How to Turn Off Safe Mode on Android
Stuck in Safe Mode on Android? Usually a restart clears it. Here is how to exit, and what to do when the phone keeps booting back into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode disables your downloaded apps so you can troubleshoot, and you usually leave it with a simple restart. If “Safe mode” is showing in the corner, pull down the notification shade and tap the Safe mode notification to restart, or hold the power button and choose Restart.
Exit Safe Mode
The quickest exit is a normal restart:
| Method | Steps |
|---|---|
| Notification | Swipe down, tap “Safe mode is on,” confirm restart |
| Power menu | Hold Power, tap Restart (or power off, wait, power on) |
Pixel phones do not show the Safe mode notification, so use the power menu there. When the phone comes back up, your apps and widgets return to normal.
When it keeps booting into Safe Mode
If the phone starts in Safe Mode every time, something is forcing it. The two usual causes are a stuck Volume Down button — Android reads a held Volume Down at boot as a request for Safe Mode — or a misbehaving app. Check the volume rocker for grit, or a case pressing on it, and clean around the key. If the button is fine, a recently installed app is the likely trigger.
Use the trip to Safe Mode to find the bad app
Because Safe Mode disables third-party apps, it is the perfect place to test. If the phone behaves in Safe Mode but not normally, an app you installed is the problem. Uninstall the most recent ones first, restart between each, and watch for the crash or freeze to stop. Clearing a misbehaving app’s data can also help — see clear the app cache — and if several apps are unstable, work through why Android apps keep crashing. A crash-looping keyboard is a common offender; an Android keyboard that will not work has its own steps.
A restart gets almost everyone out of Safe Mode. If it comes back, suspect the Volume Down button first and a recent app second — a factory reset is a last resort, not a first move.