Booting your Android phone or tablets in safe mode is an excellent way to figure out what’s giving you trouble with your device. Like the safe mode on Windows, when you turn on safe mode on Android, your device will start with a minimum set of apps and features running.

In this short guide, we'll show you the easiest ways to boot your Android device into safe mode.

What is Safe Mode on Android?

Safe mode is a way to boot your Android operating system with minimum files and drivers. It works by temporarily switching off all the third-party apps; only the system apps are allowed to run. Apart from Android, it is also available in other popular operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and many others.

It’s a good idea to turn on safe mode on your Android handset if you are facing abrupt crashing of apps, or your device has become awfully slow.

How to Boot Into Safe Mode in Android

To enter safe mode on your Android phone or tablet, follow the steps below:

  1. Press and hold the power button of your phone until you see the power menu.
  2. Then, press and hold on either the Restart or Power off options until you get the safe mode prompt.
  3. Tap OK and your phone will reboot into safe mode.
boot into safe mode android screensot

If this method doesn't work, however, don't panic. There's a second method to boot your Android in safe mode. Follow the steps below to get started:

  1. First, you have to switch off your device.
  2. Press the power button, and while the phone is starting up press the volume down and the power button simultaneously.

When the manufacturer logo appears on your screen, you’ll see a recovery icon in the bottom-left corner. To check how to turn on safe mode for a specific device, visit your manufacturer's support site.

How to Use Safe Mode

After the reboot, your device will start up without any third-party apps. The safe mode watermark in the bottom left of the screen will confirm that it has been successful.

safe mode watermark

If everything is working fine in the safe mode, it's clear that an additional app was the culprit for all your Android issues. Try uninstalling or resetting that app, and that will hopefully fix your problems.

But if your phone is still giving you trouble, then this is most probably a problem with the hardware, or even the underlying operating system itself.

When you are done with the troubleshooting, you can turn off safe mode by simply restarting your phone.

Turn On Safe Mode on Android

If you are facing abrupt slowdown or crashes on your Android device, booting it in safe mode will definitely turn out to be a life-saver. In fact, it can also help if you ever need to remove a virus from your phone.