• How to enter Recovery mode on different Android devices. Types of recovery menus and ways to enable them. How to access the Recovery menu? Options for getting to Recovery

    Every mobile device running on the Android operating system has a Recovery mode installed, which is a special system startup mode with a certain set of functionality. Today we will tell you about how to enter recovery on LG smartphones and why it is needed for a common user.

    First of all, Recovery Mode is used to install official firmware, create and restore a complete copy of the operating system along with all the information and settings of the smartphone, clear the cache, and sometimes for a factory reset. When you receive a firmware update over the air, it is installed from the recovery mode, without starting the OS itself.

    In its stock (factory) state, Recovery mode has the following set of functions:

  • Apply update from ADB – installing the update via ADB commands
  • Apply update from external storage – installing an update from external storage
  • Wipe data/factory reset – deleting data and resetting to factory settings
  • Wipe cache partition - delete cache
  • Apply update from cache – apply update from cache
  • It is worth noting that using Recovery Mode does not void the warranty service, and the procedure itself does not foreshadow anything dangerous for the performance of the mobile device.

    How to enter recovery on LG

    Entering recovery mode is quite simple and does not require any special skills. First, turn off your smartphone. In the off state, press and hold the “Power” button and the “Volume Down” key until the “LG” logo appears, and then release them and press again. Ultimately, a menu should appear on the device screen on a black background, as in the main picture at the very top. That's actually the whole process of this operation. The desired action is selected using the volume rocker, and the “Power” button confirms the choice made. If you entered recovery mode for review and want to exit it, then simply select “reboot system now”.

    For more advanced users, there are custom recoveries that offer more options, such as installing any firmware, including custom ROMs, as well as selectively clearing phone data and deleting unnecessary pre-installed applications. The most popular ones are called Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP), Philz Touch and ClockworldMod Recovery (CWM). The first two are controlled using a sensor, while the latter uses only physical buttons, as is the case with the factory Recovery Mode.

    To switch to Recovery Mode, you need to use a bootloader or bootloader. Recovery Mode, in turn, is used to reset to factory settings, hard reset and flash the smartphone’s firmware.

    Samsung smartphones have a special Download Mode, which is separate from Recovery Mode.

    Today we will tell you how to switch to Recovery Mode on different Android smartphones.

    How to go to Download mode on Samsung

    Download Mode is a downloader for Samsung devices. This mode displays some information about the smartphone or tablet. Using the Download mode, you can connect your Android device to your computer, install new firmware or a custom Recovery menu.

    To enter Download mode on Samsung, you need to follow these steps:

    1. Completely turn off your Android device.
    2. Simultaneously press the Volume Down button, the Home button and the Power button.
    3. Confirm your choice using the Volume Up button.

    How to enter Recovery mode on Samsung

    If your smartphone has a custom Recovery menu installed, for example, ClockWorkMod, then you need to use a different key combination:

    1. Turn off your smartphone.
    2. Now press the Volume Up button, the Home button and the Power button at the same time.
    3. Hold the buttons until the custom Recovery menu loads.
    4. To navigate through the menu, use the Volume Up and Down buttons. To confirm, press the Power button.

    How to enter Recovery mode on Motorola and Nexus

    To enter Recovery mode on Motorola and Nexus smartphones, you need to do the following:

    1. Turn off the device.
    2. Press the Volume Down button and the Power button.
    3. The bootloader will appear. Use the Volume keys to select Recovery. Press the Power button to select.

    How to enter Recovery mode on LG

    To enter Recovery mode on LG smartphones, you need to press a certain key combination:

    1. Turn off your device and wait a few seconds until it turns off completely.
    2. Press the Volume Down button and the Power button.
    3. When the LG logo appears, release the Power button and press it again. After this, the Hard Reset or Recovery Mode option will appear.

    How to enter Recovery mode on HTC

    On HTC smartphones, the procedure for switching to Recovery mode is slightly different:

    1. Turn on your smartphone, then go to Settings - Battery and uncheck Fastboot.
    2. Turn off your Android device and wait a few seconds.
    3. Press the Power button and Volume down at the same time. Hold for a few seconds.
    4. A screen with a white background will appear. Use the Volume key to select "Recovery".
    5. Press the Power button to confirm.

    How to enter Recovery mode on ASUS

    Switching to Recovery mode on Asus devices is very simple and fast:

    1. Turn off your Android device completely.
    2. Press the Power button and Volume up. Hold the buttons until the android robot appears on the screen.
    3. After a few seconds, Recovery Mode will appear.
    4. Using the volume up and down buttons, you can select the option that interests you, such as Factory Reset. By clicking the Power button you will make your choice.

