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Chevy or GMC Screen Stuck on “Device is Starting”? GM’s PIC6630 Fix – and What I’d Try First


If your Chevy or GMC screen is frozen on “Device is Starting…” and never loads the Home screen, there’s some good news:

GM has a documented repair path for this – bulletin PIC6630 (“Device is Starting Screen Recovery”).

Dealers can follow that bulletin to recover the radio with a software repair and data reset, often without replacing hardware.

That said, if you’d rather try everything reasonable at home before heading to the dealer, this guide walks through:

  1. What I would try in the driveway first.

  2. When to stop DIY and schedule service.

  3. What the dealer will do under PIC6630 (including the “Radio Data Reset” screen you’ll never see as a customer).


Which vehicles are affected?

This issue shows up on late-model GM trucks and SUVs equipped with the Google built-in infotainment system (IOK / A11 radio). PIC6630 specifically calls out:

  • Chevrolet

    • Silverado 1500 “new” body (2022)

    • Silverado 1500 (2023–2026)

    • Silverado HD (2024–2026)

    • Tahoe (2022–2024)

    • Suburban (2022–2024)

  • GMC

    • Sierra 1500 “new” body (2022)

    • Sierra 1500 (2023–2026)

    • Sierra HD (2024–2026)

    • Yukon (2022–2024)

    • Yukon XL (2022–2024)

Gas or diesel doesn’t matter here; it’s all about having the IOK / A11 infotainment system and a screen that’s stuck on “Device is Starting…” instead of booting to the Home screen.


Before anything else: quick sanity checks

If this were my truck sitting in my driveway, I’d ask:

  • Did this start after a dead battery, jump start, or storage?Sudden power loss during boot can corrupt data.

  • Did you recently see an over-the-air (OTA) update message?These radios update via OTA and via dealer programming. Older software is more likely to act up.

If the screen is clearly stuck every key cycle, go ahead and move into the resets below.


What I’d try at home before going to the dealer

I’d go from least invasive to most:

Step 1: Soft reset via steering-wheel button

Most of these trucks/SUVs let you reboot the radio without wiping your settings:

  1. Park the vehicle and put it in Park.

  2. With the vehicle on, press and hold the phone “End Call” (hang-up) button on the steering wheel.

  3. Hold it for about 10 seconds.

  4. The screen should go dark, then reboot with the brand logo and (hopefully) load the Home screen.

If it boots normally after this, I’d still check for updates later, but you might be out of the woods for now.

Step 2: Soft reset with the power/volume button

Some trucks respond better to a hard power-button reset:

  1. With the vehicle on, press and hold the radio power/volume button.

  2. Hold it for 10–20 seconds until the screen turns off.

  3. Release it and wait for the system to reboot.

If you get a clean boot to the Home screen, good sign—go straight to software updates (next section) when you have time.

Step 3: Full key-off power-down

These modules don’t always shut off the second you shut the truck off. I’d do a full power-down:

  1. Turn the vehicle off.

  2. Open the driver’s door. Leave it open for a few minutes so all the modules power down.

  3. Close the door, start the truck, and see if “Device is Starting…” finally clears.

If you’ve done Steps 1–3 and it’s still stuck every key cycle, it’s looking more like the software problem described in PIC6630.


Step 4: Factory data erase (only if you can reach Settings)

This is optional and more extreme. I’d only do this if:

  • The radio sometimes boots long enough to access menus, and

  • You’re okay losing user profiles, favorites, Bluetooth devices, etc.

Typical path (naming may vary a bit):

  1. Go to Settings > System > Reset / Erase Options.

  2. Select Erase Infotainment Data / Factory Reset (Radio).

  3. Confirm and let the system reboot.

  4. Walk through the initial setup again.

If it completes and the system is stable, you probably had bad/corrupt data. If it never recovers or gets worse, it’s time for the dealer.


Don’t forget: check for radio updates if it ever boots

Any time the screen finally comes back and you can use the system again, I’d do this:

  1. Go to Settings > System > Updates (names vary by year).

  2. Make sure you’ve got a decent Wi-Fi connection.

  3. Check for and install any infotainment software updates.

GM has been pushing software updates for these IOK radios to fix exactly this kind of thing—“Device is Starting…” hangs, random reboots, translation bugs, and so on. Staying up to date reduces the odds of the problem returning.


