Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung’s February update reportedly removes several tools from the Android Recovery menu.
- The new Recovery menu now shows only reboot, factory reset, and power-off options on several Galaxy phones.
- Samsung hasn’t explained the change yet, and it’s unclear if it’s related to rumors about Download Mode disappearing on future Galaxy devices.
Samsung’s February software update seems to be doing more than patching security issues. It’s also apparently removing a feature that power users have relied on for years.
According to a report from Galaxy Club, Samsung’s February update removes some tools from the Android Recovery menu, a hidden system interface that houses several powerful tools, including factory resets, ADB-based update installs, SD card-based installs, the ability to manually clear the system cache partition, and more.
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Galaxy Club reports that the entire Recovery menu has now been dramatically downsized on several Galaxy phones running the February 2026 patch. Users on the Galaxy S25 series were the first to spot the change, and the publication has also confirmed it on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
After installing the update, the Android Recovery menu reportedly contains just three options:
- Reboot system now
- Wipe data/factory reset
- Power off
For years, the Recovery menu has been a hidden but powerful troubleshooting hub for experienced Android users. Clearing the cache partition is widely used to fix post-update issues like battery drain, sluggish performance, or random bugs.
So far, the February update with the new pared-down Recovery menu is available on all Galaxy S25 models, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It should roll out to many more Galaxy phones in the coming weeks.
Interestingly, the situation isn’t entirely consistent across Samsung’s lineup. On the Galaxy S25 Ultra running the One UI 8.5 beta alongside the February security patch, the old Recovery menu is still present. On Galaxy S25 models running the stable One UI 8.0 with the February patch, however, the new Recovery menu appears to be fully implemented.
Samsung hasn’t officially commented on why it’s stripping back Recovery options, or whether background system processes have made manual tools like cache wiping redundant. It’s also unclear whether this change is connected to separate rumors suggesting that Download Mode may be disappearing on future Galaxy phones, including the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.
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