Safe mode in Android is a way to boot your Android device with only the apps and settings that it came with out of the box. This means that when you boot your Android phone into safe mode, all third-party apps, widgets downloaded and set up, and any related system modifications are removed, leaving only the default system apps would be loaded.
Why does Safe Mode matter?
Safe mode is a quick and easy way to detect any problems that your device might be experiencing. Examples could include battery drain, performance degradation, or increased usage of data. It can also be used in cases where your phone is infected by malware or some kind of malicious program and you need to identify and remove it before it affects or steals your data.
In order to determine whether an app me be causing an issue on your Android phone, or to rule out a hardware-related problem, you can boot your Android phone into Safe Mode and use it for some time.
If you still witness the same problem(s) when using Safe Mode, it might mean that there is some issue with the hardware of your device. But, if your device is works without problems, it likely means that a third-party app installed on your device is the cause.
Once you have identified a software-related problem, you can boot into normal mode and investigate the apps you have recently installed or updated to find and uninstall the culprit. You can also directly uninstall the suspicious app from Safe Mode if you find out which one was causing the problems.
How to boot into Safe Mode
Here is how you can boot into, and out of, safe mode on your Android phone.
This can be done in two different ways based on versions of Android and your device model.
Method 1
Long press the hardware power button on your Android phone until the power off menu appears.
Long press on the software power off button on your screen until you get the safe mode option.
Your Android device will now reboot and enter into the safe mode. You can verify this by noticing the safe mode text at the bottom left corner of your device.
Method 2
If you are unable to enter the safe mode on your Android device by using the above method, follow the below steps.
Turn off your Android device by holding the power button and selecting the power off option from the menu.
Once your device has been powered off, long press the power button to turn it back on and wait till you see the device manufacturer or the Android logo.
Once you see the logo, press and hold the volume down button until your device reboots.
Release the power button once your device has rebooted and you will now be entered into the safe mode.
How to exit the safe mode on Android phone
Unlike entering into the safe mode, exiting from it is common for all Android devices and it is quite simple. Just follow the below steps to exit from the safe mode on your Android phone.
Hold the power button on your device until you get the power off menu.
Select the restart option from the menu.
Your device will now be rebooted and exit from the safe mode and boot into the normal mode.
If you are still having problems with your device, even after uninstalling the suspicious apps from your Android phone after exiting from the safe mode, before concluding that it might be a hardware or an Android operating system related issue, try doing a factory reset once.
Once you have done a factory reset, try using your device for a while to check whether the problem still persists. If yes, you may have to send your device to the manufacturer to perform further diagnosis.
If you have any questions about the processes listed above, let us know in the comments section below.