Have you noticed your Xbox One console has been turning on by itself at random intervals lately? There’s no need to panic. There’s no ghost in the machine and your console probably isn’t experiencing a critical software error. Below, you’ll find a few suggestions to help resolve this common console problem.

Remove Controller Batteries

If you’re an Xbox user who uses a controller, you may find this is the reason for your console powering on by itself. To remove this from the list of potential causes for your problem, simply grab remove the batteries from your controller whenever you’re not using it. If the problem persists, move onto one of the other solutions suggested below.

Give Your Console a Clean

We’re not making any judgements here, is your Xbox looking a little dirty and in dire need of clean? Even if dust is the problem, don’t worry, it’s not down to bad housekeeping habits. The blame probably lies with the innovative on/off toggle logo that replaced the conventional push button with the release of the Xbox One console. The whole idea behind this addition was in fact to combat the problem of dust getting into those recesses around a traditional button, which might cause issues with console function. While it certainly does the job in this respect, the problem of sensitivity comes into play. Even the slightest of touches or static can can trigger the power toggle, with even a few specs of dust gently landing on the surface of it enough to power-up your console. If you can indeed spot some dust around the problem area, give it a quick wipe down. As a general rule, keep this entire area as clean and free of dust as possible.

There’s an Issue with your Television Settings

This one is relatively simple, but only applies to certain brands of television. If you own a television that offers an HDMI-CEC option, it will automatically turn your console on whenever you have your television set turned on. If you’re unaware that this function existed, it might explain a seemingly possessed console. To strike this reason off your checklist, simply go to your television settings and disable the HDMI-CEC option.

Disable Kinect

This solution only applies to those Xbox One consoles released with Kinect technology as a standard. Kinect, a series of motion sensing devices, is designed to recognize motion or spoken words relating to your console. As such, mentioning anything vaguely relating to your console or Cortana, the Windows virtual assistant, might be enough to fire up your Kinect tech switch your console into gear. We’re all for the convenience of voice activation, but sometimes technology can be a little too eager, with even the vaguest of relatable words or actions enough to cause a response. If you do have Kinect tech integrated with your console, your best bet is to disable it. To do so, go the settings page, click ‘Power and Start Up’, then click on ‘Select Power Mode & Start Up’. Here, you’ll want to disable the option for waking up your console box by voice activation. Once that’s done, your machine should stay dormant unless intentionally triggered.

Ensure All Updates Have Been Installed

There’s all manner of new settings and essential software updates your machine might be in need of, with the technical shortfall perhaps explaining your machine powering on by itself. Having your console lacking behind in the updates stakes is a bad idea in general, so be sure to load it up with all those must-have software upgrades and enhancements now. As long as it is connected to the internet, these updates should trigger and download automatically. However, if you’ve disabled the automatic update option for any reason, be sure to reactivate this in settings or update your console manually. Even if it doesn’t resolve the main issue, your console will thank you for it.

Still Not Solved the Problem?

If you’ve tried all the above ideas and are still encountering the same issue, there’s still no need to panic. There’s a few more tried and tested tactics that could solve that problematic power on problem. If your console is plugged into an extension socket, try plugging it in at the wall instead. If it’s already plugged in at the wall, switch to a different input socket and see if that makes a difference. If that hasn’t solved things, consider rebooting your Xbox One by holding down the power button for around ten seconds. Then, unplug the console from its power supply for a further ten seconds. If at this point you’re still experiencing the same issue, it’s probably time to take your Xbox back into the shop provided it’s still within its warranty and you’ve stored those receipts safely.


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