6 Ways to Boot into Samsung Download Mode

All Android devices have a bootloader, fastboot, and recovery mode. While the bootloader or fastboot mode allows us to flash firmware and recovery files, you can wipe your device and flash OTA ‘update.zip’ via the recovery mode. Today, we’ll check out 5 methods to boot Samsung Galaxy devices into Download Mode using hardware keys, ADB commands, and tools like ADB AppConrol and 300K Tool. You can also use these methods to enter the Recovery mode on your device.

While most Android devices have a regular bootloader and Fastboot mode, Samsung and Nokia devices come with the Download Mode. All devices with the Download Mode support firmware flashing via manufacturer-specific official tools like Samsung Odin, Nokia OST Tool, etc. The Download Mode on Samsung Galaxy devices is also known as the Odin Mode. In this mode, your Samsung phone or Tab can install firmware files BL, AP, CP, and CSC via the Odin Tool.

There are 6 ways to boot Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets into the Download mode and below we’ll discuss them in detail.

1. Samsung Download Mode Key Combinations

This is probably the most popular way to enter Odin Mode on Samsung devices. It was the universal method until all Samsung phones and tablets had the Power, Home, and Volume keys. However, with the introduction of the Bixby button on Galaxy devices, the hardware key combination to get into the Download Mode varies from device to device.

Download Mode on New Galaxy Phone and Tabs

I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra but when I tried to boot my phone into the Download Mode, the Volume Up + Power button combination didn’t work. Samsung is changing how we enter the download and recovery mode on Samsung devices.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S24, S23, S22, S21, or a new Galaxy phone or Tab, follow the steps below to boot your phone into the Download Mode.

1. Turn off your Galaxy device.
2. Hold the Volume Up + Volume Down keys simultaneously and connect the phone to your computer using a USB cable. Keep the buttons pressed for 5-7 seconds.
3. You’ll see a Warning screen as shown below.
4. Press the Volume Up key to enter the Download mode.

Using the Volume Up + Volume Down keys only

In case the Power button on your Samsung phone or Galaxy Tab is not functioning, you can boot it into the Odin mode using the volume keys only.

• Turn off your Samsung device.
• Press and hold the Volume Up+ Volume Down keys simultaneously.
• Then plug the USB into your device.
• Ensure the USB cable is connected to a power source such as a charger or a PC.
• Keep the buttons pressed until you see the Warning screen and then press the volume up key to get into the Download mode.

On Samsung Devices with Volume and Power-cum-Bixby Keys

On Galaxy devices like the Galaxy S22, S21, Note 10, Galaxy A90, Galaxy A80, Galaxy A70, Galaxy A50, Galaxy A40, etc., Samsung has merged the Bixby and Power keys. To boot such devices into the Download Mode, follow these steps:

1. Power off your device.
2. Connect it to a PC using a USB cable.
3. When the charging animation stops, press and hold the Volume Up + Power buttons simultaneously.
4. When you see the Samsung logo, release the buttons.
5. Your Samsung device will boot into the Recovery Mode. You can use the Volume up/down key to navigate and the Power button to select options in the Recovery Mode.
6. Highlight the Reboot to bootloader option in the recovery menu and press the Power key.

   

7. Your Samsung device will boot into the Download Mode.

On Samsung Devices with Power, Bixby, and Volume Keys

Samsung smartphones like Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 9, etc. come with Power, Volume+, Volume-, and Bixby keys. On such devices, you can get into the Download Mode as follows.

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press and hold the Volume Down + Bixby + Power keys together for 2-3 seconds.
3. Next, you will be prompted to press the Volume Up button. Just do it.

On Samsung Devices with Power and Volume Keys

Smartphones like Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018), etc. have just the Power and Volume (Up & Down) buttons. If you own one such Samsung device, follow the steps below.

