Safe Mode is a useful tool for diagnosing issues on your smartphone, as it allows you to isolate the problem and find a suitable solution. 

Understanding the safe mode on your Samsung Galaxy smartphone can be extremely helpful to troubleshoot the device when a problem arises.

This article will provide you with an in-depth guide on what is Safe Mode, how it works, when to use it, and how to boot your Samsung Galaxy smartphone into and out of Safe Mode.

What is Safe Mode?

Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode of a computer operating system (OS) that provides limited functionality to troubleshoot issues related to software and hardware. 

In Android, which is the operating system used in most smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Safe Mode is a feature that allows the device to run on its most basic functionalities.

In Safe Mode, all the system settings remain the same as they were in the normal operating mode. However, the user interface might appear different due to the absence of third-party widgets and live wallpapers. Users will also notice a “Safe Mode” watermark at the bottom left corner of the screen, indicating that the device is currently in Safe Mode.

How Does Safe Mode Work?

When an Android smartphone is in Safe Mode, the device turns on by loading only the core parts of the OS. This means that only the system applications and services, which are integral to the functioning of the device, are active. All third-party applications, which are the apps that are downloaded from the Google Play Store or other sources, are disabled.

Safe Mode in Android operating systems does this by setting the dalvik.vm.dexopt-flags system property to v=n,o=v. This makes the device ignore the dex files in the /data directory, which is where third-party apps store their data.

The main difference between Safe Mode and the normal operating mode lies in the fact that in Safe Mode, only the apps that came pre-installed on a smartphone are allowed to run. 

The other difference is that the smartphone in Safe mode will operate under default settings, meaning any change made by the user to the smartphone’s settings will not work here.

When to Boot Into Safe Mode?

Safe Mode is used to troubleshoot software and hardware issues in Android smartphones. Since it is a diagnostic mode that operates a smartphone in a basic state, users can isolate third-party apps and custom settings made by them to identify the root cause of an issue.

These are the situations when booting into Safe Mode can be beneficial:

1. Identifying problematic apps: If your smartphone is freezing, crashing, has slow performance, or battery drain, it could be due to a third-party app.
   
   Booting into Safe Mode will help you identify if the problem is caused by a third-party app or not, as these apps will not run in this mode.
   
2. Preventing malware: If you suspect that your smartphone has been infected with malware, booting into Safe Mode can prevent the malware from causing further damage, as it disables third-party processes.

How to Boot Your Samsung Galaxy Smartphone into Safe Mode

The process of activating safe mode can slightly differ depending on the model of the smartphone. 

Since our website is mainly about Samsung Galaxy smartphones, we will explain how to boot a Samsung Galaxy smartphone into recovery mode. 

Note: Save any open files and close all applications before you start this process, as booting into safe mode will restart your smartphone.

For old Samsung Galaxy smartphones:

1. Press and hold the power button to bring up the power menu.
2. Tap and hold the “Power off” option. After a few seconds, a button will appear asking if you want to reboot to safe mode.
3. Confirm the reboot to safe mode.

For new Samsung Galaxy smartphones:

1. Press and hold the Volume up button and the power button simultaneously until the power menu appears.
2. Tap and hold the “Power off” option. After a few seconds, a button will appear asking if you want to reboot to safe mode.
3. Confirm the reboot to safe mode.

If your smartphone successfully booted into safe mode, you will see the words “Safe Mode” as a watermark at the bottom left corner of your screen.

How to Exit from Safe Mode

Exiting Safe Mode on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone is a straightforward process. Here is how you can do that:

For old Samsung Galaxy smartphones:

1. Press and hold the power button to bring up the power menu.
2. Tap on the “Restart” option.
3. Wait for your device to restart

For new Samsung Galaxy smartphones:

1. Press and hold the power button simultaneously until you see the Samsung logo.
2. Then release the buttons and wait for your device to restart.

If you have successfully exited from safe mode, your smartphone will no longer display the “Safe mode” watermark on the screen.

Related guides:

• Samsung S21 Stuck in Safe Mode – Get Out Of It Now! – Back to Default

FAQ

Here are the answers to the most asked questions regarding the Safe mode on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.