To turn off safe mode on Android, restart your phone normally, because on most phones a regular restart takes you straight back out. Google's Android Help says exiting safe mode varies by phone, so if a normal restart doesn't do it, your manufacturer's support site has the exact steps for your model.
Here's the catch most people miss. Safe mode isn't the fault, it's the test. Google built it to find problem apps: if your phone stops restarting, freezing, crashing or dragging while it's in safe mode, Google's help says an app you downloaded is likely the cause. Switch safe mode off without acting on that and you're back where you started. Safe mode also removes some Home screen widgets, so Google suggests taking a screenshot first if you use them.
How to exit safe mode, phone by phone
| Phone | How to get out of safe mode, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Most Android phones | Restart normally. If that doesn't work, check your manufacturer's support site, because exiting varies by phone |
| Pixel 5a and earlier | Press and hold the Power button for about 30 seconds, or until the phone restarts |
| Pixel 6 and later, including Fold | Press and hold Power and Volume up for a few seconds, then tap Restart |
| Any phone frozen with the screen on | Hold down the Power button for about 60 seconds to force a restart |
For a normal restart on most phones, Google's app troubleshooting page says to press the Power button for about 30 seconds or until the phone restarts, and you may need to tap Restart and then Restart again. The force restart in the last row is for a phone that's stuck, not one that's simply in safe mode.
One Pixel detail trips people up. Airplane mode switches on automatically when you enter safe mode. While you're testing, Google recommends turning it off, so GPS, Wi-Fi and phone calls keep working and you can use the phone normally.
What Android safe mode is for
Google lists four problems that safe mode helps you trace back to an app:
- The phone restarts itself
- It freezes
- It crashes
- It runs slow
The process Google gives is short. Restart in safe mode, use your phone normally and watch whether the problem goes away, exit safe mode, then check your apps. If the problem doesn't go away in safe mode, Google is clear that an app isn't causing it, and you need a device fix instead. That's the most useful thing safe mode tells you, and it's free information, so don't skip the watching part.
Finding the app that caused it
If the phone behaved itself in safe mode, here's Google's method for finding the app, as of October 2026:
- Exit safe mode by restarting your phone normally.
- One by one, remove the apps you downloaded recently.
- After each removal, restart normally and check whether removing that app solved the problem.
- Once you've removed the app that caused it, reinstall the other apps you took off.
Google's tip is to make a list of the apps you force stop along the way, because it helps you see which ones keep causing trouble. Bear in mind that uninstalling an app erases any data saved in it, and you can't remove Pixel essential apps this way. To uninstall, touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, then Delete App, and tap Delete to confirm.
Gentler fixes before you delete an app
Google's page on fixing an installed app gives a ladder of smaller fixes. Some of them only work on Android 8.1 and up, and settings vary by phone, as of October 2026.
| Fix | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Check for Android updates | Settings, then System, Advanced, System update. On some phones it's About phone, then Software update |
| Update the app | Google Play Store, profile icon, Manage apps and devices, then Updates available |
| Force stop the app | Usually in your phone's Settings app |
| Clear the app's cache and data | Usually in your phone's Settings app |
| Sync with Google servers | Settings, System, Date and Time |
| Uninstall the app | Touch and hold the app, then Remove App and Delete App |
Clearing cached data frees space, but Google calls it a short-term solution, because cached data builds up again over time. If you want the full walkthrough, here's my guide on clearing cache on Android for apps and Chrome.
The sync step is the one nobody would guess. Google's way to sync your device with its servers is to turn off Automatic Time Zone and Automatic Date and Time, set the date and time to something wrong on purpose, then turn both automatic settings back on. If problems carry on after a force stop or a cache clear, Google says you may need to contact the app's developer.
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When safe mode doesn't find anything
If the problem stays in safe mode, Google's pages for phones that restart, freeze or slow down give the next checklist, as of October 2026: check for Android updates, check storage and clear space, check for app updates, and close apps you're not using. For a phone that restarts constantly, the advanced steps add removing cases and external batteries. Some of these steps only work on Android 6.0 and up, and the freeze and slow-phone steps on Android 8.0 and up.
The last item on every one of those lists is to consider resetting your phone to factory settings, and after that, contacting your device manufacturer. A reset erases everything, so it's the step to take last, not first.
Putting your Home screen back
Once you're out of safe mode, you can put back any widgets it removed. This is where that screenshot pays off, because you can rebuild the layout exactly as it was. If you're reinstalling a pile of apps you removed while testing, it's a good moment to tidy up too, and my guide on organising apps on Android covers folders, screens and widgets.
My verdict on safe mode
Don't rush to switch it off. If your phone's calmer in safe mode, that's the clearest answer you'll get: one of your recent apps is the problem. Restart to exit, remove recent apps one at a time with a restart after each, and only think about a factory reset once safe mode has shown the problem isn't an app. I'd always screenshot the Home screen before going in, because rebuilding widgets from memory is no fun.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get out of safe mode on Android?
Restart your phone normally. If that doesn't work, exiting safe mode varies by phone, so check your manufacturer's support site for your model.
How do I turn off safe mode on a Pixel?
On Pixel 5a and earlier, hold the Power button for about 30 seconds. On Pixel 6 and later, including Fold, hold Power and Volume up for a few seconds, then tap Restart.
Why did my widgets disappear in safe mode?
Safe mode removes some Home screen widgets. You can put them back after you leave safe mode, so take a screenshot first if you use widgets.
Why is Airplane mode on in safe mode?
On Pixel, Airplane mode turns on automatically when you enter safe mode. Turn it off to keep using GPS, Wi-Fi and phone calls.
What if the problem still happens in safe mode?
Then an app isn't causing it. Work through Google's device fixes, such as Android updates and clearing storage, with a factory reset as the last option.
