If you are searching for Google Pixel 4a 5G stuck on the boot screen, it turns out this is not common yet not so rare. Anything from adding a new app or upgrading to a higher OS or even an incremental Android OS can trigger it. What this issue does is essentially restrict the boot screen so you won’t be able to go past the OEM’s logo.
Some of the devices might end up in a slightly different issue, their phones will enter a constant boot loop which means the phone will constantly reboot itself. So in that case, what should you do? Here are a few pointers that you can do.
1: Perform a Forced Reboot [ Google Pixel 4a 5G Stuck on Boot Screen ]
If your Google Pixel 4a 5G has stuck on the boot screen or entered a boot loop, a force reboot can break the chain. It is essentially rebooting the device, however, it uses hardware keys and brute force to do it. You need to find the combination of keys according to your make and model. What you have to do is, Press Power + Volume Down button Or Power + Volume UP button to force a reboot.
Once you get the correct combination for your Google Pixel 4a 5G, press and hold both the buttons for 30-odd seconds until the phone dies out and shuts down. Use the power button to restart the phone after a few seconds and this should work. If not, you have an arsenal of other troubleshooting methods listed here to consider.
2: Boot into the Safe Mode
A Safe Mode on your Google Pixel 4a 5G is basically a bootable safe place where all third-party apps and processes are stopped. Since the phone is almost in its original settings, you can test whether a third-party app caused the device to be stuck in the boot loop. This is how you can try and fix the issue using the instructions mentioned below.
- First, press the power button once to reveal the Power off the menu and hold the “Power Off” button for a few seconds. This is when you will get a prompt to enter “Safe Mode” so tap on “Yes” or “OK” to confirm.
- Try uninstalling some recently downloaded apps and games from the system hoping that it will fix the issue.
- You can exit Safe Mode simply by pressing the Power button.
When in Safe Mode, if your Google Pixel 4a 5G behaves normally, there’s something wrong with the third-party apps. However, if everything is fine in this mode, there’s definitely something else that you should be looking for. Follow the next troubleshooting methods mentioned here to try and fix the issue.
3: Upgrade/Downgrade Software [ Google Pixel 4a 5G Stuck on Boot Screen ]
Assuming that you tried to upgrade to a newer Android firmware (could be beta, incremental, or major upgrade) or rather considered downgrading, you need to use countermeasures to fix your Google Pixel 4a 5G stuck on the boot screen.
If you are trying to upgrade to a newer firmware, you need to download the existing firmware from your OEM’s website or other sources. Similarly, if you were trying to downgrade, you will have to upgrade to the currently available version to fix the issue.
You can use the Recovery Mode to apply updates from the SD Card. You can use ADB tools installed on your PC and connect the phone to it to use the “Apply Update from ADB”. If you can turn on the phone somehow, you can use the Software Updates section via Settings >> About Phone to load new firmware and install it. Note that this may trigger deleting all user data so beware before doing it.
4: Wipe Cache Partition
Before you can take a major step and hard reset the phone (see next method), try wiping off the cache partition which is not too invasive a procedure in nature. Here’s how you can do it.
- Enter the Recovery Mode on your Google Pixel 4a 5G by turning off the phone. Use Power + Volume Down or Power + Volume Up and hold it for a straight 30 seconds.
- As soon as you see an Android logo, you can release the keys and boot into recovery mode.
- Here, you need to select “Wipe Cache Partition” from the options available. Again, there’s no touchscreen here so you will have to use the power button to select an option and volume up/down for navigation.
- Finally, select the option “Reboot system now” and check if wiping cache partition made a difference or not.
5: Pull off a Hard Reset [ Google Pixel 4a 5G Stuck on Boot Screen ]
When you are pulling off a hard reset, there are some things that you should know. First up, it will delete and eliminate all the data stored on your Google Pixel 4a 5G and unless you use a data recovery program, you won’t be able to retrieve the deleted data. Second, it is often considered as one of the powerful methods to fix any and every issue related to the software part, you will need a technician to tackle any hardware-borne issue. Here’s how you can pull off a hard reset.
- Switch off your Google Pixel 4a 5G.
- Now, you should either press Power + Volume Up Or Power + Volume Down buttons together and hold it for 30 seconds.
- Release both the buttons once the phone boots into recovery mode.
- You need to select “Wipe data/factory reset”. Here, you need to use volume up/down and power buttons to navigate and select since you cannot use a touchscreen.
- Next up, select “Yes — delete all user data” and the process will start.
- Finally, hit the “Reboot system now” option and that should fix the stuck at boot screen problem for you.
6: Get a professional’s help
Turns out carrying advanced troubleshooting like unlocking the bootloader, flashing custom ROMs, among others can help fix the issue. You can get help from a professional such as a technician from an authorized service center.
Closing Words
These were some of the troubleshooting methods you can use if your Google Pixel 4a 5G is stuck in the boot screen or boot loop. Some of the methods listed here might be too technical so if you are not comfortable doing it, get help from those who can do it for you.
Also read: Fingerprint sensor not working on Google Pixel 4a 5G? Fix it now