How to boot into recovery/download mode on Galaxy S21 series

There might be situations where you need to boot your Galaxy S21 series device in recovery or download mode. This menu doesn't come up by default. There are a few short steps that you need to perform in order to boot the device in recovery mode.

What is Recovery/Download mode?

The recovery mode is a tool that you can use to fix problems with your Samsung device. Troubleshooting becomes possible once the device is booted in the recovery/download mode. In reality, most users will never feel the need to use this tool. However, it can be useful when trying to fix a device that freezes up or if it's stuck in a boot loop.

Other actions that can be performed in this mode include wiping data, performing a factory reset, caching partitions, viewing recovery logs, running graphics tests and flashing updates through ADB.

How to boot into recovery/download mode

Step 1: Connect your Galaxy S21 device to the PC using the original USB-C cable.

Step 2: Power off the device using the side key or the power icon in quick toggles.

Step 3: Press and hold the volume up and side key. Release them when the Samsung logo appears.

Step 4: Use the volume down key to navigate the recovery menu. Use the side key to select the highlighted option.

Video Guide

We've created a handy video guide on how to boot into recovery/download mode on a Galaxy S21 handset that you can check out below.