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Safe mode in Android - what to do if you see that label on your screen

Today I accidently entered Safe Mode on my ICS 4.04 Haipai i9200 phone and a user in our thread knew that most Android phones have this feature. Here is what I wrote and it applies to most Android phone systems. If you see the words, "Safe mode" in the lower left corner of their phone and or experiencing boot loop due to force closure. Here is what I wrote:
robarnold is right about Safe Mode and the article he posted (which is now linked in my quoted reply) provides more information about Safe Mode. Please see the attached picture to see what Safe Mode looks like on our phones. If your phone were to enter Safe Mode, those words would appear on all your screens. As per the article, most if not all your apps will be suspended or not work.
Basically there are two known ways to enter Safe Mode:
1. Android detects a problem with a newly installed app and force-closes it while entering into Safe Mode.
2. A combination of key presses at power application;
Newly installed app force-closes the system
The gist of the article provided by Rob says that if a newly installed app causes system conflicts, Android will force close that app to prevent it from possibly doing malicious harm. At the same time, Android will suspend the majority of all other apps and display "Safe mode" in the lower left corner of your phone as per the picture.
The reason for this is to provide the user an opportunity to clean the system of the app which is causing the force closure. Chances are it the most recent app installed but it could be a combination of apps that are coming into conflict with one another.
If you suspect a newly installed app of causing this problem and you see Safe Mode on screen, STOP, COLLECT YOUR WITS and BREATHE NORMALLY. You have several options.
SAFE MODE OPTIONS
1. Press the System or Menu Button in the lower left corner and navigate to Manage apps.
2. Find the most recent app you installed.
3. Force close it.
4. Disable it if possible.
5. Remove this app.
6. Reboot the boot to see if the Safe mode is gone.
If the Safe mode label is still present, the article suggests that it may be necessary to press several keys to achieve the removal of the Safe mode label and its effect of suspending the other apps. In essence, we now move to the second discussion of entry into Safe mode:
1. Safe mode can be entered by pressing buttons at start-up. Most likely, this is what I did today as I was getting ready to leave for an appointment. The Safe Mode label freaked me out and when I could use the Rebooter app or any other app, I became scared.
2. I don't know exactly which buttons I pressed but it mostly likely was the System and Home (center big button) and maybe even the Escape/Back button on the right. My phone slipped slightly as I turned it on and my left thumb was flying as I manuevered my left hand to balance the phone.
3. The right combination of buttons, which supposedly are the same to enter Safe Mode, are the same to exit Safe Mode.
4. If you are certain you entered Safe Mode by accident - meaning you know you did not recently or just now installed an app that force closed Android, then you just have to find the combo to exit it.
5. The article suggests that pressing the volume buttons might clear the Safe Mode on the first reboot after initial entry into Safe Mode.
6. If the Safe Mode label disappears after pressing the volume buttons, your phone is okay.
7. If the label is still present, try rebooting the phone again.
The article suggests as per my experience that if you cannot clear the Safe Mode, your last resort is to do a factory reset of the phone. Fortunately in my case, I had ClockworkMod Recovery available and restored my system via a backup recovery.
ronbo's Final Thoughts
Hope I never see Safe Mode again (and, I won't go looking for it) but I recommend you learn how to do a Factory Reset by pressing and holding the Volume Down Button with a simultaneous press of the Power Button. You want to see the Factory Test and Reset Menu when you are calm. TRUST ME ON THAT!
robarnold said:
Hi,
Yes safe mode exists and is a useful if not essential tool for those of who like to experiment with their Android devices.
I'd suggest that it will always be worthwhile to know how to access Safe Mode and recover from it if you are going to install unsigned apps.
The following link may more useful to those who would like to know more:
http://www.tested.com/news/feature/3071-how-to-use-androids-safe-mode-to-save-a-phone-from-boot-loops/.
Cheers
Rob
Click to expand...
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help me with sony arc s cant get it off

Safe Mode = Wet Phone
Just a quick note for anyone who runs into the variation of this problem that I had today.
Using my Nexus S today in the rain. Phone got wet. Specifically, damp got into both the Power button and the Volume rocker.
The result was when the phone was restarted (after I removed the battery and dried it out) it came up in Safe Mode.
Which is how I wound up here.
(Minor site quibble: in the course of registering here and making this ONE post, I've been subjected to FOUR captchas. I like sharing information, but this is really WAY more nuisance than is worth it for me.)

whoa !!! I just did boot up my xolo a500 in sage mode . I was shocked . so I just pulled my battery and re insterted it . now its normal

Appalbarry said:
Just a quick note for anyone who runs into the variation of this problem that I had today.
Using my Nexus S today in the rain. Phone got wet. Specifically, damp got into both the Power button and the Volume rocker.
The result was when the phone was restarted (after I removed the battery and dried it out) it came up in Safe Mode.
Which is how I wound up here.
(Minor site quibble: in the course of registering here and making this ONE post, I've been subjected to FOUR captchas. I like sharing information, but this is really WAY more nuisance than is worth it for me.)
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Click to collapse
I have this same issue except my phone doesn't have a removable battery (evo 4g lte). My down volume button doesn't work and I can't seem to escape safe mode no matter what I do help?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

guih said:
I have this same issue except my phone doesn't have a removable battery (evo 4g lte). My down volume button doesn't work and I can't seem to escape safe mode no matter what I do help?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Same issue..

