This is just a collection of tricks I have learned since owning my SM-T560NU:
Force Shutdown
While not recommended, there may be times in which you need to forcefully shutdown your tablet, such as a bad OS crash, or a bootloop. Most devices allow you to do this by just holding the power button. However I have found with my SM-T560NU, you must hold Power + Volume Down for about 5-7 seconds to trigger the force shutdown. Actually, this reboots it, which leads me into the next tip.
Recovery Mode
It is a common misconception that you need to hold Power while entering recovery mode or download mode. This is not the case. The actual keys for recovery are just Volume Up+Home. To try it yourself, tell your tablet to reboot normally from the OS, then hold these keys. You'll see it boots recovery, without needing to press power at all! The trick is to be holding the buttons when the bootloader boots. The power key is not needed at all unless the device is completely off.
Download Mode
Same as above, but Volume Down+Home.
Unlock Bootloader
If you are here on XDA, you are likely interested in customizing your tablet with a custom ROM, Kernel, or recovery. But it is important to remember to unlock the bootloader before attempting any customization. You can do this by enabling developer mode in Android (go to Settings, About, and tap the Build Number 8 times). Once enabled, go to the developer options (near About on the main settings) and near the top there will be an option to unlock the bootloader. This only needs to be done once. If you install a custom ROM or factory reset (via custom recovery), the "Unlock Bootloader" option may revert to "off", you do not need to enable it again. If you factory reset while still on the stock ROM, you may have to re-enable it, as Samsung's recovery may re-enable the bootloader lock. This is untested.
Related
Hi,
The problem I have is really very common to most Samsung Galaxy users, but I haven't found any solution to my particular problem. Well, basically my Samsung Galaxy won't get out of bootloop. It just won't go beyond Samsung Galaxy SIV I9500 screen. The phone never did this before this. The phone did, however, rebooted occasionally by itself when running normally.
My phone is rooted, but it runs the official version of Lollipop for Galaxy S4. I had to factory reset my phone one day, and I decided it to reset from the Recovery Mode. After successfully resetting the phone, it booted as usual. Soon after it suddenly turned off, and went into this complete bootloop and would not stop until I remove the battery. Whenever I insert the battery back in, the phone starts by itself, without me pressing any button, and goes in the bootloop again. I can only enter the Download Mode that too for a couple of seconds. When entering the download mode I don't have to press the power button.
Is there any solution to this? I am assuming that my power button suddenly failed. The power button is definitely not stuck. I have opened the entire phone and cleaned the motherboard, and rechecked, it still showed the same problem.
Really appreciate any kind of help.
Hardware issue. Lightly tap the side of the S4 against a table and see if that temporarily frees up the button. Regardless of the end result, you'll need to replace the power button.
Hi,
No need power button to boot in recovery.
Just hold Home+Volume up should do the trick.
@Yoanf_26: How do you expect the phone to get into recovery without turning it on? Volume up and Power are all that's needed to get into recovery. It's the Home button that is optional.
Try a different battery (ask a friend or something if possible). I had similar issues on an i9100 lately. It could only boot to download/recovery mode and was even producing write errors. Looked like brickbug first but was bad battery indeed. It starts slowly with weird behavior and you think you've just messed the rom and just need to reset but it gets worse and worse until you're stuck with download mode only. If you have a spare battery in range its worth a try for sure.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@Yoanf_26: How do you expect the phone to get into recovery without turning it on? Volume up and Power are all that's needed to get into recovery. It's the Home button that is optional.
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Hello.
I already to start my S4 without power button must just with Volume up and home.
I test with Volume up with power, and my S4 start to recovery.
Differents methods are good to start to recovery. May not for all S4
Guess what? You have a faulty power button, because being able to start the device in any mode without the power button is simply not possible. I tried it just now. Also, if Samsung themselves require the power button to enter recovery or download mode it's illogical to not need it on what is (broadly) the same device.
My power button is good. I test with a custom recovery.
May be not possible with stock. I don't test with stock.
I'm not running stock anything on my I9505. TWRP 2.8.7.0 and CM 12.1 Optimized (currently) installed here. To access Download Mode requires Volume - and Power (Home optional). Accessing Recovery requires Volume + and Power (Home optional, again). Safe Mode requires pressing Volume - and Power, and holding down Volume - throughout the boot process.
As you can see, all functions require power. The fact yours doesn't is not normal.
Maybe, but my S4 is good.
If you think so, who am I to try and persuade you otherwise? When you do encounter an issue with that button, just think back to this thread rather than making a post about it. That way we can both avoid the inevitable "I told you so" that will come out of my mouth.
Need to help out my tech illiterate grandfather with his S8. A number of events led up to this question.
As of now, I do not know if he has enabled the feature which requires him to enter a pin before powering down the device. I will not find out until I reach my grandparents' house in few days, by which time I'd like to be prepared with all the possible solutions.
As of now, the phone is not connected to the internet and my grandfather has been locked out of the phone(no fingerprint/pin available)
To my knowledge, to access recovery mode, one needs to hold down Bixby + Vol Up + Power button. Correct me if I am wrong. These are my questions.
1. Is the feature which requires the pin/pattern to be entered before powering down the device a feature that is enabled by default, or one that must be manually enabled?
