When (and How) to Set up “recovery Mode” on Your Android
When you send your Android phone in for repair, you want to give the technicians involved as much access as they need to diagnose and figure out what the problem is. At the same time, you don’t want them to look at your photos and videos or post on your social media accounts.
This is where the special recovery mode comes in: if you have a suitable phone, this mode creates a new partition on your phone, separate from the one you’re logged into your apps in, and where all your personal files and data are stored. The phone can still be used and tested, but it is in factory new condition. You can find it on some Pixel phones (where it’s called “Recovery Mode”) and some Samsung phones (where it’s called “Maintenance Mode”).
It won’t take long to enable recovery mode. However, the usual precautions still apply: even when you enable recovery mode, you should still back up everything on your Android device beforehand, in case a hard reset is required to get the gadget back to working again. We also recommend removing the SIM card.
The repair modes we cover here are suitable no matter where you get your phone repaired, whether it’s the official Google or Samsung channels, your local Best Buy , or any other place you choose to trust your phone to.
Pixel “Repair Mode”
To use Recovery Mode on your Pixel, it must be running the Android 14 update released in December 2023 or a later version of the operating system. You’ll also need to have at least 2GB of free space left on your phone (select “Storage” in settings if you need to check).
To enable Recovery Mode, go to Settings, then tap System & Recovery Mode . You will be given some information about how it works, then you can click Enter Recovery Mode to launch it. You will need to confirm your phone’s security PIN, pattern, or password to ensure the security of your data. Once it restarts, your Pixel phone is ready to transfer or send.
Once your phone is (hopefully) repaired and returned to you, you can return to System and Repair mode to return to normal, or tap the notification at the top of the screen. To exit recovery mode, you will need a PIN, password, or pattern that will prevent anyone else from disabling recovery mode without your permission.
Any saved data or settings changes made while in recovery mode are erased when you exit it, although any applied Android system updates remain in place. If you need to enter recovery mode again, you will have to restart the process from the beginning.
Samsung “Service Mode”
Samsung’s Maintenance Mode is very similar to Recovery Mode on the Pixel, but it’s been around for much longer. It works on all the latest Samsung Galaxy flagship phones running Android 13 , starting with the Galaxy S10 series (which also includes the Flip and Fold foldable phones).
On your Samsung phone, open Settings, then tap Battery & Device Care . Select Maintenance Mode and you’ll be reminded that it’s smart to back up your data first. You’ll also have the option to create a temporary 30-day cloud backup if you don’t already have one.
When you’re ready to continue, click Enable to enable the feature. By default, the phone creates a system log that repair technicians can analyze, and I would recommend you leave it on before clicking Restart . Your phone will then boot into maintenance mode and be ready for repair.
To exit maintenance mode, tap the notification at the top of the screen, then select Exit . You will then need your usual method of unlocking your phone (such as a PIN or fingerprint) to verify that it is really you who is performing the action. If you don’t already have a screen lock, you’ll be prompted to create one before rebooting your phone into maintenance mode.