1. Power off your Galaxy device.
2. Hold the Volume Up + Volume Down + Power buttons at the same time for 2-3 seconds.

2. Enter Samsung Download Mode via ADB Command

One of the many things we can do with ADB commands is to make your Samsung Galaxy device boot into the Download mode using your computer. The best part of the game is you can do that without pressing any key.

1. Install the latest Samsung USB driver if you don’t have it installed already.
2. Download the latest Platform Tools for Windows, Mac, or Linux and extract the downloaded zip.
3. Open the platform-tools folder.
4. Launch the command prompt. Place the mouse cursor at an empty spot inside the folder window. Press the Shift key + right-click button on the mouse and select Open in Terminal or  Open PowerShell window here from the context menu. Alternatively, you can type “powershell” in the folder address bar and hit Enter to launch a command window.
5. Enable USB debugging on your Samsung device.
6. Connect your device to the computer via a USB cable and keep your phone’s screen unlocked while using commands.
7. Type the following command to check if your device is properly connected.

   adb devices

8. ADB will return your device ID to show it has detected the connected device.

   Windows: adb reboot download
   macOS & Linux: ./adb reboot download
   

9. Your Samsung device will reboot into the Download Mode.

   

3. Using aShell Terminal App

aShell is a Shizuku-supported terminal app that lets you use ADB commands on Android devices without root. This means aShell eliminates the need for a computer to execute commands. Here’s how to use this Shizuku app.

1. Download and set up Shizuku on your Samsung Android device.
2. Now install the aShell terminal app from the Play Store or F-Droid (free).
3. Please ensure that Shizuku is running in the background.
4. Launch aShell and allow it to access Shizuku by selecting the Allow all the time option when prompted.
5. Type the following command in the aShell command box and tap the Send button next to the command box.

   adb reboot download

   

6. Your Samsung Galaxy phone Tab will boot into the Download Mode.

4. Boot into Download Mode Using ADB AppControl

ADB AppControl is a versatile tool for Android that you can use to debloat your Samsung device and control your phone via cable or Wi-Fi. You can also use this utility to boot your Samsung phone or Galaxy Tab into the Download Mode.

1. Download and install ADB AppControl.
2. Open the tool when it’s installed and click the Tools tab.
3. Click on the Reboot button and select ‘download‘ from the drop-down.
4. Click OK when prompted and your Samsung phone will boot into the Download Mode.

5. Enter Download Mode WebADB

Our next method to enter the Download Mode neither involves hardware keys, ADB commands, nor a tool but a web browser. WebADB is a web app that allows users to control and manage Android devices via Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Opera. Here is how to use WebADB to control Android from a web interface.

1. Open WebADB in your web browser.
2. Go to Settings > Developer options on your Samsung phone and turn on USB debugging.
3. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable.
4. WebADB will show the serial number of your device. Click the Connect button.
5. It’ll then request you to authorize the connection on your Samsung device. Tap on Allow.
6. WebADB can now interact with your Samsung phone. Now click on Power Menu > Reboot to Samsung Odin Download Mode.

That’s it! Your Samsung phone or tablet will boot into the Download Mode.

6. Samsung Download Mode Tool

Samsung 300K is a portable utility that makes your Samsung device reboot into the Download Mode with just a single click. Samsung 300K is a tiny executable software that can boot your Samsung Galaxy phone into the Download Mode in a single click.

1. Get the Samsung Download mode Tool.
2. Turn off the antivirus program on your Windows PC. Your antivirus software might report that the file has a virus but ignore it.
3. Now, unzip the file and open the extracted folder.
4. Turn on USB debugging on your Samsung device and connect your phone to the computer.
5. Double-click the Samsung 300K Tool.exe file to launch the program.

   

6. Now click the big Resistance icon on the left side of the program window.
7. The tool will reboot your phone or tablet in the Download Mode.

Did your device booted into the Download Mode automatically or by mistake? You can easily exit Download mode on Samsung devices by holding the Volume Down + Power buttons for 7-8 seconds.

Read Next: CSC or HOME CSC – Which File Should You Flash in Odin?