"Have you tried turning it off and on again?" is a joke for a reason: it works surprisingly often. After many years of help desk work, I still start with a proper restart, because it clears out a lot of small problems in one step.
Why a restart fixes so much
Phones, computers and routers are running many programs at once. Over days or weeks, some of those programs get stuck, use up memory, or lose track of a connection. A restart closes everything and starts fresh. Many updates also only finish installing after a restart.
Phones
- Use the real restart or power off option, not just locking the screen.
- If the phone is frozen, look up the forced restart button combination for your model; it is different for different phones.
- Once a week or so is a reasonable habit if your phone starts feeling slow.
Computers
- Choose Restart from the menu rather than just closing the lid. Closing the lid usually only puts the computer to sleep.
- On Windows, Shut Down may not fully clear everything because of a fast startup feature. Restart does a cleaner job.
- Save your work first, and let any pending updates finish.
Modem and router: order matters
Your modem is the box that connects to your internet provider. Your router makes the Wi-Fi. Sometimes they are one box. If they are separate, restart them in this order:
- Unplug the power from both the modem and the router.
- Wait about 30 seconds.
- Plug the modem back in first and wait until its lights settle, often a couple of minutes.
- Then plug the router back in and wait for it to finish starting up.
- Test the internet on one device before deciding whether it worked.
The order matters because the router needs the modem to be ready before it can get its connection.
When a restart is not enough
If a problem comes back every day, or a restart does not help at all, that is useful information in itself. Note what happened and when, and it will help whoever looks at it next.
Still stuck after a restart? Get tech help.