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Will These Proven Methods Rescue Your Pixel from a Frozen Shutdown?
A Pixel device stuck on the “Shutting Down” screen can be alarming, especially if it occurs after a routine restart or an OTA update. Here are proven methods to resolve the issue and restore normal operation.
Solution 1: Force Restart
Press and hold both the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously for at least 15 seconds. The device should force a reboot and exit the stuck state.
Solution 2: Reboot via Fastboot Mode
- Hold down the Power and Volume Down buttons together until the device enters Fastboot Mode.
- Use the Volume keys to highlight “Start” and press the Power button to confirm.
- This can bypass the frozen shutdown screen and boot the device normally.
Solution 3: Install Firmware via ADB Sideload
- Boot into Recovery Mode (Power + Volume Down, then use the menu to select Recovery).
- Choose “Apply update from ADB.”
- Connect the device to a computer and use the command:
adb sideload <update_file.zip>
- Only sideload the same or newer firmware version; downgrades are not supported via this method.
Solution 4: Install Firmware via Fastboot (Advanced)
Requires an unlocked bootloader.
Boot into Fastboot Mode. Use the fastboot command line tools to flash the firmware images.
This process will factory reset the device, so ensure data is backed up if possible.
Key Considerations
- Force restart is the safest and quickest first step.
- Firmware flashing should be reserved for persistent issues or when the device fails to boot after multiple restarts.
- Unlocking the bootloader and flashing firmware will erase all data.