Android is a great mobile operating system, and it’s getting better with every new version. Android 6.0 has been the best yet as far as performance enhancements go, and as a result, devices running Marshmallow have been insanely slick. Android isn’t able to stop third-party applications from bringing your handset to a crawl, though. However, Android does have a handy tool called Safe Mode to deal with those issues.
This tool will let users boot their device into Safe Mode, where only the applications that came with the smartphone are running. In other words, any application you downloaded after getting your device aren’t able to run. This helps you get a good indication if you’re smartphone is chugging because of something you downloaded or of it might be time to turn in the smartphone for a new device.
With that in mind, we’re going to show you how to boot the most popular Android devices into Safe Mode to deal with those nasty software problems.
Booting into Safe Mode
A surefire way to boot into safe mode on most devices is to hold the power button down for a few seconds, just as you normally would to shut off the phone or restart it.
Next, hold the Power Off button down until your device prompts you to reboot into safe mode. Press OK, and your smartphone or tablet will restart in safe mode.
Once you’re in safe mode, a watermark will appear at the bottom left of the device that says “Safe Mode.” In this mode, you won’t be able to access any extra applications you downloaded. The only apps that are running are the ones that came with the device. Just as I mentioned earlier, this will help you get a good indication if it’s some third-party app that’s making your device take a performance hit.
Unfortunately, it won’t show you which app that’s making your device chug, but it’ll give you a good footing to start searching for the problem.
While in safe mode, it’s worth using staying it for a day and seeing if any of your problems persist. If any lagging, freezing, performance issues, or battery issues are resolved, it could very well be a rogue application chugging down your device. That said, it might be time to start deleting applications that you think might be causing the problem. You can easily do this in your device’s application manager while all of the third-party apps are disabled.
If problems persist, it’s worth skipping all of this troubleshooting and going straight for a factory data reset. This will completely reset your device to factory settings, eliminating all applications and any malware, viruses or Trojans you might have on your gadget.
To get out of safe mode, just power off the device as your normally would. Hold the power button for a few seconds. Next, when the menu appears, just tap Power Off. Finally, hold the power button down again to turn on your device.
Closing
If problems persist even after doing a factory data reset, it might be time to get a new smartphone. Android isn’t meant to be bogged down, and for the most part, it’s a very smooth and fast mobile operating system. With that in mind, there are tons of great devices out there. And while many might seem expensive, many manufacturers are making leaps to construct cheap, yet powerful off-contract devices. Whether you need a new smartphone or tablet, Android has a variety of powerful options that won’t break the bank.
If this guide helped you at all or you need some additional troubleshooting help, be sure to leave a comment below. We’d love to help you get your Android device in working order!
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