skywayskase said:
Same issue..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the adb command
Adb reboot
sent from my super advanced mini fridge

A work-around for phones stuck in safe mode due to water damage etc but that seem to work fine otherwise is to convert the (trusted) apps you need from data apps to system apps (move the .apk from /data/app to /system/app after installing via the Play Store). You may need to use Mounts2Sd or something similar with an sd-ext partition if you don't have enough space in your internal /system partition for all the apps you need. (With Mounts2Sd, placing the apps in /data/app-system on the sd-ext partition will fool the phone into thinking the apps are in /system/app and you can then use them in safe mode). If anybody is aware of a simpler script that does the same thing, please lmk.
If this helps you, please hit the Thanks button.

i have this on my tab 3 i can't exit from it tried reboot and factory restart and shut down
what is the solution ?

Same issue here...
Appalbarry said:
Just a quick note for anyone who runs into the variation of this problem that I had today.
Using my Nexus S today in the rain. Phone got wet. Specifically, damp got into both the Power button and the Volume rocker.
The result was when the phone was restarted (after I removed the battery and dried it out) it came up in Safe Mode.
Which is how I wound up here.
(Minor site quibble: in the course of registering here and making this ONE post, I've been subjected to FOUR captchas. I like sharing information, but this is really WAY more nuisance than is worth it for me.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am facing the same problem. I had used my phone in rain. Now the volume down and power button are not working. And the most irritating part is that it rebooted into Safe mode which I dont like. Done factory resetting which took me from safe mode but the volume down and power buttons are still not working.
Anyone knowing how to get rid of these, please share it... Thanks in advance !!!

Lawrence kunhi said:
I am facing the same problem. I had used my phone in rain. Now the volume down and power button are not working. And the most irritating part is that it rebooted into Safe mode which I dont like. Done factory resetting which took me from safe mode but the volume down and power buttons are still not working.
Anyone knowing how to get rid of these, please share it... Thanks in advance !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did u get rid of "safe mode"? I have vol down stuck and phone always goes into safe mode
I tried a factory reset from setting>backup and reset>factory data reset and phone shuts down...the i have to press power button and phone gets into safe mode again.

got the same problem with my lenovo a859. it got wet and now just boots into recovery where i can not choose any other options besides the first (reboot system now). Is there any way to start the phone/ do a factory reset?

I have a parental control program on my kids phone.
Safe mode of course enables to erase it.
Is it a way on a rooted android to disable it?

Turn off safe mode
Yes, safe mode does exist. It is the default mode in your android phone without extra apps installed. When in safe mode you cannot use your favourite apps. I understand it can get irritating some times.
You can try rebooting your phone. It worked for me.
---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:51 PM ----------
If that does not work, here's a guide that helped me exit safe mode

Eagleman71 said:
I have a parental control program on my kids phone.
Safe mode of course enables to erase it.
Is it a way on a rooted android to disable it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you find a solution to your problem?
Is there anyway to completely disable safe mode, e.g. by adb?

help required: Edge soft keys not responding

Hey guys
So I've had and have been loving my edge for only 3 days - and all of a sudden the soft keys are dead. They light up as per usual when you unlock etc, but are dead to the touch..
Just wondering if there is an option somewhere that enables/disables them? Is there a function test mode that will allow me to determine if it's hardware or a bug following an update?
Any info would be hugely appreciated!
J

Not sure if this help....try switch off the power saving mode.
Sent from my SM-N915G

If the buttons still work but don't light up, make sure you don't have power saver on. If they don't work at all, then I'd return the device. And get a new one

Ultra Power Saving Mode - unusable phone

Hey guys-
Was on a long international flight yesterday and decided to put my (unrooted) Galaxy S6 into "ultra power saving" mode for the first time. It was a horrible mistake and I'm not sure how to undo it!
The first issue it had was that it said Ultra Power Saving mode doesn't support the use of themes, so it was reverting to the default theme (I use Material Black).
After a long time of saying it was reverting to the default theme, I'm not sure if it worked - it ended up in the state that it is currently in: if I turn the phone on, the screen is just black - it has the status bar at the top of the screen, but just a blank black screen below it. It does not look like images I've seen on other websites for what Ultra Power Saving mode is supposed to look like (no icons on the screen, no "More" at the top right). If I go to settings by dragging from the top of the screen and hitting the settings button, I get a very limited set of settings: WiFi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, Mobile Networks, Location, Sound, and Brightness - nothing that enables me to turn off Ultra Power Saving mode.
I am afraid to reboot the device, because when I did that yesterday, I had major issues. My device is encrypted, and I think this mode doesn't play nicely with encryption; when I rebooted the device, I was asked to sign in to unlock the encryption (as normal), but then the encryption booting screen (an unlock symbol with a circle around it) just idled indefinitely - for an hour or two. I couldn't do anything to get the phone to actually boot. Eventually, many hours later, rebooting the phone and logging in allowed it to boot to the state I described above; I don't know what went differently that time.
I tried various key combinations on restart, one of which seemed to result in the device trying to boot to Safe Mode (it said safe mode in the bottom left corner when asking me to sign in to device encryption), but ended up leaving me in the exact same place - the extremely limited Ultra Power Saving mode black screen I described above.
Anyway - is there anything I can try to get my phone out of Ultra Power Saving mode and back to normal? It is unusable right now and I can't figure out how to get it back. Would like to avoid a factory reset if possible (because I'm overseas with ****ty internet, and don't have access to my office to get it re-set up with enterprise mail etc.).
If I have to factory reset the device - I'm not even sure how to do it from this current UPSM state, so any tips there would be helpful too.
Thanks a ton in advance for the help guys

