How to Turn Off a Google Pixel Phone
Reading Time: 3 minutesTurning off or restarting your Pixel phone is simpler than you think.
Over the years, smartphones have become more complex thanks to the sheer number of technological innovations they pack. Sometimes, this ends up making a simple task much more complicated than it needs to be. Take the point of Google’s Pixel phones. In the past, you could switch them off using the power button, but that is no longer the case.
Depending on which Pixel phone you own, the process of restarting or turning it off will vary. This is because the power button is mapped to bring up Google Assistant instead of the Power menu on newer Google Pixel phones. So how do you turn off a Google Pixel phone? Find out in this guide.
How to Turn Off or Restart the Google Pixel 5 and Older Pixels
Powering off Pixel 5 and older Pixel phones running Android 11 or Android 12 is a relatively straightforward process.
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds on your Pixel.
- The Power menu should pop up on the screen. Select the Power off option from here. To restart, select the Restart option.
A black screen will appear for a few seconds, after which your Pixel will turn off completely or reboot, depending on your selected option.
How to Turn Off or Restart the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6
Powering off or restarting the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series is different from older Pixel phones. By default, you cannot power off these devices by long-pressing the power button.
- Press and hold the Power and Volume up buttons simultaneously on your Google Pixel phone.
- The Power menu should appear.
- Tap the Power off option. If you want to restart your Pixel, tap on Restart instead.
To turn your Pixel back on, long press the power button. Your phone will vibrate when the boot process starts.
You can tweak the behavior of the power button on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 from the Settings menu.
- Open the Settings menu on your Pixel 6 or Pixel 7.
- Scroll down and select System > Gestures. Tap the Press & hold power button option.
- Select Power menu.
Long-pressing the power button on your Pixel will now bring up the power menu, where you can quickly turn off, restart, or put the device in Lockdown mode. Consider turning off Google Assistant on your Android phone if you are not a fan of the digital assistant.
How to Turn Off or Restart Your Google Pixel Without Using the Power Button
If the power button of your Pixel is not working, you can use the software-based power button to bring up the power menu to turn off or restart the device.
- Swipe down on your Pixel’s home screen to bring up the notification shade.
- Swipe again to expand the Quick Settings panel. You will see a software-based power button in the bottom-right corner.
- Tap on it to bring up the power menu. Select the Power off or Restart option, depending on what you want.
How to Hard Restart Your Google Pixel Phone
You can try a hard reboot if your Pixel is unresponsive and not responding to any button inputs.
- Press and hold the Power button on your Pixel for at least 30 seconds.
- The screen will automatically turn black, and your device will turn off. If it does not power on automatically, press the power button again.
Check out the right way to set up your new Android phone if you have gotten a new Pixel phone and are still exploring all its features.
Explore Your Pixel
Turning off or restarting a Google Pixel phone is not as straightforward as it should be. On the positive side, Google provides multiple options to turn off the phone, so if you are not happy with one method, you can try the other option.