HTC Desire 12‎

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Why does my phone turn off by itself?

There are several reasons why a phone may power off or turn the screen off. Try out the tips below which may help solve the problem.

Check if the phone is in Sleep mode

First, check if the phone is actually powered off by pressing the POWER button. If the screen immediately returns to the same screen as before, then the phone did not power off. The screen automatically turns off after a certain period of time, which is normal. To adjust how long the screen stays on, go to Settings, and then do one of the following:

Tap Display & gestures.
Tap Display, gestures & buttons.
Tap Display.

Charge the battery

If the phone is completely powered off, make sure the phone is charged. Connect the phone to a charger and check the battery level. When the phone's battery is low enough, the phone will turn off automatically.

Find the app that's causing the issue

Sometimes an app can cause software instability, which will make the phone power itself off. This is likely the cause if the phone is turning itself off only when using certain apps or performing specific tasks.

Uninstall any task manager or battery saver apps.
Check if the phone only powers itself off when using a specific app or when performing a certain task.
Make sure all of your apps are up to date in the Google Play Store app.
Uninstall apps that were installed shortly before the issue began.

Update your phone's software

If the issue is not being caused by an app, check for updates to your phone's software and if an update is available, download and install it.

Go to Settings.
Tap , search for Software updates, and then tap it in the search results.
Note: In certain phone models, you may need to search for System update.
Tap Check now.

Check if the phone is unusually warm or hot

If the phone is unusually hot to the touch, it may be powering itself off. This allows the phone to cool down and prevent potential damage to the internal components.

To prevent the phone from powering off due to high temperatures:

Avoid using the phone in direct sunlight and excessively hot environments for any length of time.
Avoid using apps that require a lot of processor or video power for long periods of time.
If the phone gets hot while charging, disconnect it from the charger and close all running apps, then allow the phone to cool before resuming charging.
Use an HTC-branded charger and charging cable. Third-party chargers and cables may not work correctly and could cause your phone to heat up while charging.

Note: Under normal operation your phone should never be hot enough to cause burns or other personal injury due to heat generated by your phone.

Perform a factory reset through Settings

As a last resort, you can reset your phone to factory settings. Before you do so, please be aware of the following:

A factory reset will erase all data, media, and files from the phone storage. You'll lose them and won't be able to restore them if you didn't sync or back them up before. Make sure you've backed up all important information and files before you proceed.
Make sure the phone is charged to at least 35% before performing the reset, or is connected to an HTC charger and is actively charging.
Make sure you know your Google Account name and password. You'll need them to unlock your phone after the factory reset.
For phones with Android 5 Lollipop or higher, Device Protection may be enabled, which means that after the factory reset, you'll need to sign in using the same Google Account that was logged into your phone. If you forgot your Google Account password, use your computer web browser and go to www.google.com/accounts/recovery to reset your password first.

To perform a factory reset:

Go to Settings.
Do one of the following:
- Tap System > Reset.
- Tap Backup & reset.
Tap Factory data reset, and then tap Reset phone.
If you have a security lock on the device, you'll need to enter your security information as well.
Tap Erase eveything or tap OK when prompted.
The phone will reboot and reset.

Uninstall an app that's causing issues

After resetting the phone, check if the phone powers off automatically before and after reinstalling your apps. If the issue returns after apps have been reinstalled, the issue is most likely caused by an app, and that app will need to be uninstalled.

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