Most recent Motorola phones open the restart menu with Power + Volume Up. Hold both together, then tap Restart. On older models, or phones set to show the power menu, holding Power alone brings up that same choice.
A frozen screen won't let you tap Restart. Instead, hold Power continuously for about half a minute (30 seconds). A restart doesn't erase your photos, apps or accounts.
In this guide
Open the power menu that matches your phone
Save anything you're working on, then press Power + Volume Up and hold until you see the menu. Tap Restart and let the phone turn off and start again. Leave the reset options in Settings alone for this task.
Use this combination when holding Power alone starts the digital assistant. The button can be set to open the assistant, so seeing the assistant doesn't signal a broken button or a missing restart option.
Motorola's power-button instructions for the edge 50 fusion describe this difference. Its Android 14 menu can assign a long Power press to the assistant or to the power menu.
On older Motorola phones, try holding Power until the menu appears. If that shows Power off and Restart, select Restart normally. Which method works depends on your model and what its Power button is set to do.
Release the buttons once the menu opens and the screen responds. Keeping them pressed isn't needed for a normal restart and can turn it into a forced one.
Take off a case that blocks the buttons. A button that doesn't click or stays pressed needs attention. Pressing harder through a tight case won't free a stuck button.
Restart through Quick Settings when touch still works
Pull the notification area open by swiping downward from the top edge. A second downward swipe expands Quick Settings. Look for the small power control and tap it. Choose Restart from the menu that opens.
The power control's position can vary with the Android release and layout. Expanding Quick Settings is the important part; the first short swipe may show only notifications and a few tiles.
This is the method I'd use when the buttons are difficult to reach but the display responds. It opens the regular power menu without changing the assistant shortcut or any other button preference.
If the panel won't move or taps do nothing, skip to the frozen-screen method. Repeatedly tapping Restart won't help when the touchscreen isn't accepting input.
For an Edge 2023 that keeps missing taps after rebooting, compare dead touch areas with app freezes before choosing a reset.
Choosing Power off instead will shut down the phone and leave it off. To start it again, hold Power until it begins booting. Choose Restart when you want the phone to complete both parts itself.
Hold Power when the screen is frozen
Press Power continuously for roughly 30 seconds, until the phone begins restarting. Keep holding through the first few seconds even if nothing happens. On a responsive phone, a short Power press only wakes or locks the screen.
The screen should go dark, then show the startup logo as the phone starts again. Release Power when it restarts. This forces a restart without needing the frozen app or touchscreen to respond.
If that doesn't work, connect the phone to a charger for at least five minutes, then try holding Power again while it's connected. A drained battery can prevent a restart even when the button sequence is correct.
Use a working charger, cable and outlet. When there is still no response, the Motorola phone won't turn on checks help separate charging trouble from a black display or repeating startup logo.
Don't substitute Power + Volume Down for the restart hold. That combination is used in other Motorola procedures and can lead to a startup menu. Entering a recovery menu isn't part of an ordinary reboot.
A forced restart also differs from erasing the phone. The Motorola factory-reset guide covers that separate procedure and the preparation it requires. Don't erase a phone just because an app froze once.
Restore a Power-only menu if you prefer it
On the edge 50 fusion running Android 14, open Settings > Gestures > Press & hold power button. Select Power menu to make a long press show shutdown and restart choices instead of the digital assistant.
Other Motorola models can put gesture controls elsewhere. Search Settings for power button if that path isn't there, then check your phone's options. Leave the separate double-press camera shortcut alone.
Return to your Home screen and hold Power to check that the menu appears. This setting changes how you reach Restart; it doesn't change what a restart does to your files.
If you prefer the assistant shortcut, keep it. Power + Volume Up and the Quick Settings power control give you another way to reach the restart menu without giving up that shortcut.
Check what happens after the phone starts
Enter your screen-lock PIN, password or pattern when asked after restarting. Reopen the previously frozen app to check the task that stopped responding. You're checking that the Home screen loads and the app works again.
When the same app freezes again, check for its update in the Play Store. Google's Android freezing guidance also recommends checking updates and available storage when restarts don't solve repeated trouble.
If the phone keeps freezing, try it in Safe mode. On models with the two-button power menu, open it, touch and hold Power off, then tap OK when offered a Safe mode restart.
Downloaded apps won't run in that mode. If the fault disappears, restart normally and uninstall recent additions individually. Check after each removal. Keep a list so you can reinstall apps that weren't causing the problem.
If the phone keeps freezing in Safe mode, or Power no longer responds, give Motorola support your model name and Android release from Settings > About phone. Explain whether you get a logo, a lock screen or no display at all.
The Short Version
Recent Motorola phones use Power + Volume Up for the menu; older models can use Power alone. Quick Settings also opens it. For a frozen screen, give Power a continuous 30-second hold, charging first if necessary.
Checked November 12, 2026.