When I’d stop DIY and call a dealer

I’d schedule a dealer visit when:

  • The screen never gets past “Device is Starting…”,

  • You’ve tried:

    • Steering-wheel reset

    • Power-button reset

    • Full key-off power-down

    • (Optional) factory data erase

  • And it still fails every time you start the truck.

At that point, it matches the condition described in GM’s PIC6630 bulletin. The next steps require dealer tools.


What the dealer does under PIC6630

Here’s what actually happens behind the scenes once your truck or SUV is at the dealership.

1. Verify the concern and system

The technician will:

  • Confirm the complaint: screen stuck on “Device is Starting…”.

  • Verify the vehicle has the IOK / A11 radio.

  • Check GM’s system for PIC6630 tied to your year/model and for any open infotainment updates.


2. Run the Radio Data Reset using GDS2 (what that screenshot shows)

Using GM’s factory scan tool (GDS2 through the MDI interface), the tech goes into the infotainment module and selects a special function:

Radio Data Reset

That’s the option shown in the bulletin image you mentioned.

What it does:

  • Performs a deeper data wipe/recovery inside the A11 radio than you can do from the front screen.

  • Clears the corrupted data that’s blocking the radio from finishing its boot sequence.

  • Puts the radio into a dedicated screen recovery mode, as described in PIC6630.

What you’ll see in the vehicle:

  • A screen with a blue progress bar.

  • The display may go blank and the radio may restart multiple times.

  • It can take several minutes—the vehicle must stay on the whole time.

Once this process completes successfully, the display should finally come up to the Home screen again.


3. Reprogram the A11 radio with the latest software

After the data reset/screen recovery, PIC6630 instructs the dealer to:

  • Perform any required USB update for the A11 radio, and

  • Reprogram the A11 radio using GM’s Service Programming System (SPS) to the latest calibration.

This step is important because:

  • It moves you onto software that’s designed to prevent the stuck “Device is Starting…” issue from coming back.

  • It pulls in other fixes GM has delivered since your truck left the factory.


4. Final checks and, if needed, replacement

Before giving the truck back, the tech should:

  • Cycle the ignition multiple times to confirm the radio consistently boots to the Home screen.

  • Verify audio, navigation, Google apps, CarPlay/Android Auto, etc.

  • Clear any fault codes and document the repair (including the labor operations for data wipe and programming that PIC6630 calls out).

If even after the Radio Data Reset and reprogramming the radio still won’t boot, that’s when they’ll go down the path of replacing the A11 radio module.


Warranty Coverage

  • The infotainment system is normally covered under Bumper-to-Bumper / base warranty (commonly 3 years / 36,000 miles on many Chevy and GMC light-duty vehicles).

  • If you’re within that coverage and the tech confirms the PIC6630 condition, the data reset + reprogram is typically handled under warranty, subject to GM’s final decision on your specific case.

  • If you’re out of warranty, the same procedure can still be done; you’d just be looking at customer-pay labor. The upside: this PIC6630 repair path is usually far cheaper than replacing the radio outright.


Will this eventually be handled purely by OTA updates?

PIC6630 is essentially a recovery and clean re-install for radios that are already “stuck.” Over-the-air updates work better on systems that are still able to boot.

Long term, though:

  • Keeping your truck connected to Wi-Fi where you park and

  • Allowing OTA infotainment updates to install

will give you the best chance of avoiding repeat issues. As GM refines these systems, more stability fixes will come through OTA and dealer software updates.


Quick recap: what I’d do if my truck said “Device is Starting…” and stayed there

  1. Try steering-wheel reset

    • Hold the End Call button ~10 seconds.

  2. Try power-button reset

    • Hold the power/volume button 10–20 seconds.

  3. Do a full key-off power-down

    • Shut it off, open the door, wait a few minutes, restart.

  4. If the screen ever boots, check for updates

    • Install any available infotainment software updates.

  5. Optional: factory data erase

    • Only if you can get into Settings and don’t mind re-setting everything.

  6. If it’s still stuck every time

    • Book a dealer visit and say something like:

      “My infotainment screen is stuck on ‘Device is Starting…’ and never loads. I’ve tried the in-vehicle resets. Can you follow GM bulletin PIC6630 and perform the Radio Data Reset and software reprogram on the A11 radio?”


That’s the combination of at-home steps and the official GM fix that brings a lot of these frozen radios back to life.

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