A Complete Guide to Fixing Android Recovery Mode Not Working

When was the last time your Android phone struggled to boot into recovery mode? For those who don’t know, Android Recovery (or recovery mode) is the advanced service or troubleshooting mode dedicated to solving complex system issues, installing custom ROMs, formatting Android devices, etc. If you are unable to boot into Android recovery or are having difficulty navigating the recovery menu on your device, you should check out the proven solutions that we have compiled in this guide.

You may struggle and not get Android recovery mode on your device due to various reasons. You can do this (ie boot into recovery mode) differently from the way specifically intended for your device. In addition, hardware complications can also affect your smartphone’s ability to boot into recovery. Whatever the problem, read the troubleshooting solution in the next section. We are talking about key combinations to boot into recovery mode and how to fix common Android recovery errors.

Use the correct key combination

Although Android phones are more diverse unlike iOS models, you will still find relatively similar steps for universal processes like taking a screenshot, restarting, or starting in recovery mode. Well, many Android devices have different key combinations to boot into recovery mode. This is because Android phone makers sell phones with different hardware and software customization. Fortunately, the process of initiating recovery mode is not too difficult.

Here are some of the common key combinations to boot your Android phone or tablet into recovery mode.

Note: You may need to simultaneously press and hold these buttons for at least 3-5 seconds (or longer) to boot into recovery mode. Don’t just squeeze and release them immediately.

• Power button + home button + volume up – some Samsung devices with physical home buttons.
  
• Power button + Volume down – Huawei, HTC, LG, OnePlus, Pixel, Oppo, etc.
• Power button + volume up – some Nokia, Xiaomi, smartphones.
• Power button + volume up + Lower the volume – Nexus phones.

You should visit the phone or tablet manufacturer’s website for the exact key combination details or contact their support center for help.

Charging device

You need to keep your phone or tablet charged with at least 80% battery juice before you even try to put it into recovery mode. This is because some phone manufacturers prevent their phones from going into recovery mode if the charge is less than 50%. And even if you try, some devices may display a Battery too low warning on screen. Scary, some devices may not display such a warning and suddenly turn off in recovery mode – you don’t want this to happen as it could make your phone more flexible. Therefore, you should squeeze it at least 80% percent before entering recovery mode when using the proper combination.

Connect the device to a power source

Nokia 6.1 Plus is my secondary smartphone. I needed to boot the device into recovery mode to install a recent update, but nothing I tried worked. It was fully charged (up to 100%) and I used the correct key combination, but it won’t boot into recovery. After researching, I discovered that some models of Nokia phones need to be connected to a PC or power supply – even if they are fully charged – before they can boot into recovery mode. And that solved my predicament.

If your Nokia smartphone does not start in recovery mode despite using the correct key sequence, plug it into a power source and wait for the battery or the charging icon to appear on the screen. Now try the recovery mode key combination again. You can also try this for other brands of Android smartphones.

Fix no command errors in recovery mode

Is there an Android logo with No Control error message on your phone screen when you boot into recovery mode? This happens occasionally and it’s pretty easy to fix. All you have to do is wait about 5 seconds and click on the button. Power button + Volume + + Volume – simultaneously.

Note: You do not need to have these keys. Press and release them instantly. This should bring you to the Android recovery menu.

If the error persists on the screen, continue to press or Power + Volume + + Volume – until the error disappears. There is no fixed frequency / rate at which this key combination eliminates the error. Pressing all three buttons fixed the issue on the first try on our test device. It might take more tries for yours. There was a time when we had to press buttons (simultaneously) up to seven (7) times before the No Command error disappeared from the screen.

We found out that some users fixed this error by pressing buttons up to 8-10 times from additional research. Try this and tell us how it goes.

Go to root

You should visit an authorized technician or contact your manufacturer’s support center if recovery mode is still not working properly on your Android smartphone. The problem may be due to hardware damage to some internal components. We believe that the power button or volume keys on your phone are defective. And if that’s the case, you can’t boot into recovery mode (using key combinations) until you fix them.