    How to enter Recovery mode on Huawei

    Activating Recovery mode on Huawei is very similar to the previous ones:

    1. Turn off the device and wait until it turns off completely.
    2. Press the Volume Up button and the Power button until the screen lights up.
    3. After some time, Recovery mode will load.

    How to go into Recovery mode on Xiaomi

    There are two ways to enter Recovery mode on Xiaomi smartphones: through the update screen or using a key combination.

    If the smartphone is turned on:

    1. Open the Updater application.
    2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
    3. From the drop-down list, select “Reboot to Recovery mode”.

    If the smartphone is turned off:

    1. Turn off your smartphone.
    2. Press the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time.

    If you used the wrong key combination, press the Volume Down button. This will take you to Fastboot (a protocol for connecting to a computer). To turn off the device completely, hold down the Power button for at least 12 seconds.

    If you are unable to enter Recovery mode on your Android device, write in the comments.

    Any device with Android OS starts in Recovery mode. This is a standard feature. However, with the factory version you can perform too narrow a range of tasks. So, this is resetting the phone to its initial settings, clearing the cache, and also updating the system from the update.zip file. Obviously, users who are expanding their knowledge in the IT field are very dissatisfied with such a meager list. This is where specially developed Recovery Modes come to the rescue. CWM Recovery is a popular tool among Android users and a worthy replacement for the factory one.

    Why do you need CWM Recovery mode?

    Clockworkmod Recovery (CWM) is a famous alternative to factory recovery mode developed by Koushik Dutta. You can install it on most Android devices. CWM Recovery helps even in situations that sometimes seem hopeless to the average owner. That is why it is necessary to know about its existence, and also be able to use it.

    CWM mode has many options

    What exactly does the utility do:

  • Installs unofficial custom firmware and kernels.
  • Installs factory system updates, add-ons and OS patches.
  • Connects to a computer via USB in removable storage mode and for working with the ADB program.
  • Creates a complete backup copy of the current firmware and its individual parts (system, settings, applications).
  • Restores the device from a previously created backup.
  • Resets settings to factory settings (Wipe - data/factory reset), clears cache (wipe cache), clears Dalvik-cache (wipe Dalvik-cache), clears battery statistics (wipe battery stats).
  • Creates partitions on a memory card and formats them.
  • CWM: installation instructions

    ClockworkMod is sewn into the internal memory of the device in place of the factory mode. In some cases, work is carried out on the gadget itself with access to Root rights, and in others - on a PC.

    The article covers such basic methods as Rom Manager, FastBoot, Rashr and Odin. For many devices, companies themselves produce separate utilities, for example, Acer Recovery Installer for Acer devices. CWM is embedded in the device memory on these devices also through ADB software, which is suitable for devices manufactured by HTC.

    Rom Manager: Rooting and embedding

    Rom Manager is a utility created by the CWM developers. It is available for download on Google Play Market. Allows you to install CWM Recovery on the device itself without using a computer and a USB cable. Before using it, you must root the device, that is, obtain administrator rights.

    Obtaining Root rights

    The procedure is simple and can be easily carried out using special software. As an example, we can take the Framaroot program. Anyone can navigate its simple and intuitive interface, even without instructions.

  • Download the app from the store and open it. In the drop-down line, give preference to the item “Install SuperSU” or “Install SuperUser”. Click on the drop-down window
  • Select a method for obtaining Root rights. Follow the advice - restart the device for the changes to take effect.

    For the changes to take effect, restart the device

    Launching Rom Manager

    Now is the time to use the program:

  • Launch the software and click on the first section of Recovery Setup, and then click on ClockworkMod Recovery. Select Recovery Setup
  • Find and select the device model from the list of available ones. If the model is not in the list, then this method of flashing Recovery is not suitable and you need to use another one. After confirming the action, the files will begin to download, as indicated by the progress bar. Next, a notification will pop up stating that you need to grant Root rights to the program. Then the CWM installation itself will be carried out. Click on ClockworkMod Recovery to install
  • Video: how to flash Recovery with Rom Manager

    Although the method is easy, it has a drawback: it is not suitable for all devices, as mentioned earlier. Before you start using this method, it would be logical to first determine that this program is compatible with the gadget. The list is available on the official Rom Manager website.

