How to restart Chromebook devices in 2024

The most straightforward way to restart Chromebook devices is to shut them down. Shut down should log out of your Google account, save your current work and any tabs that you had open in Chrome. The device will then power off, and you can restart the Chromebook by pressing the power button. 

In order to do this, simply tap the notification area in the bottom right (where WiFi, power, and time are shown) then press the Shut down icon. 

Although this process should automatically log you out of your Google account, if you want to do this separately just to be absolutely sure then follow the below methods instead.

An alternative method to restart your Chromebook is to hold down the power button for at least three seconds. This should first log you out of your Google account, saving your work, any tabs you have open, and the general status of your machine, before powering down the Chromebook. 

This enables you to then restart your Chromebook using the power button as normal.

Instead of the above, you can also hold the power button for a single second. This will bring up the Power menu from which you can:

• Shut down
• Log off
• Lock your Chromebook
• Provide feedback

Either select Shut down from the list by left-clicking, or first select Log off and then Shut down.

A hard restart aka hard reboot is usually done when your computer (Chromebook or otherwise) freezes up, meaning you cannot restart it using the more conventional methods via the operating system (see above). 

A hard restart typically bypasses the operating system and restarts the hardware of the machine directly. This means that you will lose any unsaved work, open tabs, and the general status of your Chromebook as it was before the restart, so it’s advisable to only use it as a last resort and/or if you’re confident that your work has been saved, and your have logged out of your account.

Different Chromebook brands and models can have different processes you need to undertake in order to enable a hard restart (besides the above method). Take a look at the list below to see if your Chromebook is there and, if so, follow the relevant instructions.