As of a few months ago, the Nintendo Switch has outsold its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii, in total lifetime sales. With over 100 million consoles sold worldwide, this hybrid console has made a major splash with both dedicated gamers and casual players alike.
The Switch’s durable console and reliable performance may have something to do with those sales, but that doesn’t mean you should expect perfection! System errors and frozen screens aren’t uncommon with these devices. Worse, these frustrating bugs can be hard to fix on your own.
What should you do when your Nintendo Switch is stuck on its logo screen? If you’re trying to get past an unresponsive display, here are a few approaches to try.
Look for Physical Damage
A frozen screen can sometimes be a sign of hardware issues, especially after an accident. If you’ve recently dropped your Switch, look for any visible signs of damage. Small fractures in the screen or device’s chassis are a dead giveaway.
Check Your Internet Connection
Sometimes, Wi-Fi issues can cause your Nintendo Switch to freeze on any screen, including the logo screen. Check your router for any issues.
If you’re able to access your device’s home screen using the troubleshooting steps below, you can also disconnect and reconnect the Switch to your Wi-Fi to see if it’s a more permanent solution to the problem.
Reboot Your Switch
Small software errors can wreak havoc on your console’s system. As with other frozen screens, a reboot can sometimes clear away temporary data that has caused the glitch.
Even if you can’t access your device’s home screen, you can still force a reboot in two ways.
First, try pushing the power button on the top of your Switch for a few seconds. This should bring up a power menu that gives you the choice to turn the device off, restart it, or enter sleep mode. Select the option to shut down.
If this doesn’t work, hold down the power button for around 15 seconds. This forces a system shutdown, regardless of what’s on the screen.
Once your console has shut down, leave it off for a few seconds. Then hold down the power button to turn the device on again.
Charge Your Switch
Sometimes, charging or battery issues can dampen your console’s processing power. This can leave it stuck on the logo screen.
If you haven’t charged the device in a while, or if you’re not sure when it was last charged, place it in its charging dock and let it power up for an hour or two.
Put the Console in the Dock
Putting the Switch back in its dock can sometimes disrupt its system start-up function. In this case, that may shake the console out of its frozen state.
Dock your Switch for 15-30 seconds, then take it out of the dock to see if the logo still appears.
If it works, this may be either a permanent or temporary fix. Either way, it can sometimes give you access to the home menu and the device’s settings, allowing you to troubleshoot further.
Perform a System Update
If you’ve gained access to the home screen, perform a console update as usual. To do this, go to Settings > System Update and allow the system to download and install any updates.
If your console is still stuck on the logo screen, you may be able to do a system update in maintenance mode.
Start by holding down the power button to shut off the device. After a few seconds, hold down both the volume up and volume down buttons at the same time, and press the power button while still keeping them pressed. This should bring up the system’s maintenance mode.
From there, you can select Update System. Follow the prompts on the screen to perform the update, then restart the console to see if that has solved the issue.
Clear the Cache
If software issues have cropped up in your device’s storage to cause the frozen screen, clearing your cache may help.
Keep in mind that clearing your cache will delete certain data, including saved passwords, history, cookies, and more. However, it will not delete your games or your save data.
Look for Corrupted Data
Corrupted data elsewhere in your system can also cause problems.
This is especially common if you’ve experienced an interruption while playing or saving a specific game. The missing or corrupted files can make it hard for your system to work as intended.
Luckily, the Switch comes with a feature that allows you to check for corrupted data on the device. From your home menu, go to System Settings > Data Management > Software. Find the title of the game whose data you want to check, and choose Check for Corrupt Data.
If the system finds corrupted data, it will prompt you on the next steps. Sometimes, you may need to delete and re-download the game in question.
Factory Reset
A factory reset will delete all of your system’s data. However, it can also be a great way to get a fresh start and see if that solves your frozen screen issues. You can and should back up your save data before performing the reset.
To do a factory reset, head to System Settings > Formatting Options > Initialize Console. Then, follow the on-screen instructions.
We recommend choosing this step only after you’ve exhausted all other options, including professional console repair.
Fix a Nintendo Switch Stuck on the Logo Screen
As you can see from the steps above, there’s no single solution to this issue. If your Nintendo Switch is stuck on the logo screen, you’ll likely have to jump between a few different troubleshooting strategies before you find a fix. We hope these tips have helped!
If you can’t manage to get past the frozen screen on your own, be sure to reach out to the team at Fruit Fixed. Our experienced technicians can dive into any software or hardware issues you’re facing, and we’d love to help you get back to your favorite games. To get fast repairs, check out our repair estimates by Switch model or swing by one of our locations.
