How to Turn off Safe Mode

Putting your computer and mobile phone in Safe Mode is the easiest way to find and fix the problems on your device. This article has everything you need to know about safe mode. Keep reading to find out what is Safe mode, how to turn on or off Safe mode on Android and Windows, and how to use Safe mode.

What is Safe Mode?

Safe mode is a boot option where the computer or the mobile operating system starts in a diagnostic mode instead of the normal operating mode. It is mostly used to fix a system that has crashed, failed to boot properly, or become unstable after an update, device driver, or new piece of software has been installed.

Safe mode is the best way to figure out what's wrong with your Android phone or tablet because it stops third-party apps from running for a short time. If your device speeds up a lot when you put it in "safe mode," it's likely because of a third-party app.

How to turn on safe mode on Android

If you have a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, a Google Pixel 5, or any other Android phone or tablet running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later, here's how to turn on safe mode:

1.  Press and hold the Power button.

2. Tap and hold Power Off.

3. Tap OK when it says "Reboot to Safe Mode."

Then, your device will restart, and a "safe Mode" prompt will appear in the bottom-left corner. This method works with LG, HTC, Sony, and a lot of other Android phones as well.

How to turn off Safe Mode on Android

To turn off Safe Mode, all you have to do is restart your device. In Safe Mode, you can turn off your device the same way you do in normal mode:

1. Press and hold the power button.

2. Tap and hold Power off.

3. When When the Reboot to Safe Mode prompt shows up, tap again or tap OK.

Your Android will then restart and when it turns on again, it should be back to normal mode.

You can also get out of Safe Mode by swiping down from the top of the screen. This will show the notification panel, which will have a tab that says "Safe mode is on. Tap here to turn it off."

If you tap on that tab, the phone will go back to its regular mode.

Not every Android device lets you do this, but many of the most popular brands let you turn off Safe Mode this way.

How to turn on Safe mode on Windows 10

1. Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open Settings. If that doesn't work, click the Start button and then click Settings.

2. Choose Update & Security > Recovery from the menu.

3. Select Restart now from the Advanced startup menu.

4. When your PC restarts and you see the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

You might be asked to enter your BitLocker recovery key.

5. When your Windows computer starts up again, you'll see a list of choices. To start your PC in Safe Mode, choose 4 or press F4. Or, if you need to use the internet, choose 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

How to turn on Safe mode on Windows 11

1. To open Settings, press the Windows key + I on your keyboard. If that doesn't work, click the Start button and then click Settings.

2. Select System.

3. Select Recovery.

4. Select Restart now from the Advanced startup menu.

5. When your PC restarts and you see the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. You might be asked to enter your BitLocker recovery key.

6. When your computer starts up again, you'll see a list of choices. To start your PC in Safe Mode, choose 4 or press F4. Or, if you need to use the internet, press 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

How to turn off Safe mode on Windows 10

Using System Configuration

1. Right-click the Start button and click Run.

You can also get to Run Command Window by pressing the Win and R keys together.

2. Type msconfig into the Run Command Window and click OK.

3. On the System Configuration screen, click on the Boot tab, uncheck the box next to Safe Boot, and click OK.

4. Click the Restart option on the pop-up that appears.

When you restart the computer, it will turn off Safe Mode.

Using Shift key

Restarting your computer while holding down the Shift key is another way to get out of Safe Mode.

1. Press and hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, then press the Restart button.

2. Click the Troubleshoot button on the next screen.

3. Click on Advanced options, then select Startup settings > Restart.

4. Your computer will now restart with different options for how to start up. Press the Enter key to get out of Safe Mode.

What to do in safe mode

In safe mode, you can get rid of apps that don't work and use your phone's main features. If your problem goes away when your phone is in safe mode, you can either uninstall apps one by one and try again in normal mode to find the problem app, or you can reset your device to factory settings and install apps and games one by one, making sure to check for any problems after each install.

If your device keeps crashing, getting too hot, or otherwise not working well, even in safe mode, the problem might not be with an app you downloaded but with the phone's operating system or hardware. Try a factory reset, and if that doesn't work, talk to your phone's retailer, carrier, or manufacturer about getting a new one or fixing the one you have.

But while you're in Safe Mode, you should fix any apps that are making your phone act up. You can try a few different things.

Clear the app cache

If an app is giving you trouble because its cache is broken or full, clearing the cache on your Android device is the best way to fix the problem.

1. On your Android device, open the Settings app.

2. Move down the page and tap Apps.

3. Tap on the app that's giving you trouble.

4. Tap Storage.

5. Tap Clear Cache in the lower right corner.

RELATED: How to clear app cache on iPhone.

Delete the app's storage

If clearing the app's cache doesn't help, you could try deleting its data to see if that's what's making it act up.

1. On your Android device, open the Settings app.

2. Move down the page and tap Apps.

3. Tap on the app that's giving you trouble.

4. Tap Storage.

5. Click Clear data in the bottom left corner.

Uninstall the app

If nothing else works, you will have to delete the app from your Android phone.

1. Tap and hold the app icon on the home screen or in the app drawer.

2. Tap Uninstall in the menu that comes up.

3. You'll see a message asking you to confirm that you want to get rid of the app. Tap OK.