Is your android cell phone stuck in Safe Mode? Wondering how to turn Safe Mode off? Then here is the solution.
Understanding Safe Mode
Before we begin, if you’re unfamiliar with this feature but would like to know what Safe Mode is and the powerful uses that it can have then you might find Using Safe Mode on an Android smartphone very informative. If however you would simply like to know how to get your phone out of Safe Mode then this article will let you know how to do it.
The standard method used to disable Safe Mode
Typically it is extremely simple to turn off the Safe Mode feature on an Android. All you have to do is restart your cell phone.
Once it boots up again your phone should no longer be in Safe Mode and you can use it to its full potential. So go ahead and restart your phone (if you haven’t already done so) and see if it will reboot normally. If so then enjoy your smartphone and don’t forget to push the Facebook Like or Google + buttons at the bottom of this article.
If you restart your phone and it doesn’t start up normally but automatically boots into Safe Mode and your phone seems to be stuck in Safe Mode then I suggest proceeding with the suggestions listed below for some common causes and best of all some common solutions that can often get your android cell phone up and running properly again.
Stuck in Safe Mode
If you have already tried restarting your cell phone, powering the phone off and on and even removing the battery and your Android smartphone is stuck in safe mode then here is the most likely reason.
One of the keys is malfunctioning
If you turn on your phone without trying to activate Safe Mode and it seems to boot into safe mode no matter what you do then chances are one of the physical keys on your phone is defective or malfunctioning and is stuck in the pressed down position. When you go to turn on your phone your phone believes that you are trying to activate safe mode and does exactly what it thinks you are telling it to do.
So for example, if you have a Samsung Galaxy S 5 then to access the Safe Mode feature you would turn the phone off, push the power button to turn the phone back on and then immediately press and hold the Volume Down key until the phone booted up into safe mode.
If the Volume Down button on a Samsung Galaxy S5 was defective or malfunctioning though, and the phone thought that the Volume Down key was being pressed (even though you yourself were not holding or pressing it down) then after turning on the phone it would think that you just pressed the power and Volume Down buttons and would boot itself into Safe Mode because that’s exactly what it is programmed to do.
So, check your buttons and press them in a few times to make sure that they are not sticking or in the pressed in position. If you are using a protective case also check to make sure your case isn’t pressing or applying unwanted pressure to any keys. I would go as far as to suggest that you try re-booting your phone without its protective case just to make sure it isn’t a case that is causing problems.
Damage
This goes hand-in-hand with the malfunctioning key. If your cell phone has physical or liquid damage then it can certainly affect how your smartphone operates and whether or not it does so properly. If your cell phone does not have any signs of physical damage and no signs of liquid damage (don’t forget to check for any activated Liquid Damage Indicators) then I suggest looking into your warranty options.
You can TRY to perform a backup and reset as well just as a final precaution to try and rule out a software issue but it would mostly just be for good measure as this problem is usually hardware related.
Warranty, Replacement, and Repair
If you have tried the advice listed above and everything else that you can think of and simply cannot seem to get your cell phone out of safe mode then at this point you might want to consider your repair or replacement options which includes filing a warranty claim and possibly these other options.
If your phone is no longer covered under the manufactures warranty for whatever reason being out of warranty by date (over a year old) or damaged and you are looking for any possible option that will allow you to take your phone out of safe mode then you can try the advice below.
Additional advice to consider
If you are looking for a more unusual yet very possible solution to this problem and have run out of other options then consider removing the malfunctioning key from the phone entirely. A little more of an unorthodox suggestion I know but if the key is malfunction then removing it completely should prevent it from pressing itself in and allow the phone to boot up properly.
So if you had the Samsung Galaxy S 5 (as mentioned above) you could remove the volume down button and then try rebooting the phone. By removing the key you will also be able to check to see if any dirt or grime has built up under the key preventing it from working properly and of course be in a better position to clean it.
If removing the key fixes it then you can reinsert the key and see if briefly removing it was able to resolve the problem. You can also consider giving that area of your phone a quick cleaning. If you use a liquid to help clean it then don’t forget to power the phone off first and I suggest that you use 99% isopropyl alcohol as it’s a none conductive liquid and shouldn’t cause any electrical problems such as an electrical short. But I digress.
I have seen a few cases where removing the key from the phone, albeit a last resort, can fix this issue on a cell phone and get it out of Safe Mode. So I thought I would mention it, again, as a last resort.
Important Disclaimer: Remember that this is a LAST RESORT and if your phone is still covered under the manufactures warranty then physically removing a piece such as a volume key from the phone would be considered tampering or physical damage by the manufacture and it will void the warranty.
Thanks for Reading
I hope that this guide was able to help you get your cell phone out of Safe Mode. If you enjoyed the article, found it helpful, or at the very least informative then please let me know that you liked it by pressing the Facebook Like and Google + button, and don’t hesitate to also leave a friendly comment or suggestion below. If you do leave a comment or suggestion don’t forget to let us know what phone you have and what technique that you used to get your phone off of Safe Mode. Thanks again for visiting the site I hope that you have a fantastic day.
20 thoughts on “How to Get Your Android Phone Out of Safe Mode”
safe mode
Thank you for this page. know i know how to fix on my android phone. thanks for the knowledge you share to us. more power and godbless.
