What Is Bricking

Bricking is a colloquial term for when a device is unusable, often resulting from a software issue. It refers to a brick, an innate object that, on its own, has no practical use, as is the case for a piece of hardware with no functioning software or operating system.

Examples of Bricking

As mentioned above, the bricking of a device occurs as the result of a software issue. Below are examples of bricking:

• A smartphone is unable to turn on after a software update.
• A game console, such as a Play Station or Nintendo Switch, will not load games after being modified.
• A laptop that cannot get past a boot loop and cannot load the operating system.
• Soft bricking – This is when a device can still boot up and run some functions.
• Hard bricking – This is when a device is completely unusable.

How To Avoid Bricking

You can reduce the possibility of bricking your device by following these steps:

• Authorized hardware – Use only authorized hardware, such as chargers or controllers, since knockoffs can cause problems.
• Exert caution – Modifying devices may void your warranty and cause software issues that may lead to bricking. Be cautious if you decide to modify or root your device.
• Follow instructions – Always follow official instructions from the manufacturer upon software and firmware updates.
• Authorized software – Only install and download software from trusted sources. Some third-party software may be faulty or malicious.

Bricking a device may prove to be unrecoverable. If you brick your device, you can contact the manufacturer for help.