Power on your Galaxy phone or tablet in Safe mode

Hand holding Galaxy S21 displaying Safe mode

If your phone or tablet is misbehaving, it's possible that a third-party app is causing the issue. To figure out what app is acting funny, you can use the Safe mode feature. In Safe mode, your device won't run any third-party apps. This allows you to easily identify and remove the app that may be causing the problem.

Note: Available screens and settings may vary by wireless service provider, software version, and device model. 

Start your device in Safe mode

Important: When you exit Safe mode, some of your customization options (wallpapers, themes, etc.) may be reset to default.

Start Safe mode while your phone is turned off

  1. First, completely power off the phone or tablet.

  2. Turn on the device and when the Samsung logo appears, press and hold the Volume down key.

  3. If done correctly, "Safe mode" will display on the bottom left corner of the screen. If "Safe mode" does not appear, repeat the previous steps.

  4. Once you're in Safe mode, you can remove the third-party app that is causing issues.

    Start by removing apps that were updated or installed when the problem started.

  5. To exit Safe mode, simply restart your phone or tablet and it will reboot normally. Or, you can tap the Safe mode notification; swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap the Safe mode is on notification. Tap Turn off.

Start Safe mode from the Power menu

If you’re having trouble turning on Safe mode using the previous steps, you can also enable it from the Power menu.

  1. First, press and hold the Side key and the Volume down key at the same time. You can also swipe down from the top of the screen using two fingers, and then tap the Power icon.

  2. Touch and hold the Power off icon.

  3. Tap the Safe mode icon.

    Safe mode displayed on a Galaxy phone

  4. Once you're in Safe mode, you can remove the third-party app that is causing issues. Start by removing apps that were updated or installed when the problem started.

  5. To exit Safe mode, simply restart your phone or tablet and it will reboot normally. Or, you can tap the Safe mode notification; swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap the Safe mode is on notification. Tap Turn off.

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