    FastBoot Mode: Complex Method

    The CWM installation method using FastBoot will require skill from the user, since it is much more complicated than the previous one. It runs not on the device, but on the computer. It is recommended to use it only if you already have skills in such operations. Before installation, you need to download certain files to your computer or laptop. This list also includes the Android SDK platform, available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

    Preparatory stage

    What you need to have before installing CWM using FastBoot mode:

  • A computer with Windows OS and a USB cable to connect the device to the PC.
  • USB drivers for correct device detection. They can be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer.
  • Android SDK platform.
  • Recovery file.
  • The Android SDK utility will help you install the necessary Android SDK Tools and Android SDK Platform tools packages:

  • Go to the bottom of the official page. There will be three options. In this case, it is the Windows version. Click on tools_version-windows.zip.
    Download the Anroid SDK zip archive for Windows from the official website
  • Extract all contents from the archive to drive C. Open and click on tools. The android file needed to download the packages directly is there. Double click on the file and the manager is open.
    Find the android file in the unzipped folder and open
  • Check the box to the left of Android SDK Platform-tools and click Install 1 package.

    Select Android SDK Platform-tools and click Install package

  • Standard request to accept the license agreement. Check the Accept License box and then click Install. The direct installation of the packages necessary for the firmware, which were mentioned earlier, will begin.
    Accept the license agreement
  • After the installation process is complete, find platform-tools in tools_version-windows. It will contain important fastboot and adb files.
    The fastboot and adb files are located in the tools_version-windows folder after installing the Android SDK Platform-tools package
  • What else needs to be done before starting the firmware itself? Judging by the list above, you need the recovery-clockwork.img file. This is one of the key tools for further work. Downloading it won't be difficult, but it doesn't end there. It is important to place this file in the platform-tools folder. For further convenience in the firmware, you need to rename it to recovery.img.

    Place the file in the platform-tools folder

    Get straight to the point!

    Now everything is ready for the CWM firmware itself, so you can safely get to work. Below is a detailed description of the actions, in which it is quite difficult to get lost.

  • First, connect the device to be flashed to your computer via USB. At the same time, FastBoot mode is launched (a combination of the power and volume down keys). Although this combination works most often, it is not suitable for everyone. In some cases, this is the Home key and the same volume reduction. When the first option doesn't work out, nothing will happen if you use the second.
    Start your device in FastBoot mode
  • The main procedure is performed on the command line. First you need to open it. In a Windows terminal window (press Win + R keys) write the cmd command.
    To open the command prompt, go to Start and type cmd
  • The command line is immediately ready to use. Type cd / immediately after the last entry and press Enter.
    Type cd / and press Enter
  • Next, you need to go to the platform-tools folder in the terminal itself. The path to the folder may differ among users, so it is extremely important to use your own option so that the operation ends with a certain success. Copying the path from the window line would be the correct solution.
  • The next line in the black window should look like cd path_to_folder_platform-tools. Press Enter again.
    Enter the command with the path to the folder
  • The next step is the adb devices command. It will help determine whether the PC sees the device. Next type adb reboot bootloader. Wait until the device turns on as a bootloader. Finally, go to the final part of the firmware: enter fastboot flash recovery recovery.img. and press Enter.
    The adb devices command will help determine whether the PC sees the device
  • If successful, a message will appear. The next time you restart the phone in recovery mode, check that the new firmware is installed. If all is well, the device will enter ClockworkMod Recovery mode.
  • The level of complexity, as you can see, is high, so before the procedure it is strongly recommended to check that this method is suitable for the device, since it may not work in all gadgets. In practice, this method is good if the manufacturer of the device is HTC.

    Rashr app

    The installation method using Rashr is convenient and easy to perform; it is recommended for beginners. However, ironically, it also requires administrator rights. You can get them in a few steps. Detailed instructions were given earlier in the section on Rom Manager.

    How to work with Rashr

    First you need to download the application itself. It is available for free in the Play Market (Rashr - Flash Tool). You can also view the program on a third-party site, but you must beware of suspicious web pages so as not to catch a virus.

    When the program is already on the phone, you need to open it and provide it with previously acquired Root rights upon request. Then everything is simple:

  • Select CWM Recovery. Click CWM Recovery
  • The software will provide available versions of Recovery for the given device being flashed, such as the touch ClockworkMod and the option with key control.
    Select Recovery from the list of options available for your device
  • Select the most suitable version and click Yes to confirm the download.
    Click Yes to confirm download
  • After downloading, a notification will pop up that the new recovery has been successfully downloaded and installed. To go there, click Yes.
    To go to Recovery, click Yes
  • Video: CWM and Rashr

    Odin: solution for Samsung

    The previous three methods are suitable for different device models. The same method is effective for Samsung devices. This is a proprietary utility, so it cannot be used for devices from other manufacturers. There are many versions of this application. The latest one is Odin 3.09.