Safe mode stuck
Will I lose my apps if I restart my phone.
Nope, a “restart” should NOT cause a loss of information
Hi Gabrielle,
If you restart your phone it will cause no loss of data and you will NOT lose your applications.
IF HOWEVER you reset your phone and perform a HARD RESET or Factory Data Reset then YES all of the user data will be removed from your cell phone and the phone will be just like it was when it was brand new right out of the box and powered on for the very first time.
I can certainly understand the confusion as there are many types of resets available for smartphones. If you would like, then you can read more about these types of resets in this Mobile Phone Resets guide. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Stuck in Safe Mode
Thanks to your very good advice, I discovered my new phone case was causing my volume key to be depressed in the down position. My phone is now out of Smart Mode and I managed to get the cover on so it is no longer causing a problem. Thanks for relieving my frustration!
You’re Welcome
You’re welcome Michelle,
Thank you for taking the time to show your gratitude. I appreciate it.
Enjoy your nice and properly functioning cell phone and your new protective case.
Is this also applicable to the Note 2?
Is this also applicable to the Note 2?
Absolutely
Hi Yhanzel,
Yep, the advice above can be applied to just about any Android smartphone. This includes Samsung’s line of Galaxy smartphones as well so if your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is stuck in Safe Mode triple check those volume keys (specifically the Volume Down key on a Note 2) to make sure that it isn’t stuck in the pressed down position and isn’t inadvertently instructing the phone to enter Safe Mode.
Good luck my friend.
Thanks for your very good advice
Thanks for your very good advice, but I still have that problem! I removed the keys from my Galaxy Alpha but the volume down key is still pressed. When I power on the device its getting stuck in safe mode and if I check the volume bar and I try to press the volume up, it quickly goes to the left side (volume down). What do you think?
I agree, it sounds like the volume down key is still pressed
Hi Marco,
I completely agree with you. If you try to increase the volume on your phone and the volume goes back down to zero right away all by itself then it does sound like the volume down button on your phone is still malfunctioning.
Since you have already taken your Samsung apart and the key is still having issues you may not be able to fix it yourself. Make sure that you press in that volume down button multiple times to try to get it to read properly. If you simply cannot get it to work like it’s supposed to then you may need to take your phone into a repair shop to be serviced.
Thank You 🙂
My phone got stuck in SAFE MODE for no reason after charging it the whole night. I starting it up in the morning and it was just stuck. I tried everything I could but nothing worked. Thank you for your recommendations my phone is still covered by warranty 🙂
Cheers! 😀
Pipo X7S stuck in safe mode.
I have a Pipo X7S dual boot Windows 8.1/Android 4.4.4 mini pc that is stuck in safe mode. It’s plugged into a TV via HDMI and I’m using a third party Bluetooth keyboard/mouse as an input so don’t have any touch controls. I’ve tried all of the above steps as far as I can, including backup and reset and a hard reset of the device itself by pressing a toothpick into the small hole at the rear for 30 secs. All to no avail.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Stuck in Safe Mode
Hi Pip,
Sorry to hear that your PC is having issues. To be perfectly honest I am not at all familiar with that specific device and think that your best may be to contact its manufacture for advice.
If I was to make an educated guess though, I would lean more towards a hardware issue (like the stuck key mentioned above). The reason I would assume that this is the cause of the problem is because you mentioned trying to hard reset the device already which had little effect.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help Pip. Try contacting the manufacture though for some advice and at the very least ask them how your Mini PC boots into Safe Mode. If it utilizes a hardware button to do so then you should check the button(s) used just to make sure that they are in fact still functioning properly.
Thanks for your prompt reply
Hello James,
Thanks for your prompt reply.
I’m not surprised that you’re unfamiliar with the Pipo X7s or similar as they’re relatively new, although they are becoming increasingly popular as HTPC (home theatre) devices. Most of these devices are made and sold by Chinese manufacturer’s and online retailers which can make support rather tricky at times. However, I’ve emailed both the manufacturer and seller so hopefully I’ll be able to resolve the problem soon.
The only hardware button on the device besides the tiny reset hole (which seems to respond, but obviously hasn’t worked as I anticipated) is the on/off button which works perfectly. I’m hoping I can use a simple combination of key presses on an attached keyboard to get it out of safe mode, but I’m reluctant to start experimenting without explicit instructions in case I make things worse.
If I ever find the answer I’ll post it.
Regards,
Pip
Good luck my friend
You are most welcome Pip. I hope that you get a quick response from the manufacture or the place of purchase and hopefully they can provide you with an easy solution which you can use to get your Pipo X7 up and running properly again.
If so then yes, please come back and let us know what you ended up doing in order to resolve the issue.
Good luck Pip, glad to hear back from you and I hope to hear back from you again soon.
Thank you
Thanks man.. this helped me understand all about this problem.. and now I think its time for me to get a new android device lol.
How to get it out of safe mode
This helped me so much! I thought there was something wrong with my phone!!! I recommend this website and these answers.
Samsung S4 mini Safe Mode
Thanks for giving information about how to remove Safe Mode. I succeeded in removing safe mode from my Samsung S4 Mini… Vishnu Dega
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Excellent result… thanks for useful stuff!
Thank you so much
Thank you so much, it saved so much time minus the frustration
God bless!