9.13. Safe Boot Mode

Android provides Safe Boot Mode, which allows users to boot up into a mode where only preinstalled system apps are allowed to run and all third-party apps are disabled. This mode, known as “Safe Boot Mode”, provides the user the capability to uninstall potentially harmful third-party apps.

Device implementations are:

  • [SR] STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to implement Safe Boot Mode.

If device implementations implement Safe Boot Mode, they:

  • [C-1-1] MUST provide the user an option to enter Safe Boot Mode in such a way that is uninterruptible from third-party apps installed on the device, except when the third-party app is a Device Policy Controller and has set the UserManager.DISALLOW_SAFE_BOOT flag as true.

  • [C-1-2] MUST provide the user the capability to uninstall any third-party apps within Safe Mode.

  • SHOULD provide the user an option to enter Safe Boot Mode from the boot menu using a workflow that is different from that of a normal boot.