booting up, so just wait and see whether or not it is successful in booting into its Operating System.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.