    Here the standard factory version of Recovery is changed to a modified one using a PC, as with FastBoot:

  • Download Samsung Odin from the official website.
    Download the Odin program on PC
  • Establish a connection between the PC and the gadget via a USB cable and switch the device to Download Mode. There are two options depending on the device model. If one doesn't work, another will definitely work:
    • power/lock button and volume down (on older devices released before mid-2011);
    • power/lock button, Home and volume down (all other devices).
  • Pressing the volume up button confirms entering recovery mode. Next, launch the already downloaded Odin program. A program window will open, where available files for download will be listed. In the case of Recovery firmware, you need to check the box to the left of AP. In other versions of the software, the field may be called PDA.
  • Click the Start button and wait until the firmware is completed successfully.
    Click the Start button and wait for the firmware to finish
  • How to enable CWM Recovery mode after flashing

    Once CWM mode has been installed using one of the above methods, you need to check if it works. You can launch ClockworkMod Recovery:

  • using the ROM Manager program, selecting the “Load Recovery mode” section on its initial page;
  • by pressing the keys simultaneously after turning off the device. Combinations may vary depending on the model and manufacturer of the device. In most cases, these are the volume down and power buttons;
  • using the ADB program using the adb reboot recovery button.
  • Possible difficulties

    During the installation of an alternative Recovery Mode, in particular CWM, various difficulties and errors may arise. Which of them are the most common and how to solve them?

    CWM Recovery does not recognize the memory card

    CWM makes it possible to update your phone using an archive. When opening Recovery, the user sees a message that the flash card cannot be mounted. After installing another card, even with less memory, the problem disappears. The reason lies in the Windows system itself. The fact is that it diverges from card formatting standards. To format formatting in accordance with the specification of SD/SDHC/SDXC flash cards, and not just in standard form, it is recommended to use specialized software, for example, SD Formatter.


    The SD Formatter program allows you to correctly format the SD card

    CWM does not see the internal memory of the device: problem solution

    When the recovery files are located on the internal memory, and therefore can only be recovered from there, a problem may arise. When you connect the USB cable to the PC and enable “USB Debugging”, the program reports that the Android device is not detected and you need to enable “USB Debugging”.

    To solve this problem:

  • Connect the device as a camera, not a storage device. If there are other options available, choose them.
  • Install universal drivers.
  • Find a more suitable Recovery program for your device.
  • Recovery menu doesn't work

    If when you launch the alternative recovery mode (volume + Home button or power) a picture appears with a lying robot, then the recovery was flashed, but when you restarted the device it was overwritten by the stock Recovery.

    The problem is solved as follows.

  • Before flashing the Odin3 program, you need to uncheck the Auto restart checkbox and disconnect the cable after flashing. From the Download mode on the device, go to the recovery mode by pressing the volume up + home screen + power keys in sequence and hold them until the recovery menu appears. So you should get into the custom recovery menu anyway.
  • In it, select Reboot system now and then check Yes. This action will overwrite the stock recovery with a custom one and the “No command” error will be corrected.
  • Flashing a new Recovery mode means acquiring new functionality. Firmware methods vary in complexity, but ironically, the simplest of them require access to Root, that is, device administrator rights. When choosing a firmware method, you need to be guided by the phone model first. Rom Manager is not suitable for all devices. For HTC, the FastBoot method is more suitable, while for Samsung it would be more correct to choose Odin.

    The Android system has great benefits for users because this operating system is always open to changes and improvements. The best thing here is that you can easily tweak and optimize your Android device to improve speed, extend battery life, or even replace stock software with custom or unofficial software. But in order to do this, you must first carry out additional operations that will provide access to the internal system of the smartphone or tablet. As you will see, each task will require the use of a recovery image; so in this guide, we will tell you how to easily enter recovery mode manually on rooted and non-rooted android phones.

    All android smartphones and tablets have a stock recovery image pre-installed on their systems. Stock recovery can be used for numerous operations such as: installing applications from an SD card, backing up data, performing maintenance procedures, and so on. But when you are dealing with unofficial methods such as kernel, stock recovery is useless. In this case, you should replace the stock restore with a custom one, an operation that usually requires root access (though not always).

    Custom recovery images have great features and options that can be used by android users trying to customize their phones. So, these tools are only useful if you want to perform complex operations on your phone/tablet, otherwise replacing the stock recovery image with a custom one will be pointless. As mentioned, Custom Recovery must be used when attempting to update to beta, unofficial or custom firmware, or when installing custom kernels - after which you can upgrade your smartphone or tablet to improve speed or to upgrade battery life.

