By Michael | Last Updated
There are several boot modes in Android phone. Whether you use them or not, maybe you need to know about them. So this article will give you a flavor of five little-known boot modes hidden in Android phone.
Like the Safe Mode in Windows, Android also has the Safe Mode. When the phone meets some problems in a normal startup, you can try entering the safe mode to repair the system errors due to third party software compatibility issue, such as system collapse or not being able to boot into the system. In the Safe Mode, system disables all third party applications and the default system programs work only so that you can find out the problematic application and then uninstall it.
For more details, please see Know About Android Safe Mode.
Recovery Mode refers to a micro system in which you can erase and write each partition of phone, similar to PE or DOS Mode of Windows system. In the Recovery Mode, you can restore the system to the factory settings to clear system and format storage, and you can also back up the system or download the upgrade package. For third party recovery, users can flash third party ROM using memory card. Besides, there would be some others who flash root package to get root access to Android system in this mode.
The general method of entering the recovery mode is to hold down the Power button and the Volume UP key.
There is also a Fastboot Mode in the Android system, which is a bit more basic than the Recovery Mode. When you cannot enter the Recovery, don't be nervous, you still can save your phone from the Fastboot, but if you even can't enter the Fastboot, it means that your phone may become a brick. In the Fastboot Mode, you can connect your phone to the computer using USB cable to flash image on the command line.
The general method of entering the fastboot mode is to press the Power button and the Volume Down key together.
In embedded systems like Android, Bootloader is a system that runs before the operating system starts, similar to BIOS in Windows. Some manufacturers add a lock to the phone's bootloader, in order to prohibit phone users from flashing third party ROM. Bootloader is very important. If it can't be loaded, the phone can't boot, as a brick. This is why the phone whose bootloader is locked must be cracked to flash the third party ROM. If you don't do that, you can't initialize the phone hardware and the phone can't be used. This is the first step to flash ROM; of course, there are a lot of phones without bootloader lock.
Also you can use the method of pressing the Power button and the Volume Down key together to enter the bootloader mode.
Tips: Unless you want to flash the third party ROM, you don't need to unlock Bootloader.
Download Mode is commonly known as Coal Mining Mode, in which a small coal mining machine displays on the screen, so the name. This is a specific mode in some of Samsung phones, not much different from Recovery Mode, but the Download Mode is used for flashing firmware from the computer to the phone by USB cable.
The general method of entering the download mode is to hold the Power button and press Home key and Volume Down key at the same time.
Of course, there are other boot modes in Android system, and not all phone manufacturers have or open these modes, but as long as we understand them, it will be a little more calm for us when saving bricks.
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