When a Sony Android TV gets stuck on the boot screen, you're left looking at the logo instead of your shows. Start with a power reset and unplug your accessories. If startup still fails, move on to app troubleshooting or a factory reset, using the recovery procedure that matches your model and the buttons on the TV itself.
Let an active update finish
If your TV is actually installing a software update, keep it connected to power and follow the onscreen instructions. Sony says updates normally take 15 to 30 minutes.
That timing only applies to an update that is actively installing. You don't need to wait 30 minutes every time the Sony logo freezes before you start troubleshooting.
Unplug the TV for two minutes
A power reset is the first recovery step when startup freezes, and it works even when the remote has stopped responding. It won't erase your accounts, downloaded apps or settings.
Turn the TV off if you can.
Unplug the power cord and leave it disconnected for two minutes.
Plug the cord back in and turn the TV on again.
If you can't reach the power cord at all, Sony allows you to switch off the circuit breaker that supplies that outlet for a short time. Make sure you have the right circuit first, then cut the power for two minutes and restore it.
Disconnect accessories and check the power
Connected equipment or a loose power connection can cause startup problems and repeated restarts.
Disconnect all external devices, including USB drives, HDMI equipment, game consoles and soundbars. Then try starting the TV without them.
Make sure the power cable is firmly connected at the TV, at the outlet and at the external power adapter if your TV has one.
Plug a device you know works into the outlet to test it. If needed, use a different outlet.
If the TV is plugged into a power strip or surge protector, disconnect the power and plug the TV straight into a wall outlet. Then try starting it again.
Restart with the remote and try Safe Mode
If the remote still works, restart the TV with it, then try Safe Mode if startup gets as far as Google's animation.
- 1.With the TV on, point the remote at the status LED and hold POWER for about five seconds until Power off appears. If a power menu appears instead, select Restart. On BRAVIA 3 (S30) and BRAVIA 2 II (S20M2), hold POWER for at least three seconds and select Restart when Cancel/Restart appears.
- 2.For a normal restart, wait about one minute. If the TV doesn't restart on its own, press POWER.
- 3.To enter Safe Mode during that restart, hold the remote's Volume down (-) button as soon as Google's animation starts. Keep holding it until the animation disappears. If your model's Safe Mode instructions give different timing, follow those instead.
- 4.Check for Safe mode in the bottom-left corner. If the startup problem is gone, remove any recently downloaded apps before restarting normally.
Remove a recently downloaded app
Safe Mode helps you work out whether a downloaded app is the problem. If the TV starts up fine in Safe Mode, uninstall the apps you downloaded shortly before the trouble began.
Press Quick Settings or HOME, then open Settings → Apps → See all apps. If See all apps isn't there, skip that step.
Select the app you suspect and choose Uninstall. Some preinstalled apps can't be removed.
Restart the TV normally to leave Safe Mode.
If removing those apps doesn't fix startup, move on to a factory reset. If the TV never reaches Google's animation or Safe Mode, use the reset procedure that matches whichever controls still work.
Run a factory reset from Settings
A factory reset erases your accounts, downloaded apps, network settings and other customization, so only use it once the restart and power reset haven't worked. Press HOME, Quick Settings or ACTION MENU to open Settings.
On TVs with the system reset menu, go to System → About → Reset → Factory data reset → Erase everything → Yes. On some Google TV menus, the path ends with Factory reset → Factory reset instead.
On Android TV menus that use device preferences, go to Device Preferences → Reset → Factory data reset → Erase everything → Yes. On older menu layouts, go to Storage & reset → Factory data reset → Erase everything → Yes.
On the KD 750H series with firmware 60104 or higher, go to HOME → Settings → Device Preferences → About → Factory data reset → Factory data reset → Erase everything → Yes. If none of the menus respond, do a forced factory reset.
Force a reset with the TV buttons
On compatible Sony TVs running Android 6.0 or higher, do the forced reset with the buttons on the TV, not the remote.
Look up your model manual and find the TV's physical buttons.
Then unplug the power cord.
On a one-button TV, hold Power while you plug the power back in.
Let go when the LED turns white, which usually takes 10 to 30 seconds. If it hasn't turned white after 30 seconds, try again.
Wait for the TV to restart twice, then complete the Welcome setup.
On a compatible three-button TV, hold Power and Volume Down (-) while you plug the power back in.
Let go when the LED turns green (amber on some models), which usually takes 10 to 30 seconds.
Wait for the resets to finish.
On 2019-or-earlier models, skip the first Welcome screen and do the setup on the second one.
On the X74xxH/X75xxH series, hold Power and Volume Down (-) while you plug the power back in.
Let go when Erasing appears, usually after 10 to 30 seconds. If it hasn't appeared after 60 seconds, try again.
Wait for the reset, then complete the Welcome setup.
On a compatible TV with four or more buttons, hold Power and the volume minus button while you plug the power back in.
Let go when the LED turns green, after about 10 to 30 seconds.
Complete the initial setup without signing in to Google, setting up a network or setting up channels.
To finish the second stage on that four-or-more-button model, go to HOME → Settings → Storage & reset → Factory data reset, then complete the setup again.
Recover a BRAVIA 3 with the 90-second method
If a BRAVIA 3 (S30) doesn't power on and doesn't respond to the remote or the TV's power button, Sony has a separate recovery procedure for that model.
Unplug the TV's power cord.
Hold the TV's Power button while you plug the power back in. Keep holding it for 90 seconds after the operational-response LED lights up, then let go.
Wait six minutes, then press the TV's Power button.
If you need to, unplug the power and plug it back in again.
Once the TV recovers, update its software. This 90-second procedure only applies to the BRAVIA 3 (S30), so don't use it on any other series.
Contact Sony when recovery fails
If the TV still won't start after the prescribed resets, it needs a diagnosis from Sony and may need a board repair.
If an Android TV keeps restarting after a firmware update has finished, Sony recommends repeating the appropriate forced reset once. This doesn't apply to faults with a blinking red LED.
If the second forced reset fails, open Sony support for your exact TV model and purchase region.
Select Contact the Product Support team or Product Repair to arrange help.
If support points you to a USB software update, open your model's Downloads page and follow the preparation and installation instructions on its firmware page. This only works when an official firmware package exists and the TV can detect the USB update. It won't recover every TV that can't boot.
Older guides suggest remote-code shortcuts, repeated recovery attempts or old USB reinstall procedures. Use the current reset instructions for your model instead, and contact Sony if firmware downloads for your older TV are no longer available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will unplugging my Sony Android TV delete my apps or accounts?
No. A restart or power reset keeps them. A factory reset is different: it erases your accounts, downloaded apps, network settings and other customization.
Can I clear the cache while the TV is stuck on the Sony logo?
No. Clearing an app's cache requires working settings menus. It helps after the TV recovers, or when an app screen has been mistaken for the boot screen, but it won't get you past a boot screen when the menus don't load.
Should I use the remote or the TV buttons for recovery?
It depends on the method. Safe Mode uses the remote's Volume down button during startup. A forced factory reset uses the physical buttons on the TV, and the button combination depends on your model.
Is Sony's free repair program for older C-series TVs still available?
No. The free board-repair program ended on March 31, 2021. Contact Sony to find out about current diagnosis and repair options.