Step 1: Restarting Device
- Understand why Safe Mode is enabled
Safe Mode is usually enabled due to a serious error in an application, or because the system functionality in the device crashes. In Safe Mode, you can not run any app that is not installed as a default program on your device. If your device is in Safe Mode, restarting quickly is usually enough to fix the problem.
- Check the Notifications panel
Some versions of Android have a Safe Mode notification that you can tap, which will automatically reboot your device and exit Safe Mode. This is the fastest way to get out of Safe Mode if you have this option.
- Press and hold the Power button
When the Power menu appears, select Restart or Power Off. Let your phone reboot, or turn it back on after the phone is turned off. Your device will boot normally. If not, continue reading.
- Turn on the device with Power button and Volume Down
If your device is still booting into Safe Mode, this key combination might be helpful. Turn off your device again, then press and hold the Power and Volume Down button simultaneously. Many users report that this combination is useful to exit Safe Mode.
Note: If the Volume button on your device is damaged, this can make your device always boot into Safe Mode every time the device is turned on. You may need to take the device to warranty service or try to open the device and fix it yourself.
- Remove the battery from your device (if possible)
Provided that the device allows you to remove the battery, you can try to remove the battery to get out of Safe Mode. Turn off your device, then remove the battery. Wait at least one minute for the capacitor in the phone to completely stop its flow of power. Re-enter your battery, then try rebooting your device.
Step 2: Delete Application
- Know when you're trying to delete an app
Poor apps are the most common reason that keeps your device into Safe Mode. Removing the latest app might improve your device and allow you to boot normally.
- Open the Settings app
You can find the Settings app on the Home screen, in App Drawer, or in the Notifications panel.
- Click "Apps" or "Applications"
A list containing installed applications will appear. Switch to the "Downloaded" tab if this tab is not already selected.
- Remove the app you just installed
Although you can not run downloaded apps while in Safe Mode, you can delete them. Remove any apps you just downloaded, then restart your device using the steps above.
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Select "Apps" or "Applications" then select the "Downloaded" tab.
- Select the app you want to delete, then click "Uninstall". Repeat for every app you've ever installed recently.
- Restart your device. If you're still booting into Safe Mode, remove any additional apps you've ever installed. If removing the app does not solve your problem, continue to the next section.
Step 3: Cleaning and Resetting the Device
- Back up your data while in Safe Mode
If restarting and removing apps can not remove your device from Safe Mode, you may need to perform a cleanup and reset the device to factory settings. This will erase all data on the device and restore it to the factory settings. When you are done, the device is as if it has just been removed from its box. This means you must back up any data you may want to keep while in Safe Mode.
- You can connect your Android device to your computer and copy important data to back up, or you can upload all your data to a cloud service like Google Drive.
- Your app purchases will be saved so you can re-download all apps quickly after resetting the device.
- Your contacts will also be saved so you will not lose those contacts when performing a reset. You can still export them to a file for additional security.
- Reset your Android device from the Settings menu
If you can access the Settings menu in Safe Mode, you can perform a factory reset from here. If you can not use the Settings menu, or it does not work, see the next step. Note that the following steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Android and your phone manufacturer.
- Open the Settings app and select "Backup & reset".
- Select "Factory Data Reset" and confirm that you really want to reset your device.
- Wait for the reset to complete. This can take up to twenty minutes or more. Jump to Step 4 if you have successfully reset your device.
- Reset your device from Recovery Mode
If you can not reset it from Safe Mode, you can use Recovery Mode on your device to perform a reset.
- Press and hold the Power button on your Android and turn the device off completely.
- Press and hold the Recovery Mode button. This combination varies depending on the model of the device you are using. Commonly used combinations include Power + Volume Down (LG, HTC, Motorola) and Power + Volume Up + Home (Samsung). You can find a combination for your device model by searching the device model on the internet plus the phrase "recovery mode". Press and hold the key combination until you see the Recovery Mode menu appear on the screen.
- Use the Volume button on your device to highlight "wipe data/factory reset" and press the Power button to select it.
- Scroll down and select "Yes" to confirm that you really want to reset the device. Use the Power button to select "Yes".
- Wait for the factory reset to complete. This can take a few minutes to complete.
- Set your newly reset device
After the factory reset is complete, you can set the device. You can sign in with the same Google account you used earlier, or you can set up the device with a new Google account. Signing in with your old account allows you to access all of your Google Play purchases, as well as linking Gmail, contacts and other synced data. Click here for information on setting up your Android device.