2. Does restarting the phone require a pin from the power menu require the pin/pattern?
3. Can I enter recovery mode through the restart option in the power menu? That is, during the restart cycle, after the device has powered down, can I hold down Bixby+VolUp+Power immediately to enter the recovery?
4. How do I perform a hard reboot on the device? Power button + volume buttons for 20-30 seconds?
5. During a hard reboot, after the device has powered down, can I enter the bootloader by immediately holding down Bixby+VolUp+Power?
6. Are there any other methods to factory reset the phone which do not require unlocking the phone and connecting to the internet?
Thanks
Guys, I'm wanting to get into recovery mode to wipe my Dalvik cache but for the life of me I can't get to it. I'm doing up+power+home and I go to screen saying 'Downloading do not restart target'. I guess this is download mode. How do I turn this off?
For kicks I tried down+power+home and it asks me if I want to enter download mode. Also tried up+down+power+home but this just does a normal boot.
I know this is probably something really basic but I just can't get in. I did have KingRoot installed a while back. Could this have caused the problem? Any help is greatly GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
Hold power and volume down, then press volume up when the OS warning screen appears = download mode.
Hold power and volume up = recovery.
Don't bother with the home button. You don't need it. Should the key combinations not work correctly, you may have bad buttons on the motherboard.
Thanks for the quick reply. I double-checked my volume buttons and they work as they should (up = louder; down = softer). I tried power + up and still get the download mode screen. I even tried adb to boot into recovery and it brings me to that same 'Downloading do not restart target' screen.
Prior to writing my post above I tested my S4 to make sure I was giving correct information. Both key sequences worked on my S4.
The only thing I can think of is that you have a hardware issue with your volume down button. To test, try pressing and holding power without touching a volume button. If you enter OS warning mode without pressing a volume button, then your volume down button is worn out and needs to be replaced.
My reasoning is this.
Button failures are the most common issue with the Galaxy S4.
You instantly enter download mode by pressing power and volume up while being unable to enter recovery at all. This means you're skipping a step in accessing download mode, which wouldn't happen if all the buttons were working correctly.
Maybe, but shouldn't my phone go into recovery when I send the command to enter recovery from adb? It just reboots and goes to downloading. My buttons work fine when using the phone when android is up so I'm doubting that it is a hardware issue.
It should, but something is interfering with that. I'd go back to stock using Odin, simply to ensure all parts of the firmware match. Then see if you can get into the stock recovery with the key combo. If you are able to, then you can restore TWRP and flash a custom ROM. Otherwise the device needs to be looked at.
Thanks for the reply. I'm running the stock os without root. All I really want to do is wipe Dalvik cache. Can I do that from adb?
Yep.
First things first. This phone was never rooted, and USB Debug is not enabled. However, when I went into the phone's Recovery mode I noticed that both the Apply Update From ADB and Apply Update From External Storage are available. I'm wondering if, with either of these, I would be able to install something that will help me get my old phone back without having to do a full reset.
The only way you can remove the PIN is by erasing the entire device.
If the device has FRP enabled, i cannot help you with that. Search google for bypass methods.
First, power off the device.
After it has powered off, hold the home, volume up, anyd power button. You should boot to recovery.
Once you are in recovery, press the volume down button until you hover to "wipe data/factory reset" then select it using the power button.
Then hover to "yes" using the volume buttons and press the power button to select.
Once its erased, reboot your device, then set it up as usual.
Deal All,
My first goal (before rooting, try custom rom etc.) is to update with official rom from Android 4.4.2 to 5.0.2.
Samsung Kies ask me to use SmartSwitch which said "your device can't be upgraded" or something like that.
As said in title, I cannot enter in download mode. Pressing Vol+ Home and Power display the usual warning message, Vol+ to continue / Vol- to cancel.
Pressing the Vol+ just reboot the tab.
Entering Recovery Mode work fine with Vol- Home and Power.
I found some info about an eventual "OEM lock" to turn off. I followed instruction but no way, no "OEM lock" appear in Dev menu...
The tab as been wiped thanks to the recovery mode.
Any idea?
Thanks!
Edit: Resolved, it was a faulty volume button
i had th same thing but on lte version i just went to settings, delevoper options, end unlock bootloader or smthing like that it magically started working
Thanks for your reply. Basically those are instructions I followed without success:
1 - Turn off the phone.
2 - Turn on the phone by holding down the volume up button.
3 - The phone will enter official recovery mode.
4 - Wipe cache partition.
5 - Wipe data/factory reset.
6 - Reboot system.
7 - Log in to your Google account and your Samsung account.
8 - Go to settings and enable developer mode.
9 - Enter developer mode, enable "OEM unlocking" option.
10 - Now you will be able to enter the DOWNLOAD mode
I can't find any settings in dev mode meaning "OEM unlocking" or "unlock bootloader"...
I tried also to communicate with Odin, but the tab is only detected in regular mode, not in recovery mode.
I know it's kind of old device, but I can't be the only one, a solution should exist...
Ok, so it's resolved, and was even more stupid than you may think: my physical volume button was faulty and didn't catch each time when I pressed Vol+ or Vol-. Using a small tool did the trick.