To turn off Safe Mode, restart the device. On Google Pixel 6 and newer, press and hold the power and volume up buttons and select “Restart”; on Samsung Galaxy, power the phone off and back on; on Xiaomi, a simple reboot is enough; and on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, restart the PC. If the “Safe mode” label does not disappear, the methods for each platform are below.
Safe mode is not a malfunction but a diagnostic state: on a phone, third-party apps are disabled, while Windows starts with a limited set of files and drivers. The menu names in this article come from the Google, Samsung, Xiaomi and Microsoft help pages as of October 18, 2026; on other Android skins they may differ.
How to turn off Safe mode on an Android phone
First make sure the phone is really in Safe mode, then follow the steps: from the simplest method to the rarer ones. All the steps below are based on manufacturer help pages.
Make sure Safe mode is on
The sign of Safe mode is the “Safe mode” label at the bottom of the screen: on Pixel it sits at the bottom center, while on Samsung and Xiaomi it is in the lower left corner. In addition, the icons of downloaded apps become inactive (Samsung) or disappear from the screen (Xiaomi). If there is no label and apps are simply lagging, the problem is something else, and exiting Safe mode will not help.
Result: It is clear that the mode is on, rather than the screen or apps being broken.
Restart the phone
Restarting is the main way out: Google, Samsung and Xiaomi call it the first and sufficient step.
- Google Pixel 6 and newer (including Pixel Fold): press and hold the power button and the volume up button for a few seconds, then select “Restart.”
- Google Pixel 5a and earlier: press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds, or until the device starts to restart.
- Samsung Galaxy: press and hold the Power button (on some models, Power and Volume down together, because holding Power launches Bixby), tap “Power off” and wait for the phone to shut down completely, then turn it on with the Power button. If the screen freezes, Samsung suggests a forced restart: hold Volume down and Power for at least 5 seconds.
- Xiaomi: if the phone accidentally entered Safe mode, restart it. According to Xiaomi’s help page, third-party app icons come back after a restart.
Result: The phone has booted in normal mode, and the “Safe mode” label is gone.
If the label remains, try other methods
- Samsung, via the notification shade: pull down the notification shade, tap the Safe mode notification and select “Turn Off.” In the English interface this notification is called “Safe Mode is on,” and the button is “Turn Off.” The phone will restart.
- Samsung, with a button at startup: if the label does not disappear after a restart, press and hold Volume up when the Samsung logo appears.
- Pixel and any other Android: remove the case and check whether the volume down button is pinched. Google and Samsung describe holding this button during startup as one of the ways to enter Safe mode, so constantly pressing it may keep putting the phone back into that mode.
- Airplane mode: Google and Samsung note that it may turn on by itself in Safe mode. If there is no network after exiting, check the airplane icon in the Quick Settings panel and turn it off.
Result: Safe mode is off even when a simple restart did not work.
Uninstall recently installed apps if you were checking for a crash
If you started Safe mode to find the cause of crashes, exiting it will not solve the problem. Google and Samsung advise this: if the crashes stop in Safe mode, the culprit is most likely a downloaded app. Uninstall recently downloaded apps one at a time, and restart the phone after each one to check whether the problem is gone.
If the crashes persist in Safe mode, the cause is not the apps. For common cases there are separate guides: what to do if your phone overheats and how to tell if your phone is being tapped.
Result: Found the app that made the phone need to be checked in Safe mode.
How to turn off Safe mode in Windows 11 and Windows 10
Microsoft describes exiting Safe mode with a single set of instructions for both Windows 11 and Windows 10. Support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025, but the steps remain the same; if you are considering an upgrade, there is a separate guide: how to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Restart the computer
According to Microsoft’s help page, restarting the device is enough to return from Safe mode to normal mode. Open the Start menu, click the power button and select “Restart.”
Result: The computer is running in normal mode.
Clear the “Safe boot” checkbox
If the computer still starts in Safe mode after a restart, turn it off in “System Configuration”:
- Press Win + R.
- In the “Open” field, type
msconfigand click “OK.” - Open the “Boot” tab.
- In the “Boot options” section, clear the “Safe boot” checkbox.
- Click “OK” and restart the computer.
msconfigResult: Windows no longer starts in Safe mode automatically.
If the “Startup Settings” screen opens
This screen appears if you have entered the Windows recovery environment and are choosing a boot option. To start Windows in normal mode, press the Enter key: Microsoft specifies exactly this key. You do not need to select any of the Safe mode options in the list.
Result: Windows boots in normal mode from the Startup Settings screen.
How to exit Safe mode: quick reference
| Device | Main method | If that doesn’t help |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 6 and newer | Power + volume up → “Restart” | Remove the case, check the volume down button |
| Google Pixel 5a and older | Hold the power button for about 30 seconds | Repeat, check the buttons |
| Samsung Galaxy | “Power” → “Power off,” then turn on | Notification shade → “Turn Off”; volume up at the logo |
| Xiaomi | Restart the phone | Check the buttons, contact support |
| Windows 11 and 10 | Restart the computer | msconfig → clear “Safe boot” |
If it didn’t work
- The “Safe mode” label returns after every restart. Check whether the volume down button is pressed down (a case, dirt, a fault). Power the phone off completely, wait a few seconds and turn it back on without touching the volume buttons. On Samsung, use Volume up when the logo appears. If nothing changes, contact the manufacturer’s support: the Google, Samsung and Xiaomi help pages do not name any other ways out.
- No cellular or internet connection. Pull down the notification shade and turn off airplane mode if it is on. After a normal boot, the network should come back.
- Widgets, icons and folders are gone. This is an expected result of Safe mode on Pixel and Samsung. Add the widgets again; Xiaomi app icons are restored after a restart.
- Windows keeps starting in Safe mode. Repeat the steps with “msconfig” and make sure the “Safe boot” checkbox is really cleared and you clicked “OK.” If the computer will not boot normally, press Enter on the “Startup Settings” screen.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 18 October 2026
- Google — How to find an app that’s causing problems on a device (Pixel) support.google.com
- Samsung — How to start Samsung Galaxy in Safe Mode and what it is for samsung.com
- Xiaomi — Frequently asked questions about Safe Mode mi.com
- Microsoft — Windows startup settings (Safe Mode) support.microsoft.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Safe mode on a phone?
It is a diagnostic mode: according to Samsung’s help page, downloaded apps do not run in it, only system apps are available, and the “Safe mode” label is shown in the lower left corner of the screen. It is used to check whether a third-party program is causing crashes.
Will my data be deleted when I exit Safe mode?
The Google, Samsung and Xiaomi help pages say nothing about deleting personal files when you exit. They warn about something else: widgets may disappear from the home screen (Google), shortcuts and folders may be reset, and you will need to reinstall your theme (Samsung).
Why does my phone boot into Safe mode on its own?
Google and Samsung describe entering the mode as holding the volume down button during startup. That is why the first check is whether a case is pressing on this button and whether it has become stuck. The manufacturers’ help pages do not name any other causes.
Can I use the internet in Safe mode?
On a phone, network access is limited: on Samsung, it is the mobile network, and on Pixel, airplane mode turns on automatically. In Windows, there is a separate option called “Safe Mode with Networking,” which adds network drivers and services.
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