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How to Enter Recovery Mode on Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL

If you’re about to upgrade from your current phone to Google Pixel 3 or 3 XL, then you must know the basic operations that can help you a lot on these two smartphones. In this tutorial, we’ll help you to boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into the recovery mode through a different method. If you’re using the Android OS for the first or can’t remember the correct steps to access this mode, there’s nothing to bother further. Just keep reading this guide to boot your phone into this mode.

Yes, there are different methods that boot Android devices into different modes. In general, the recovery mode is implanted with the maintenance purpose. This mode runs independently of the Android OS and the rest of the modes. If anything happens to the Android firmware, the users can access the recovery mode to perform several maintenance procedures. This mode cannot be lunch while the Android UI is running already. Therefore, you gotta follow the reboot sequence to get into the recovery mode on your Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphone.

These two smartphones are powered with the stock recovery image that has some restrictions. Though your access is limited, still you can perform tasks like update an OTA, clear cache files, perform a hard reset, and a few more. If you want to go beyond these limitations, we suggest you indulge with some custom recovery like TWRP. That will give you limitless access to this mode which you can use to make a Nandroid Backup, install custom aspects like custom firmware, and third-party modes, and there are many more actions that you can perform using the custom recovery.

Because the recovery environment comes inbuilt within the phone, accessing it would not void the warranty on your phone. Neither it hurts your phone in any manner until used carefully. Therefore, we strongly recommend you not to access this mode unnecessarily. The recovery mode is powerful enough to wipe your phone in an instant. And that’s quite hard to recover those deleted files. We would also recommend you before you use this mode any purpose, you should perform a backup operation during that you must save contacts, messages, documents, music file, and other important stuff.

Both the smartphones, Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL come with some inbuilt backup application like Google Drive and photos. So, you can use any of these applications to safeguard your files and sync them to online drives. Or, else you can copy all of your files and documents on your computer or any other device. If you don’t want to use Google’s applications, there are countless third-party applications that work well for the backup process. Just open Google Play on your phone and look for such applications. That would be a much safer way to use this mode.

In order to boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into the recovery mode, we can use the hardware keys, ADB commands or use some root specific application. The very first method does the job most of the time and it is very simple. The user needs to press the hardware keys in a certain way to boot into the recovery mode. Till the time, the physical buttons are working fine, this method is applicable. And whereas, the other two methods; ADB and root-specific application, do not need the hardware keys. Therefore, based on your situation, you can rely on or use one of these methods. Now, we shall start with the very first method on our list:

Boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into recovery mode

Method 1: Boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into recovery mode using hardware keys

  1. Turn OFF your phone.
  2. Now, press and hold Volume Down and Power keys for a few seconds.
  3. Release these buttons once Smart Menu appears.
  4. Use the Volume and Down buttons to navigate to Recovery Mode and press the Power Button to enter into it.
  5. When the ‘No Command’ screens appear, press and hold the Power and Volume Up button.
  6. Thereafter, your phone will boot into the recovery mode, Now, you can release the buttons.

Under the recovery mode, use the Volume Up and Down buttons for navigation purpose and Power button for selection purpose.

Must see:

That’s it, you’ve successfully entered the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones into the recovery mode. This method commonly used by most of the Android users. We are pretty sure that you would be able to master this procedure after one or two trails.

The stock recovery menu offers some important options to apply updates, remove cached data and format these smartphones. Through these options, certainly, you can manage to troubleshoot your phone from most of the Android problems and bugs.

As outlined earlier, till the time all the physical buttons are working, this method is applicable. In case, somehow any of them aren’t working, the next method should help you.

Method 2: Use ADB commands to enter recovery mode on Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL

This method is rarely used and quite unpopular among Android users. The ADB stands for ‘Android Debugging’ tool developed by Google. This tool is supposed to be used by the Android developers and it has nothing for an average user like us. Through this tool, we can apply different commands on our Android phones.

Through ADB commands, we can easily boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into the recovery mode. However, before we do that, there are some preparations that you have to do. Just make sure to complete followings:

  • You need a Windows-based computer to use this method. Or else, the Mac procedure is very tough.
  • You must arrange the USB cable of your phone. We require that for connection purpose.
  • For proper connection, you must install the Google USB Drivers on your computer. You can download the USB drivers from →here.

You’re almost done with the required preparation. Now, the following steps shall help use the ADB commands on these two smartphones:

  1. First, download the minimal package of ADB tool from →here. Unzip the package to obtain Run Me.bat file and double tap it. That opens the command prompts like this:Use ADB commands to enter recovery mode on Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL
  2. Using the USB cable, connect your phone to the computer. It should in turned ON condition.
  3. Type the following command to verify that your phone is there:
    • adb devices
  4. Now, type the following command to enter into the recovery mode.
    • adb reboot recovery
  5. That should boot your phone into the recovery mode.

In a similar manner, with different ADB commands, we can boot to different Android modes like bootloader, safe mode and so on. That was one more way to boot your Pixel 3 and 3 XL into the recovery mode. There’s one more method, however, for that, you need a rooted device.

The root users surely get some extraordinary privileges that help extensively customize and optimize their smartphone. If you’ve successfully rooted your Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphone, you better use some dedicated applications to do specific tasks.

Method 3: Use Quick Reboot application to access different modes

There are plenty of useful root-specific applications that can reduce your efforts and time. But you should know that rooting violates the OEM’s terms and condition. That means, the warranty is voided on a rooted device. If you’ve successfully rooted your phone, that’s very good.

Use Quick Reboot application to access different modes

For root users, there’s an application named ‘Quick Reboot’ that extensively saves your time and efforts while booting into different modes like recovery, bootloader, and similar ones. As soon as you hit this application, it opens a panel that features a list of available reboot options. You just need to hit one of these and leave the rest of this application.

This application will reboot your phone to that mode after that. That’s how it works. You don’t have to use hardware keys or ADB commands. Just this application is enough. You can download this application from Google Play for free.

The wrap-up

These methods that one can apply to enter or boot Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL into the recovery mode. We hope that Google Pixel users would find this tutorial helpful. If you stuck while using any of these methods or face any other issue, do write to us through the comment section below. We would surely help you with our best efforts. Share your thoughts and views on this tutorial, so we can improve them.

3 Comments

  1. Step 5 for method 1 should be:

    5. Hold down the power key and press and release the ‘volume up’ key to continue to Recovery mode.

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