The Android ecosystem is smooth and user-friendly. However, if you are on an older Android version, your phone or tablet may be slow in downloading some OS files. It will, therefore, display a message “phone stuck on downloading do not turn off target.” Fortunately, you do not need to ship your phone to a certified technician (unless in extreme cases) to solve this issue.
Why does your phone say downloading do not turn off target? Some of the probable causes of this error include:
- A software glitch on your smartphone
- If you miss the correct button combination in the recovery mode
- If the EFS folder is missing on your phone
Steps to fix Phone stuck on “downloading do not turn off target”
To fix “downloading do not turn off target” error, follow these steps.
Solution #1: Exit the “Download mode” on your Samsung device
If you are using Galaxy S7, S6, S5, and S4, exiting the download mode solves the problem. To exit the download mode, follow these steps.
- Press and hold the Galaxy power button + Home button + Volume down simultaneously
- Continue pressing the three buttons until the screen of your Galaxy gadget goes black
- Release all the buttons and let the phone reboot automatically
Here is a video of the same:
Exiting the “download mode” solves this problem. If this solution does not remove the “do not turn off target on Samsung” error, move to the next solution.
Solution #2: Initiate a clean restart
If you are using a different Android phone, initiating a fresh restart solves the problem. Also, the solution works for Samsung Galaxy phones (only if the first solution did not work).
To initiate a clean restart;
- Turn off the device by holding the power button for at least five seconds.
- If holding the power button did not turn your device off, remove the battery (for older phones) or hold the power button + volume down.
- Remove your SD card (if you have any) and SIM card
- Wait for 20 seconds before powering up your device.
A “Clean restart” helps in discharging phone capacitors and refreshing the phone’s CPU. If you still get the error message, consider wiping the cache partition, as we explain below.
Solution #3: Wipe the cache partition
If your phone says downloading do not turn off target, it could be due to a firmware glitch. To solve the firmware glitch, follow these steps.
- Power off your android device
- After 30 seconds, press Home button + Volume up Key + Power button simultaneously
- After 5 seconds, the phone will vibrate. Release the buttons
- You will see five (5) options. Scroll down to the fifth option, and wipe the phone’s cache
- Press the power button twice
- The process will take about 5 seconds
- After wiping the cache partition, scroll up to the first option and reboot your android device.
Here’s a video explaining the same:
When cleaning the cache partition, you should ensure that your phone has enough charge. If this solution does not work, send you an Android device to a certified phone technician.
Download without interruptions!
If your phone still gets Android updates, it is advisable to check new updates continuously. The new Android versions — from Android 8 — are stable, and it is rare to get software hitches. Also, ensure that all your files are backed up always.
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