Are you seeing your Xbox One turn on randomly? This issue can have several different causes. While it's often hard to diagnose exactly what's wrong, we have several elements you should check to pin down why your Xbox One randomly turns on.

Try each one of them in turn and you should be able to stop it from happening.

Why Does My Xbox One Turn On by Itself?

Check the following settings and elements if your Xbox One turns on by itself:

  • Wipe down the front of your console near the Xbox logo power toggle.
    • Since the Xbox One doesn't have a physical power button, its capacitive button triggers when touched. A bit of grime, your pet's tail, or even a static discharge can turn the system on inadvertently.
  • If you have a Kinect, saying Hey Cortana, Xbox on or Xbox on will turn on your system with voice commands. It's finicky, so you can turn your system on by accident with a similar phrase.
    • You can disable this by visiting Settings > Power & startup > Power mode & startup and disabling Wake up Xbox by saying "Hey Cortana, Xbox on."
  • Some have reported that disabling automatic updates can fix this issue. Head to Settings > System > Updates and uncheck Keep my console up to date. You can uncheck Keep my games & apps up to date as well if you like.
  • Pressing the Xbox button on a controller will turn the system on. Thus, your Xbox controller could be faulty.
    • Try removing the batteries from your controller and see if your Xbox One keeps turning on by itself to test this.
  • Disable the Instant-on mode, which lets your Xbox start up faster from a sleep-like state. To do so, visit Settings > Power & startup > Power mode & startup and select Power mode.
    • Switch this from Instant-on to Energy-saving, which fully shuts down the console each time. You must press the Xbox button on a controller or the system to start it.
  • With some televisions sets, turning on your TV may also turn on your Xbox.
  • Try plugging your Xbox into another outlet, or directly into the wall if you have it plugged into a power strip [Broken URL Removed].
  • Fully power off your Xbox by holding the Xbox power button on the front of the system for about 10 seconds. Then unplug the Xbox's power supply for a short time before connecting it again and turning it back on.
  • Make sure you've applied all Xbox One system updates, as they can resolve problems.

Your Xbox One Is Probably Not Haunted

The chances are that one of these is causing your Xbox One to turn on by itself. You can at least rest assured that it's not haunted. Probably. If you still have the same issue after trying all of these fixes, you should contact Xbox Support.

If you have a problem the with Xbox Game Bar, we have a few troubleshooting tips for you. Also check out our article looking at more useful Xbox One settings for additional tweaks you can make.

Image Credit: Marco Verch/Wikimedia Commons