Phone FixHow to use Safe Mode on Android
Safe Mode switches off every app you installed, for one session. If the problem disappears, one of those apps is the cause.
What Safe Mode does
In Safe Mode, Android loads only the apps that came with the phone. Downloaded apps are not removed, only greyed out and unable to run. The words Safe mode appear in a corner of the screen. Your data, photos and settings are not changed. Home-screen widgets may need to be put back afterwards.
Use it when the phone is slow, hot, draining fast, showing pop-up advertisements, crashing or restarting, and you want to know whether an app is to blame.
iPhones have no Safe Mode. The nearest iPhone steps are to delete the suspect app, or Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset All Settings.
Turn Safe Mode on
Method 1: from the power menu (Pixel, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus and most phones)
- Open the power menu (hold Power, or Power + Volume Up).
- Touch and hold the Power off or Restart option on the screen.
- A box asks "Reboot to safe mode?" Tap OK.
Method 2: with the volume key during start-up (Samsung, and phones where method 1 does nothing)
- Switch the phone off completely.
- Switch it on. As soon as the maker's logo appears, hold Volume Down and keep holding until the home screen appears with "Safe mode" at the bottom.
On Samsung you can also use method 1: touch and hold the Power off icon until it turns into a green Safe mode button.
What to check in Safe Mode
Use the phone for a while: an hour for a battery or heat problem, a few minutes for pop-ups or crashes.
| In Safe Mode the problem... | Meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Is gone | A downloaded app is the cause | Find and remove the app (below) |
| Is still there | The system or the hardware is at fault | Update the system; then back up and factory reset; if it survives a reset, service centre |
Finding the guilty app
- Think of what you installed or updated just before the trouble began. That is the first suspect.
- While still in Safe Mode, uninstall it: Settings › Apps › the app › Uninstall. (Safe Mode is the one place where a misbehaving app cannot interfere with its own removal.)
- Restart normally and test.
- If the trouble returns, repeat with the next most recent app. Pay special attention to apps installed from outside the Play Store, and to "cleaner", "booster", battery saver, launcher, keyboard, VPN and screen-overlay apps.
If an app will not uninstall because the button is greyed out, it has been given device administrator rights. Settings › Security & privacy › More security & privacy › Device admin apps: switch it off there, then uninstall. Also look in Settings › Accessibility for unknown services that are switched on. Apps that grab these rights and hide their icons are often malware. See our sister site on APK file scams.
Finish with a scan: Play Store › your picture › Play Protect › Scan.
Turn Safe Mode off
Just restart the phone. Hold Power and tap Restart. It starts normally.
If it keeps coming back to Safe Mode:
- Pull down the notification shade and tap "Safe mode is on. Tap here to turn off", where shown.
- Check the Volume Down key. A stuck or pressed key (from a tight case, dirt or damage) puts the phone into Safe Mode on every start. Take the case off and press the key a few times.
- Force restart. See restart and force restart.
- Remove the app you installed last; a crashing app can drop the phone back into Safe Mode.
Things that do not work in Safe Mode
Downloaded apps, including WhatsApp, your banking apps and third-party keyboards. Calls, SMS, the camera, the browser that came with the phone, Settings and the Play Store work. That is expected, and everything returns after a normal restart.
Safe Mode and passwords
The phone still asks for your PIN, pattern or password. Safe Mode is not a way round the screen lock. See forgot PIN or pattern.
Does Safe Mode delete apps or data?
No. It only stops downloaded apps from running until the next normal restart.
Why did my phone go into Safe Mode by itself?
The Volume Down key was pressed during start-up, often in a pocket or by a tight case, or an app crashed repeatedly. Restart to leave it.
My widgets disappeared after Safe Mode. Are they gone?
Only from the home screen. Add them again by touching and holding an empty space and choosing Widgets.
For Android phones and iPhones. Written in November 2026 for Android 13 to 15 and iOS 17 and 18. Phone makers rename menus; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up before any reset. This is an independent guide, not connected with Google, Apple, Samsung or any phone maker or operator.