What to do if your Google Pixel 3 is stuck on the Black Screen of Death

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The black screen of death issue is one of the most commonly reported problems by Android users wherein the phone has a black screen (hence the name) and unresponsive. This could happen to your Google Pixel 3 as well since it’s been happening with the Pixel 2. In fact, we’ve already received some reports from our readers about their Pixel 3 XL that reportedly stopped responding.

The thing is, it’s not really a serious problem provided that your device hasn’t been dropped on a hard surface from heights higher than the waist or got submerged in water for a long time. While we know that it’s IP68-certified, such certification isn’t for waterproofing but for dust and water resistance only. If there are signs of physical and liquid damage, the best thing you can do is bring the device back to the store and let the tech handle it for you. However, if there are no apparent reasons or causes as to why the device suddenly stopped responding, then continue reading as I will share with you the solution that will probably work on this.

Now, before we move on to our solutions, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, you may visit our Pixel 3 Help Guides for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. We may already have articles that could help you fix the problem.

Now, going back to our solutions, here are the things you should do if your Pixel 3 isn’t responding anymore and has a black screen…

First solution: Perform the Forced Reboot

The forced reboot should be the first you must try because it could be the only thing you need to do. It’s safe but very effective when it comes to this kind of problem because black screen of death issues are often due to a firmware crash. So, what you have now could be nothing more of a crash but the thing is you just don’t know what to do since your phone no longer responds when you pressed and held the power key. But you know, you may not have pressed and held down the power key long enough to make the device respond. So, here’s how it’s done properly…

  • Press and hold the Power key for 30 seconds or even more and when the logo shows up on the screen, release it.

If it’s really just a crash, your Pixel 3 should already be booting up by now. So, you could say the problem is fixed but there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. At least now you know what to do if your device stops responding and gets stuck on the black screen again. If it doesn’t respond after doing the procedure for the first time, you should try it a few more times and if it’s still unresponsive after that, then move on to the next solution.

Second solution: Charge Pixel 3 and perform Forced Reboot again

That’s right! You’ll still be doing the forced reboot even if your device didn’t respond when you performed the first solution. It’s because it’s possible that the battery got drained and there’s not enough power to turn the phone back on. I know that if it’s a system crash, the phone won’t also respond to its charger but know that the charging process is done by both the hardware and firmware. You may not see the charging icon but there should still be current flowing from the charger to your phone’s circuits and that should be enough. With all that being said, here’s what you should do next.

  1. Plug the charger to a working wall outlet and connect your Pixel 3 to it.
  2. Regardless whether the phone shows it’s charging your not, leave it connected to the charger for at least, 10 minutes.
  3. After which, press and hold the power key for 30 seconds or more to see if it boots up this time.

Most of the time, a problem like this will be fixed by these two procedures but if your Google Pixel 3 is still not responding, then the problem could be with the hardware. It’s time you brought it back to the store or shop so that a technician can check it up for you.

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I hope that this how-to post has helped you one way or another. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to your friends or people who may also have similar problems. Thanks for reading!

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