Safe Mode? - Not Feeling Too Safe

[SalixIncendium]

Okay, so I learned today that my GN3 has a safe mode. While I'm happy that it does, I'm not happy with the way I found it.

I was on a public WiFi connection and downloading an app update. When I realized the connection was painstakingly slow and I didn't feel like spending to the remainder of the day where I was, I decided to stop the download. It appears the Amazon app store doesn't have an option to pause or stop the download, so I did what any reasonable (and by reasonable, I mean impatient) person would do and restart the phone (which I found out later doesn't stop a download) and dropped the phone into my pocket.

Anyway, when I pulled the phone back out of my pocket moments later, I saw the phone was running in safe mode. Of course, a simple restart put it back in regular mode, but the mere fact that it was in safe mode leaves me puzzled. I have been digging around and really don't see a logical explanation. I was wearing loose fitting dress pants at the time so the only physical button that could have been pressed was the home button. After doing some research the only method I've been able to duplicate to get it back into safe mode is to hold the power button while the "Galaxy Note 3" screen appears and the releasing that button and pressing the volume down rocker. I highly doubt this could have happened in my pocket.

Anyone else experience this phenomenon? Any of you pros have any thoughts?

 

[SpookDroid]

I hadn't even heard of a Safe Mode in the Note 3 until now I'm tempted to try it out myself haha

In any case, if it's like Windows' Safe Mode, and you say you powered your device off mid-download, something might have gone awry and the phone itself kicked into Safe Mode to avoid damage to the file system. Again, this is just a guess. The only modes I knew you could trigger with key presses were Recovery Mode (Power + Volume Up + Home) and Download Mode (Power + Volume Down + Home). Safe Mode is new to me.

 

[AuburnGrad]

You are correct that is the only way to get to safe mode. Unless it was just perfect timing in when it slid in the pocket, not sure how you booted. Nothing really to worry about. It is good to know, for if say your phone is force shutting down and acting up, restart in safe mode so you can remove or shut off said app. I used it when my alarms were messing up after the OTA update, but other than that, I have not needed it.

 

[Unicorn11B]

Mine went straight into Safe Mode last night as soon as it was powered on. This was a replacement for one that kept losing connection (both wi-fi and carrier). A restart took it it out and it's been working fine since though.