The Three Ways to Restart Your Samsung Galaxy Tablet

A restart clears your tablet's temporary memory and stops all running apps, which fixes most freezing, slowness, and connection problems. You have three options: a soft restart (the safest, everyday choice), a forced restart (when the screen is frozen), and a factory reset (which erases everything and should only be your last resort).

Start with a soft restart. If that does not work, move to a forced restart. Only do a factory reset if your tablet is completely unresponsive and you have already tried the other two methods.

Key Takeaways

  • A soft restart takes 30 seconds and fixes most problems without erasing anything on your tablet.
  • A forced restart works when your screen is frozen or your tablet will not respond to touch, and takes about one minute.
  • A factory reset erases all your photos, apps, and files, so only use it if your tablet is completely broken and you have backed up your data first.
  • After any restart, your tablet will take two to five minutes to fully boot up and show the home screen.

Soft Restart: The Safe, Everyday Method

A soft restart is the gentlest option and the one to try first. Hold down the power button on the right edge of your tablet until the power menu appears on screen. This usually takes three to five seconds. Do not hold it longer than that.

Tap Restart from the menu that appears. Your tablet will shut down and turn back on automatically. The whole process takes about 30 seconds. While it restarts, you will see the Samsung logo, then a loading animation. Wait until you see your home screen and all the icons are fully loaded before using the tablet again.

If the power button does not bring up a menu, your tablet may have a different button layout. Check the right edge, the top edge, and the left edge. On some older Galaxy models, the power button is on the back.

Forced Restart: When Your Tablet Is Frozen

Use a forced restart if your screen is frozen, the tablet will not respond to touch, or the soft restart did not work. A forced restart forces the tablet to shut down even if it is not responding, so it is safe to use even when nothing else works.

Press and hold both the power button and the volume down button at the same time. Keep holding both buttons for 10 to 15 seconds. You will see the Samsung logo appear on screen, then the tablet will vibrate. Release both buttons when you see the vibration or the logo.

Your tablet will restart. You will see the loading animation again. This takes about two to three minutes. Do not touch the screen or press any buttons while it is restarting. When you see your home screen and all your apps are loaded, the restart is complete.

What to Do If Your Tablet Still Does Not Work

If your tablet is still frozen, unresponsive, or crashing after a soft restart and a forced restart, a factory reset may be necessary. However, a factory reset erases everything on your tablet — all your photos, videos, apps, messages, and files. Only do this if you have already backed up your important data to Google Drive, Samsung Cloud, or your computer.

To back up before a factory reset, go to Settings, then Accounts and backup, then Backup and restore. Choose Back up my data and select what you want to save. This can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have.

Once your data is backed up, go to Settings, then General management, then Reset. Tap Factory data reset. Your tablet will ask you to confirm. Tap Reset again. The tablet will restart and erase everything. This takes five to 10 minutes. When it finishes, you will see the setup screen as if the tablet is brand new.

Common Mistakes That Make Restarts Fail

The most common mistake is not holding the power button long enough. Many people press it once and release, which just locks the screen instead of opening the power menu. Hold the power button for a full three to five seconds before releasing.

Another mistake is touching the screen or pressing buttons while the tablet is restarting. This can interrupt the restart and cause it to fail. After you press restart or force restart, put the tablet down and wait. Do not pick it up until you see the home screen.

A third mistake is doing a factory reset without backing up first. Once you tap that final reset button, your data is gone. There is no undo. If you are not sure whether you need a factory reset, contact Samsung support before you proceed.

How Long a Restart Takes and What to Expect

A soft restart takes about 30 seconds from the moment you tap restart until the home screen appears. A forced restart takes two to three minutes. A factory reset takes five to 10 minutes, then another five to 10 minutes to set up the tablet again as new.

During any restart, your tablet will show the Samsung logo and a loading animation. The screen may go black for a few seconds. This is normal. Do not unplug the tablet or remove the battery (if your model has a removable battery) during a restart. Let it finish on its own.

After the restart is complete and you see your home screen, wait another 30 seconds before opening apps. Your tablet is still loading things in the background. If you open an app too soon, it may run slowly or freeze again.

When to Restart vs. When to Contact Samsung

Restart your tablet if it is freezing, running slowly, an app keeps crashing, or it will not connect to Wi-Fi. A restart fixes most of these problems in under five minutes.

Contact Samsung support if your tablet will not turn on at all, the screen is cracked or black and will not respond to anything, the battery drains in minutes even after a restart, or it gets very hot during normal use. These are hardware problems that a restart cannot fix. You can reach Samsung support through the Samsung Members app (which comes on most Galaxy tablets) or through the Samsung website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will restarting my tablet erase my photos and files?

No. A soft restart and a forced restart do not erase anything. Only a factory reset erases your data, and you have to choose that option yourself. If you are worried, do a soft restart first — it is completely safe.

How do I know if my tablet is fully restarted?

Your tablet is fully restarted when you see your home screen, all your app icons are visible, and the screen is responsive to touch. Wait 30 seconds after the home screen appears before opening apps, because the tablet is still loading things in the background.

What if the forced restart does not work?

If holding power and volume down for 15 seconds does not work, your tablet may have a hardware problem. Try plugging it in to charge for 30 minutes, then try the forced restart again. If it still does not work, contact Samsung support.

Can I restart my tablet while it is charging?

Yes. Restarting while plugged in is fine and does not damage the tablet. In fact, if your battery is very low, charging for a few minutes before a restart can help.

Do I need to close all my apps before restarting?

No. When you restart, all apps close automatically. You do not need to do anything except hold the power button and tap restart.