How To Get Android Off Safe Mode

Safe Mode almost enabled on Google Pixel 3 XL

Even though putting your phone in Safe Mode isn't very hard, it's not always clear how to get your device out of it. That can be very frustrating, particularly for those who aren't intimately familiar with their devices.

For those who are stuck in Safe Mode for whatever reason, fear not! Here's our step-by-step guide on how to turn off Safe Mode on your Android device.

Also read: How to enter Safe Mode on Android

Editor's note: All instructions in this tutorial were compiled using a Pixel 4a running Android 11. Remember, steps may be different depending on your phone and the software it's running.

How to take care of offending apps

Unless it happened by accident, chances are you entered Safe Mode for a reason. You might be having issues with one of your apps, and this is the right time to find the culprit. You can turn off Safe Mode later.

Even though you can't use third-party apps while in Safe Mode, the cache and app data aren't blocked off within your device's settings. That's good, since there's a chance an app is causing issues with your device. In that case, it's best to deal with the app itself instead of constantly restarting your phone.

First, you need to find the offending app. If you already know which app is misbehaving, deal with it directly. If not, you can follow the instructions below for each of the recently downloaded apps. There are three ways to tackle this: wiping the cache, wiping the app data, and uninstalling the app.

Let's start with wiping the cache:

Open Settings.
TapApps & notifications, then tapSee all apps.
Select the offending app.
TapStorage & cache.
Hit Clear cache.

If that doesn't do the trick, it's time to go a step further. Be warned: deleting an app's storage clears the cache and your user data for that app. You will have to set the app up again after this, but it may help you fix the app so you can get out of Safe Mode.

How to delete an app's storage:

Open Settings.
TapApps & notifications, then tapSee all apps.
Select the offending app.
TapStorage & cache.
Hit Clear storage.

How to uninstall the app:

Open Settings.
TapApps & notifications, then tapSee all apps.
Select the offending app.
Tap Uninstall.
Hit OK to confirm.

More: A complete guide for deleting apps

Restart your device

Restarting can fix other issues with your device, so it makes sense that restarting can turn off Safe Mode.

How to restart your Android phone:

Press and hold thePower button on your device until several device options pop up.
TapRestart.

If you don't see a restart option, press and hold the Power button for about 30 seconds. The phone will force a restart when you do this.

Check the notification panel

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro held in the hand looking at the notification shade - How to get out of Safe Mode

Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority

Some devices let you turn off Safe Mode from the notification panel. This isn't the case with the Pixel 4a, which is the device we're using, but you can try the following steps and see if they work on your device.

How to turn off Safe Mode using the notification area:

Pull down the notification panel.
If your phone supports this feature, there will be a Safe mode enabled notification.
Tap theSafe mode enabled notification to turn it off.
Your phone will automatically restart and turn off Safe Mode.

Related: Common Android issues and how to fix them

Use hardware buttons

Google Pixel 4a 5G power button - How to get out of Safe Mode

David Imel / Android Authority

If none of the aforementioned steps worked for you, some have reported success by using hardware buttons. This could get you out of Safe Mode.

Use hardware buttons to get out of Safe Mode:

Turn off your device.
Once your device is off, press and hold thePower and Volume down buttons.
This will open up recovery mode.
Once in, use the volume buttons to navigate to Start.
Press the Power button, and the phone will restart.
This should get rid of Safe Mode.

The nuclear option

Google Pixel 5 using phone from the back 2 - How to get out of Safe Mode

David Imel / Android Authority

Your last option to fix whatever issue that might be forcing you into Safe Mode is to do a factory reset on your device. Doing so will delete all of your internal data, so ensure you've tried everything else before resorting to this step. Also, back up all of your data before doing a factory reset.

How to do a factory data reset:

Open the Settings.
Scroll down and tapSystem.
Go into Advanced.
TapReset options, then tapErase all data (factory reset).
TapErase all data at the bottom.
If needed, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
TapErase everything.

Next: How to factory reset Android devices