I’ve been playing Mobile Legends for 6 years, and I’ve lost count of how many times a quick restart saved me from abandoning a ranked match mid-game. Too many players make the mistake of force closing the app as soon as it freezes, only to come back to a penalty, lost star, or even a temporary ban for leaving a match. If you do it wrong, you can also end up wiping your unlinked guest account progress by accident. This guide breaks down exactly how to restart Mobile Legends safely, no matter what device you’re using, so you can fix glitches without losing hard-earned progress.
How to Restart Mobile Legends Without Getting Penalized
The biggest risk of restarting the game mid-match is getting marked as an AFK player, which comes with penalties ranging from lost credit score to temporary ranked bans. MLBB gives all players a 90-second reconnection window if they drop out of an active match, so you have more than enough time to restart the app and get back in without punishment. Never force close the app before confirming your match is still in the reconnection window, even if the screen is completely frozen.
If you’re in the main menu and experiencing glitches, the restart process is much more low-stakes. You don’t have to worry about AFK penalties here, so you can close the app immediately if it’s not responding. Even so, it’s still a good idea to save any ongoing custom game drafts or event claim progress before you close out, just to be safe. A lot of players forget to claim daily login rewards before restarting, and end up missing limited time items by accident.
For players who use guest accounts, there’s an extra step you need to take before any restart that involves clearing data or cache. Unlinked guest accounts store all progress locally on your device, so if you clear app data without linking first, you’ll lose everything permanently. You don’t have to worry about this if your account is linked to Moonton, Facebook, Google, or TikTok, since all your data is stored on their cloud servers.
Common Issues That Require a Full Game Restart
You don’t need to restart the game every time you have a tiny glitch, but there are a handful of common issues that almost always get fixed with a quick restart. A lot of players waste time troubleshooting their internet, uninstalling the game, or resetting their device when a 30-second restart would solve the problem immediately. Most minor MLBB glitches are fixed with a simple restart, so you don't need to uninstall the game right away when something goes wrong.
These are the most common issues that call for a restart:
- Persistent in-game lag or frame drops even with a stable 5G/Wi-Fi connection and low ping
- Frozen loading screen that stays stuck on the Moonton logo for more than 30 seconds
- Missing event rewards, shop items, or battle pass progress that you know you earned
- Matchmaking errors that prevent you from joining ranked, classic, or arcade lobbies
- Audio glitches like missing hero voice lines, broken sound effects, or no background music
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, a restart should be your first troubleshooting step, not your last. I’ve had cases where my rank points didn’t update after a win, and a quick restart made the points show up immediately without me having to contact support. The game often runs into small caching errors that build up the longer you leave it open, so a quick reset clears those out automatically.
You also don’t need to restart your entire device unless the issue is affecting other apps too. Most of the time, the problem is isolated to Mobile Legends, so restarting just the app is enough. Restarting your whole device takes longer, and you risk closing other apps you might be using in the background, like voice chat for your squad.
Step-by-Step Restart Instructions for Different Devices
The exact steps to restart the game vary a little depending on what device you’re using, but all of them take less than a minute to complete. We’ve broken down instructions for Android, iOS, and popular PC emulators like BlueStacks and LDPlayer, so you can follow the steps that match your setup. Clearing the game cache after a restart will not delete your account data, so it's completely safe to do if you want to get rid of lingering glitches.
For Android users: First, if you’re in an active match, press the home button to minimize the app. Double check your internet connection to make sure the glitch isn’t from a dropped Wi-Fi signal. Open your device settings, go to Apps, find Mobile Legends, tap Force Stop, then tap Clear Cache. Wait 10 seconds, then reopen the app. If you’re not in a match, you can skip checking the internet and go straight to force stopping the app.
For iOS users: If you’re on an iPhone with a home button, double press the home button to open the app switcher. Swipe up on the Mobile Legends window to close it completely. For newer iPhones without a home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold for a second to open the app switcher, then swipe MLBB up to close. Wait 10 seconds, then tap the MLBB icon to reopen it. You don’t need to clear cache on iOS, since the system handles cache management automatically for most apps.
For PC emulator users: First, close the Mobile Legends window inside the emulator like you would any other app. If the emulator itself is frozen, press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open task manager, find the emulator process, and end it. Restart the emulator, then open Mobile Legends again. If you’re still having glitches, you can clear the app cache inside the emulator’s settings the same way you would on a physical Android device. Always link your account to Facebook, TikTok, or Moonton account first if you plan to clear app data, even on emulators, to avoid losing progress.
For all devices, make sure you have at least 1GB of free storage space before you restart the game. If your device is completely full, the game won’t be able to save temporary data properly, which can cause even more glitches after you restart. I usually clear out old photos or unused apps every few weeks to make sure I have enough space for MLBB updates and temporary files.
What to Do If a Restart Doesn’t Fix Your Problem
In most cases, a quick restart will fix whatever glitch you’re dealing with, but there are times when the issue is bigger than a simple caching error. If you’ve restarted the game twice and are still having the same problem, there are a few other simple steps you can take before you reach out to support. You don’t have to do anything drastic like uninstall the game right away, so start with these small checks first.
First, check if there’s ongoing server maintenance in your region. Moonton usually announces maintenance 24 to 48 hours in advance on their official social media pages, and they put up a notice in the game’s main menu too. If servers are down, no amount of restarts will fix the issue, so you’ll just have to wait until maintenance is done to play. Maintenance usually lasts 2 to 3 hours, and you get free diamonds or battle points as compensation for the downtime.
Next, check if you have the latest version of the game installed. If you’re running an outdated version, you might run into compatibility issues that a restart can’t fix. Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, search for Mobile Legends, and check if there’s an Update button available. If there is, install the update first, then open the game again. You should never download modified versions of MLBB to fix glitches, as these can lead to a permanent account ban. Only download the game from official app stores or the official Moonton website.
If you’ve checked servers, updated the game, and are still having issues, you can submit a ticket to the in-game support team. Go to the main menu, tap the customer support icon, select the issue you’re having, and attach screenshots if you have them. The support team usually responds within 24 hours, and they can help fix issues like missing rewards or account access problems that a restart can’t solve. I’ve submitted a handful of tickets over the years, and they’ve always resolved my issue within a day or two.
If the issue is constant lag or high ping, the problem might be your internet connection, not the game. Try switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or moving closer to your router to see if that fixes the issue. You can also use a VPN if you’re playing on a server that’s far away from your region, but make sure you use a trusted VPN to avoid getting flagged for suspicious activity.
Knowing how to restart Mobile Legends the right way saves you from so many unnecessary headaches, from AFK penalties to lost progress to hours of wasted troubleshooting. It’s the simplest fix for most common game glitches, and it takes less than a minute to do no matter what device you’re using. Just remember to check the reconnection window if you’re mid-match, link your account to a cloud service if you’re using a guest profile, and clear your cache every few weeks to keep the game running smoothly. Next time your game freezes right before a team fight, you’ll know exactly what to do to get back in the action fast.