    The most commonly used custom recovery images for Android are CWM and TWRP, the latter of which is a touch version of the former tool. There are many other recovery apps that can be installed on your android system, but we recommend the above-mentioned tools for you.

    As mentioned above, when trying to install a custom recovery, root access may be required. In this case, you first need to unlock your smartphone/tablet (), then install the application and finally come back here and learn how to boot your Android device into recovery mode. Keep in mind that rooting your phone will void the warranty and to restore it to its original state you will have to roll back to stock firmware or update to the official Android software release.

    This guide is suitable for both rooted and locked Android smartphones and tablets, which means you can learn how to enter recovery mode without any problems. This method will work on almost all android devices, so this is a universal guide. So, whether you need to enter a stock recovery or a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP), use our instructions and find out how to do it.

    Typically, to enter recovery mode, you need to press a combination of buttons on your phone. First, you need to turn off your device, wait for a few seconds, and then press the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously for a few seconds. After this, the recovery mode should be displayed. If this doesn't work for you, follow the instructions below.

    Enter recovery mode on rooted android devices

    1. This method couldn't be easier. Consists of a small number of steps. Download the Quick Boot app.
    2. Install this application on your phone or tablet.
    3. Launch the application.
    4. In the menu you will see the following items: Recovery, Reboot, Bootloader and Power Off. Select Recovery.
    5. Your device will now reboot into recovery mode.

    Enter recovery mode on a locked (non-rooted) Android device

    1. To successfully complete these steps, you will need access to a computer or laptop.
    2. You will also need a USB cable.
    3. Your phone must have USB debugging enabled.
    4. The Android SDK must be installed on the computer.
    5. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
    6. Find the Fastboot folder on your computer.
    7. Open a command prompt.
    8. In the command line of your computer, type “adb reboot recovery”.
    9. After this, the phone will go into recovery mode.

    Excellent, our training is complete. Now you know how to enter recovery mode on rooted and locked Android devices. Now go ahead and use the recovery menu to install custom ROMs or perform other complex and powerful operations.

    Once again, let's talk about the Recovery menu, since almost always instructions for flashing and upgrading Android involve performing certain actions specifically from the Recovery menu.

    What is Recovery?

    Recovery (recovery) or translated from English – Recovery Mode is a special boot mode for the device, with which you can restore the system or install updates. This is an emergency mode necessary to restore the working state of the mobile device in the event of program failures, which result in the device turning off and making it impossible to boot in normal mode.

    Using Recovery mode you can:

    1. Restart your tablet or smartphone.
    2. Reset settings.
    3. Install updates.
    4. Configure and install firmware.
    5. Get Root rights.
    6. Delete your personal data located in the system.
    7. Restore the operating system and much more.

    Remember that incorrect actions can harm the system. If important information is recorded on your tablet, it is better to save it on another device in advance.

    Before using recovery mode, please read the instructions carefully. Each tablet has a service menu that is different from others, so the question of how to access the Recovery menu on a tablet requires an individual approach.

    How to log into Recovery?

    The Recovery mode in each mobile device is visually different, but the login process is almost always carried out according to the same principle. In order to enter the Recovery system, you need to do a number of actions:

    1. Turn off the tablet. At the same time, make sure that the battery is fully charged or connect the tablet to the network.

    2. Go to Recovery mode by pressing a combination of some buttons. Since different tablet manufacturers offer different hotkey combinations, we will provide several of the most common key combinations for entering the recovery menu.

    Basic key combinations for entering Recovery:

    • Simultaneously hold down both the “volume” keys and the “power” key;
    • simultaneously pressing one of the “volume” keys and the “power” key;
    • simultaneously hold down one of the volume buttons, the Home button and the device power button.

    The buttons are held until the recovery mode appears on the display.

    Some Chinese devices do not have a Recovery mode. In this case, you will have to reflash the tablet.

    How to navigate through the Recovery menu?

    Most devices allow you to navigate through menu items using the volume control buttons. The power button serves to select the desired menu item. Some devices may use other keys.

    If the control is touch, then we move through the items and select the desired item by pressing with a finger.

    How to enter Recovery if there are no volume keys on the tablet?

    If your tablet doesn't have volume keys, try these tips:

    1. You can try to enter the desired mode by holding down the Power and Home buttons at the same time. Another option is to hold down the Home key, press the Power button and release the Home key. After the splash screen appears, press the “Home” button again.

    2. You can navigate through the menu by connecting a USB keyboard via an OTG cable or using the sensor.