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.
