The Two Ways to Restart an Onn Tablet

An Onn tablet restarts in two ways: a soft restart (power off and back on) or a hard restart (force shutdown). Most of the time, a soft restart fixes freezing, slow performance, or apps that won't close. A hard restart forces the tablet to shut down when ready without saving anything, which you use only when the tablet won't respond to normal shutdown commands.

Both methods take less than two minutes and won't erase your files, photos, or settings. The tablet will restart exactly as it was before, except any unsaved work in open apps will be lost.

Key Takeaways

  • A soft restart means holding the power button until the shutdown menu appears, then tapping "Power off" — this is the safest restart method.
  • A hard restart means holding the power button for 10 to 15 seconds until the screen goes black, even if the shutdown menu never appears.
  • After either restart, wait 30 seconds before pressing the power button again so the tablet fully shuts down.
  • If your tablet still freezes after a restart, try clearing the cache or checking for system updates before attempting a hard restart again.

How to Do a Soft Restart

A soft restart is the normal way to turn your Onn tablet off and back on. Press and hold the power button (usually on the right or top edge of the tablet) until a menu appears on the screen. This menu shows options like "Power off," "Restart," or "Emergency SOS" depending on your tablet model.

Tap "Power off" and wait for the screen to go completely black. This takes about 10 to 15 seconds. Once the screen is dark, wait another 30 seconds before pressing the power button again to turn it back on. The tablet will boot up and show the lock screen or home screen as normal.

If a "Restart" option appears in the menu instead of "Power off," you can tap that to restart directly without waiting between shutdown and startup. Either method works equally well.

How to Do a Hard Restart

Use a hard restart only when your Onn tablet is completely frozen and won't respond to the power button menu. Press and hold the power button for 10 to 15 seconds without letting go. The screen may flicker or show nothing — keep holding. After 10 to 15 seconds, the screen will go black and the tablet will shut down by force.

Release the power button and wait 30 seconds. Then press the power button once to turn the tablet back on. The startup process takes about 30 to 60 seconds, and you may see a boot animation or logo before the lock screen appears.

A hard restart can sometimes trigger a recovery screen or safety mode on first boot, depending on your tablet model. If this happens, you can usually press the power button or tap "Normal boot" to continue starting up normally. If you see unfamiliar text or options, do not press anything — wait 10 seconds and the tablet will usually proceed on its own.

When to Restart Instead of Other Fixes

Restart your tablet when an app freezes, the screen becomes unresponsive, or the tablet runs slowly. Restarting clears temporary files and resets the system memory, which fixes most performance problems without erasing anything permanent.

Do not restart if you are in the middle of saving a file or uploading something — a restart will interrupt that process. Close or save your work first, then restart. If an app keeps crashing after a restart, try clearing that app's cache by going to Settings > Apps, finding the app, and tapping "Clear cache." If the tablet is still slow after a restart and cache clear, check for system updates in Settings > System > System update.

What to Do If Your Tablet Won't Restart

If the power button does not respond at all, your tablet may have a completely dead battery. Plug it into a charger and wait 10 minutes before trying the power button again. Some tablets require a minimum charge before they will turn on.

If the tablet is plugged in and the power button still does not work, try a hard restart by holding the power button for 20 to 30 seconds instead of the usual 10 to 15. Some Onn models require a longer hold. If nothing happens after 30 seconds, the power button itself may be stuck or broken — contact the tablet manufacturer or a repair service.

Restarting Without Losing Your Data

Both soft and hard restarts preserve all your files, photos, contacts, and app data. Nothing is erased. The only thing you lose is any work you had open in an app that you had not saved — for example, text typed into an email draft but not sent, or a note in a notepad app that you had not saved to storage.

To avoid losing unsaved work, close all apps before restarting. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or use the back button, depending on your tablet) to close each app, then restart. When the tablet comes back on, your apps will open to where you left them, but any unsaved changes within those apps will be gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will restarting my Onn tablet delete my photos or files?

No. A restart does not erase photos, files, contacts, or app data. Everything stays on your tablet. The only thing lost is unsaved work inside apps — like a draft email or a note you typed but did not save.

How long does an Onn tablet take to restart?

A full restart takes about 60 to 90 seconds from the moment you press the power button to turn it back on. The tablet will show a boot animation or logo, then the lock screen. If it takes longer than two minutes, something may be wrong — try a hard restart instead.

What is the difference between soft restart and hard restart?

A soft restart uses the power menu and lets the system shut down cleanly. A hard restart forces the power off when ready without the menu. Use soft restart normally; use hard restart only when the tablet is frozen and will not respond.

Can I restart my Onn tablet while it is charging?

Yes, you can restart while plugged in. It is actually safer to restart while charging if your battery is low, because the tablet will not shut down unexpectedly during the restart process.

My tablet keeps freezing even after I restart it. What should I do?

Try clearing the cache for the app that freezes most often. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the app name, and select "Clear cache." If the whole tablet is slow, check Settings > System > System update to see if an update is available. If problems continue, a factory reset may be needed, but that erases everything — contact Onn support before doing that.