Encountering the “No Command” Screen on Your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro? Here’s a Quick Fix!

JAY BHATT
3 min readMar 3, 2024

Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are among the most sophisticated smartphones on the market, offering users a seamless blend of hardware prowess and pure Android joy. However, like all high-tech devices, they are not immune to occasional hiccups. One such hiccup that some users might encounter is the dreaded “No Command” screen when attempting to enter Recovery Mode. This can be a confusing and frustrating experience, but fear not! The solution is simpler than you might think.

Understanding the “No Command” Screen

First, let’s understand what the “No Command” screen is. When you try to boot your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro into Recovery Mode, you might be greeted with a screen showing an Android robot lying on its back with the words “No Command” underneath. This screen is not an error message or a sign of a malfunctioning device; it’s simply a part of the process to enter Recovery Mode, which requires an additional step that is not immediately obvious.

The Simple Fix

To move past the “No Command” screen and into Recovery Mode, follow these steps:

  1. Press and Hold the Power Button: This might seem like the standard procedure to turn your device off, but in this context, it’s the first step to bypassing the “No Command” screen.
  2. Quickly Press the Volume Up Button: While still holding down the power button, quickly press the Volume Up button once. This action should immediately bring you to the Recovery Mode menu.

It’s important to perform these actions in quick succession. The timing can be a bit tricky at first, but with a bit of practice, you’ll get the hang of it. Once in Recovery Mode, you can use the volume buttons to navigate through the menu and the power button to select an option.

Why Might You Need Recovery Mode?

Recovery Mode is a powerful tool for troubleshooting various issues on your Pixel device. It allows you to perform a factory reset, clear the cache partition, or apply updates from ADB (Android Debug Bridge), among other things. Whether you’re trying to solve a persistent software problem or simply wipe your device clean for a fresh start, Recovery Mode is your gateway to solving these issues.

In Conclusion

The “No Command” screen on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro can initially seem intimidating, but it’s simply a step in the process of accessing the much-needed Recovery Mode. By pressing and holding the power button and then quickly pressing the volume up button, you can bypass this screen and access the tools needed to troubleshoot your device. Remember, while Recovery Mode is powerful, it’s also important to use it with care and only when necessary, as certain actions like a factory reset will erase all data from your device.

Encountering technical issues with our gadgets can be a test of patience, but with the right knowledge, even the most daunting problems can be addressed smoothly. Happy troubleshooting!

--

--

JAY BHATT

Cyber Security Enthusiast |Top 1% on TryHackMe |CTF Player