How to restart your Android phone without the power button: 2 alternative methods

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• You should make a habit of restarting your phone.
• There are several ways to restart an Android device.
• These methods can help with wear and tear on physical buttons.

I regularly restart my Pixel 9 Pro, and there’s a good reason for that. Actually, there are several reasons why I regularly restart my phone (weekly — at least). Here’s a short list for you to ponder:

• Improves performance by clearing temporary caches.
• Enhances security by disrupting possible cyberattacks and clearing possible malware stored in memory.
• Resolves issues such as if your phone has slowed down, is getting hot, apps are crashing, and you’re having connectivity issues, a restart often will fix those issues.

Those three points alone should have you reaching for your Android phone.

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As for me, I generally restart my phone every Saturday. I have to do that manually, because Google removed an auto-restart feature from Android some time ago. There are apps available to add this functionality back, but I’d much rather do it myself.

Every time I restart my phone, it seems like some kind of magic has happened under the hood; my Pixel 9 Pro is back to being a pro again. You should seriously consider doing this as well. Of course, you probably already know how to restart your phone. Press and hold that power button until the power menu appears, and tap Restart. It’s simple.

However, what if there’s a reason why you can’t press and hold that button? I know some people with arthritis in their fingers, and pressing and holding a button can be a challenge. On top of that, the wear and tear on physical buttons is a real thing.

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Fortunately, Android has alternative methods for restarting the OS, options that don’t require pressing and holding a physical button. I use one of these methods, and I think you’ll find it better than using a button.Let me show you how.

How to restart your Android phone from the Notification Shade

If you pull down the Notification Shade twice on your Android phone, you’ll see a small power icon at the bottom right corner. Tap that button, and the same power menu appears (as if you’ve gone the physical button route). 

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Tap Restart and voilà — your phone will restart.

This is the method I always use for restarting my phone.

How to restart your Android phone from the Accessibility Menu

This method requires that you enable the Accessibility Menu. 

Once you’ve enabled this feature, you’ll see an expandable menu button at the bottom left of your display. Tap that button, and the Accessibility Menu appears, where you can then tap the power button to reveal the Power Menu. Whew.

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To enable the Accessibility Menu, follow these steps.

Close the Settings app, and you’ll see the Accessibility Menu shortcut near the bottom right of your display. Tap that button, tap the power options, and then tap Restart.

You now have multiple methods of restarting your Android phone.