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How to fix an unresponsive Google Pixel with a “black screen of death”

They call it the “black screen of death” for a reason. When your Google Pixel™ screen goes blank, and you don’t know what to do, it can feel like your phone—and everything on it—is gone forever.

Don’t worry though. At Asurion, we help millions of people troubleshoot, fix, and maximize their tech. From how to make your Pixel battery last longer to making sense of the dark web, we can help you with the devices you rely on most. Here are our tips for tackling a Google Pixel with an unresponsive black screen.

Restart your Pixel

The good news is your phone may just be frozen. To get rid of the Google Pixel black screen of death, try restarting your device.

  1. Press and hold the Power button for around 30 seconds.
  2. Hold it down until the Google® logo appears.

Charge your Pixel

Still having trouble? In some cases, the black screen may be caused by a dead battery. A good way to see if that’s the issue: Fully charge your device.

  1. Connect your Pixel to its charger.
  2. Whether the phone shows it’s charging or not, leave it connected to the charger for at least 10 minutes.
  3. Press and hold the Power button until you see the Google logo.

Restart your Pixel in Safe Mode

Safe Mode helps you find problems with your apps and widgets by disabling them. This allows you to see whether an app or a widget is causing the issue.

  1. Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds.
  2. Hold it down until the Google logo appears. Then press and hold the Volume Down button.
  3. Keep holding it until the device powers on fully. “Safe mode” will appear at the bottom of the screen.

To exit Safe Mode, restart your device.

Complete a factory reset

If all the other steps don’t work, try resetting your device to its factory settings. This step is meant to serve as a last resort.

The reason: It wipes your personal data, including photos and videos. So make sure to back up your phone before you get started. Otherwise, your phone will wind up exactly as you had it when you opened the box.

Whether you’re completing a reset from Settings in the phone’s Home menu or you’re using the Reboot menu, check out our reset guide to learn more.

If you've tried these steps and still need a little help, we're right around the corner. uBreakiFix® by Asurion is an Authorized Repair Provider for Google Pixel™ smartphones—schedule a repair at your nearest store and our experts can get your device back up and running as soon as the same day.


*The Asurion® trademarks and logos are the property of Asurion, LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Asurion is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of the respective owners of the other trademarks appearing herein.*

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