How to Boot the Galaxy S8 into Recovery Mode

In this guide we’ll show you how to boot the Galaxy S8 into recovery mode or download mode. For those that don’t know, these are two very important modes for troubleshooting or fixing problems. We’ll talk about what these modes are for, what they do, and how to use them when you need to.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are two impressive phones, but they’re not perfect. Whether you’re experiencing problems or are trying to restore files with SmartSwitch, you’ll need these modes.

Read: 17 Common Galaxy S8 Problems & How to Fix Them

Recovery mode allows you to factory reset the phone if it’s unresponsive or acting up. In recovery, you can also boot into safe mode, or clear the cache which solves a lot of small problems. Especially after software updates. Then, with download mode, you can flash files or new firmware with Samsung’s Odin or Smart Switch tools. Watch our video below to boot into both. This works on the Galaxy S8+ as well.

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy S8 doesn’t have a physical home button like older devices. In the past, the home button was what you used to boot into recovery mode. As a result, owners need to learn this new method.

How to Boot into Recovery Mode on the Galaxy S8

To boot the S8 into recovery mode you’ll start by turning it off, then by holding down a certain button combination. Read the entire process before you start, otherwise, you’ll likely do a normal boot, and have to start over.

• Press and hold the power button and turn off the Galaxy S8
• Once it’s off, press and hold down the Bixby button, volume UP, then the power button
• Let go of the power button once the phone comes on, but keep holding down Bixby and volume up
• Once you see the Blue Android screen you can let go of the rest of the buttons

After it boots up just wait a moment. When the phone doesn’t receive any commands or files, it will boot into recovery mode. Or, press the bixby button to go right to Recovery. Now, you’ll see an odd old-school screen with a few commands at the top right of the screen similar to what’s shown above.

From here, you can navigate up or down with the volume keys, and the power button will select the option that’s highlighted. Be very careful not to accidentally select factory data reset, as this will erase your entire phone. 

Once in Recovery, you can apply update files from ADB or an SD card using instructions from popular sites like XDA developers. If you don’t know what ADB means, don’t mess with any of these options.

The most popular reason for booting to recovery is to wipe the cache partition. This clears out temporary files (like big downloads for recent updates) and will erase old Android 7.0 or 8.0 update files. Often times this fixes problems users experience after updates and frees up space on your Galaxy S8.

You can also reboot the bootloader, reboot normal, or power off the phone from here. Proceed with caution.

How to Boot into Download Mode on the Galaxy S8

Next, we’ll explain download mode, which uses a similar method but for different reasons. The only difference is you use volume DOWN, instead of up, and you let go of everything all at once. Here’s how to boot into download mode on the Galaxy S8.

• Press and hold the power button then turn off the Galaxy S8
• Once it’s off, press and hold down the Bixby button, volume DOWN, then the power button
• Once the phone quickly boots you can let go of all the buttons
• Press volume up to continue into download mode, then flash with Odin or SmartSwitch

As you can see the process is almost the same. We’re simply using volume DOWN to open download mode. From here you can quickly flash the latest software or recover a broken phone using Samsung’s Odin tool, or flash files from SmartSwitch.

A lot of custom software, mods, and other tools online use Download mode. So, now you know how to easily access both on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Again, just be careful while you’re doing these tasks. To get out of download mode push power and volume down for seven seconds. The same steps for rebooting a frozen Galaxy S8.

While you’re here, take a look at these common Galaxy S8 problems and how to fix them. A few of our suggestions recommend booting into Recovery and wiping the cache partition. Now that you know how everything else is a breeze. Drop us a comment below with any questions or concerns.