Go to download mode, reflash original rom with odin. You need your rom file from sammobile or samsung-updates or xda and odin 3.

Sorry, I am no power user although I am not totally tech incompetent. Can you tell me in a little more detail what your instructions mean? It sounds like it is basically a total reset of the OS; is that right? Any implications for my warranty? Any alternatives?

If you had package disabler and disabled any of the packages required to run ultra power saving mode, you get symptoms like this.
com.sec.android.emergencylauncher is one package amongst many.
I have honestly only heard of factory resetting working.
http://www.hardreset.info/devices/samsung/samsung-g920f-galaxy-s6/

Bootloop after activating ultra saving mode (having touchwiz disabled)

Hi there,
On Saturday I tried to get my phone in the ultra battery saving mode. But after activating it, it told me, that the launcher can't be loaded. Since I used a Samsung package disabler to disable not needed apps (including TouchWiz) I think that caused the issue.
Then I tried turn off the save mode, but since the launcher did not load, I was not able to do so.
So I rebooted my phone. As it turned on again, it only loaded the Samsung logo and pulse and nothing more. I tried to reboot it very often, but still no result. I mean the phone still vibrates after some seconds and the hardware buttons blinks (the sign, that the boot is completed), but the Samsung logo is still there.
I also tried to boot it into save mode, but same result.
Wiping the cache partition in the recovery mode, did help at all.
Now I want to know, if there is any other way, how I can get my phone working again. It's not rooted or any customization made (except for the package disabler).
Or at least a way to backup my phone, so I can do a factory reset without loosing my data.
Thanks in advance!
Zoker

Only saw this post after I submitted mine.
I'm having the exact same issues as you. Enabled UPSM whilst using Nova launcher. Then the device went in to a boot loop.

Problem after updating to ColorOS 11.1

Hi everyone. I'm using an Oppo Find X2 Lite since january and today I finally received the update to the ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11. I put my phone in charge and started updating, but when the process finished something strange happened. When the phone re-booted it showed nothing but a black screen with the top bar with time, wi-fi and battery icons that goes on and off in a loop. I can't do anything: if I try to boot off the phone by pressing the power key, a white empty rectangle appears on the screen, but touching it does nothing. If I press the power button multiple times I can enter in a "SOS Emergency" mode by which I can use the flash light as an SOS or call my local number for an ambulance.
After buying the phone, I debloated it with adb commands following a list I found on this forum: may this be the reason for this behaviour? After debloating the phone I updated it a couple of times, but they were minor security update of ColorOS 7.
I have no idea of what to try, I'm just waiting for the battery to die and then try to access a recovery mode. Hope someone can help me, cheers

kibalcic said:
Hi everyone. I'm using an Oppo Find X2 Lite since january and today I finally received the update to the ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11. I put my phone in charge and started updating, but when the process finished something strange happened. When the phone re-booted it showed nothing but a black screen with the top bar with time, wi-fi and battery icons that goes on and off in a loop. I can't do anything: if I try to boot off the phone by pressing the power key, a white empty rectangle appears on the screen, but touching it does nothing. If I press the power button multiple times I can enter in a "SOS Emergency" mode by which I can use the flash light as an SOS or call my local number for an ambulance.
After buying the phone, I debloated it with adb commands following a list I found on this forum: may this be the reason for this behaviour? After debloating the phone I updated it a couple of times, but they were minor security update of ColorOS 7.
I have no idea of what to try, I'm just waiting for the battery to die and then try to access a recovery mode. Hope someone can help me, cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try holding volume up + power button for 10-15 seconds phone should power down , when it does hold voume down plus power button should take you to recovery mode.

Hi,
I answer late but I got the same problem with my Oppo Find X2 lite. After dowonloading the Color 0S11.1 update my phone restarted.
But then I couldn't unlock it. The screen was flashing on and off in a bootloop.
I managed to get in recovery mode using the method described above. Unfortunately I couldn't just remove or restart the update and I had to do a full factory reset. Then the Colors OS 11 update went smooth.
I had also debloated my phone but only a few apps and services. I was very careful. So I have another clue : to me it looked like the phone couldn't load the fingerpint id sensor on start screen.
I wonder if it shouldn't be deactivated before any major updates.
@kibalcic : did you manage to solve your problem ?