Quick Answer: Holding the side button on a modern Galaxy launches Bixby, not the power menu — that’s why the old method stopped working. Instead: press and hold the Side button + Volume Down together until the power menu appears, then tap Restart. Frozen screen? Hold those same two buttons for 10–15 seconds until the Samsung logo appears — that’s a force restart, and it erases nothing. Easiest of all: swipe down twice for Quick Settings and tap the power icon. To get the old behaviour back permanently, remap it at Settings → Advanced features → Side button → Press and hold → Power off menu.
You’ve had Galaxy phones for years, you hold the power button to restart — and Bixby pops up asking how it can help. Samsung merged the power and Bixby buttons into one “Side button”, and the result is one of the most searched questions in Android.
There are six ways to restart a Galaxy phone, and the right one depends on your situation: a working screen, a frozen one, a broken button, or a phone that needs restarting regularly on its own. All six are below, plus the settings change that makes the side button behave the way it used to.
Which Method Do You Need?
| Situation | Method | Jump to |
|---|---|---|
| Screen works normally | Quick Settings power icon | Method 1 |
| Prefer physical buttons | Side + Volume Down → Restart | Method 2 |
| Screen frozen or unresponsive | Force restart (hold 10–15 sec) | Method 3 |
| Hands full or screen unusable | Ask Bixby | Method 4 |
| Power button broken | On-screen options only | Method 5 |
| Want it to restart itself regularly | Auto restart schedule | Method 6 |
Method 1: Quick Settings (Easiest)
The most reliable software route on modern One UI, and it avoids the Bixby problem entirely.
- Swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel.
- Tap the power icon in the top-right corner.
- Tap Restart, then Restart again to confirm.
- The phone shuts down and boots back up in about 30–60 seconds.
Method 2: The Button Combination
Samsung’s own documented method — and the one that replaced the old power-button hold.
- Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button at the same time.
- Keep holding until the power menu appears — a quick press of those two buttons takes a screenshot instead, which catches everyone out at least once.
- Tap Restart, then confirm.
Why the side button alone doesn’t work: on the Galaxy S20 and every flagship since — plus the A-series — Samsung merged the power and Bixby buttons. Holding it summons Bixby by default. That’s a setting, not a fault, and Method 2b fixes it for good.
Method 2b: Make the Side Button Work Like a Power Button Again
- Open Settings → Advanced features → Side button.
- Under Press and hold, select Power off menu instead of “Wake Bixby”.
- Now holding the side button alone brings up Power off and Restart, exactly as older Galaxy phones did.
- You can also set a double press shortcut on the same screen — Camera is the default and worth keeping.
Method 3: Force Restart (Frozen or Unresponsive Phone)
This is the one to remember. It reboots the hardware directly, works when the touchscreen is completely dead, and does not erase any data.
- Press and hold Side button + Volume Down together.
- Keep holding for 10 to 15 seconds — past the point where it feels like nothing is happening.
- The screen goes black, the phone buzzes, and the Samsung logo appears. Release then.
- If nothing happens after 15 seconds, plug the phone into a charger and try again — a flat battery can prevent the reboot.
Modern Galaxy phones have sealed batteries, so this button combination replaces the old “pull the battery out” trick entirely.
Method 4: Ask Bixby
Since Bixby has taken over the side button, you may as well use it.
- Say “Hi Bixby” (or press the side button), then say “Restart my phone”.
- Bixby shows a confirmation screen with Power off and Restart.
- Tap Restart to confirm.
- Bixby Voice must be set up beforehand — worth doing now if your buttons are unreliable.
Method 5: Restart With a Broken Power Button
If the side button is physically dead, you still have options:
- Quick Settings power icon (Method 1) needs no buttons at all — this is the main answer.
- Bixby voice (Method 4) works completely hands-free.
- Accessibility Menu: Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Menu → on. It adds a floating on-screen button with power controls — the best permanent workaround.
- Scheduled restart (Method 6) restarts the phone without any input at all.
Our full guide covers this in depth: Android power button not working — 8 fixes + restart without it.
Method 6: Set Up Automatic Restarts
Samsung builds in a maintenance feature most owners never enable — the phone reboots itself, clears memory, and closes background apps.
- Open Settings → Device care → Auto optimization → Auto restart (wording varies slightly by One UI version — search “auto restart” in Settings if it’s elsewhere).
- Turn on Restart when needed to let the phone choose its moment.
- Or use Restart on schedule and pick the days and time — a weekly overnight restart is ideal.
- Conditions usually apply: screen off, battery above a threshold, and no alarm imminent, so it won’t interrupt you.
Restart vs Power Off vs Force Restart — What’s the Difference?
| Action | What it does | Data lost? |
|---|---|---|
| Restart | Software shutdown and boot; closes apps cleanly | No |
| Power off | Shuts down and stays off until you power on | No |
| Force restart | Hardware-level reboot for a frozen phone | No |
| Factory reset | Wipes the entire phone back to new | Yes — back up first |
A weekly restart genuinely helps: it clears memory leaks, closes stuck background processes, and fixes a surprising number of small problems — slow performance, apps misbehaving, notifications not arriving, Bluetooth refusing to connect.
If Your Galaxy Won’t Restart
- Nothing at all after 15 seconds of holding? Plug into a wall charger for 30 minutes, then try the force restart again while connected — a completely flat battery blocks reboots. Our phone not charging guide covers it if charging is also failing.
- Stuck on the Samsung logo (boot loop): hold Side + Volume Down to force restart. If it loops again, boot into Safe Mode — power off, then hold the power button and, when the Samsung logo appears, hold Volume Down until the phone starts with “Safe mode” in the corner. If it’s stable there, a recently installed app is the cause; uninstall it.
- Restarting constantly on its own? That’s usually an app, a full storage volume, or overheating rather than the restart method — our apps not opening guide covers the diagnostics, including wiping the cache partition.
- Phone restarts fine but problems persist? Restarting is step one of most fixes, not the whole cure — see our App Fixes Hub for the specific problem.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does holding the power button open Bixby on my Samsung?
Samsung merged the power and Bixby buttons into a single Side button on the Galaxy S20 and later, and holding it wakes Bixby by default. Use Side + Volume Down for the power menu, or change it at Settings → Advanced features → Side button → Press and hold → Power off menu.
How do I force restart a frozen Samsung phone?
Hold the Side button and Volume Down together for 10–15 seconds until the screen goes black and the Samsung logo appears. It reboots the hardware directly and doesn’t delete anything.
Does force restarting a Samsung phone delete data?
No. A force restart is just a hardware-level reboot — apps, photos, messages, and settings are untouched. Only a factory reset erases the phone.
How do I restart a Samsung phone without the power button?
Swipe down twice and tap the power icon in Quick Settings, ask Bixby to restart the phone, or enable the Accessibility Menu for an on-screen power button. A scheduled auto restart works with no input at all.
How often should I restart my phone?
Once a week is a good habit — it clears memory, closes stuck processes, and prevents a range of small glitches. Samsung’s Auto restart feature under Device care can do it for you on a schedule.
Why does pressing Side + Volume Down take a screenshot instead?
A quick press of those two buttons is the screenshot shortcut. For the power menu you have to press and hold them together for a couple of seconds.
