Nexus 5X: How to Boot into Recovery Mode

If you ever need to do a factory reset to sideload an OTA update then you can follow these instructions to boot the Nexus 5X into Recovery Mode.

Installing modifications like the Xposed Framework can cause your Nexus 5X to go into a bootloop if something goes wrong. This could be from you installing the incorrect version of Xposed or it could happen from installing an Xposed Module that isn’t compatible with your device. As long as you know what you’re doing, or you’re following a tutorial, you should be okay. Still, nothing is guaranteed and sometimes this stuff just happens.

Recovery Mode on the Nexus 5X can also let us sideload OTA updates manually instead of having to wait for the OTA update to be pushed to our devices.

Nexus devices are among the first to receive said updates but Google can still take multiple weeks to complete a roll out. Accessing recovery mode can also let us do troubleshooting and clean up tasks like clearing the cache partition. Just like it’s important to know how to boot the Nexus 5X into Fastboot Mode, you’re probably going to want to know how to boot it into Recovery Mode as well.

The process is easy, all you have to do is follow these simple steps. . .

Nexus 5X Recovery Mode

1. Power Down the Nexus 5X
2. Boot the Nexus 5X into Fastboot Mode
3. When in Fastboot Mode, Press the Volume Down Button Twice
4. This Should Highlight the ‘Recovery’ Option
5. When Highlighted, Press the Power Button to Boot into Recovery Mode
6. Wait Until You See an Android on its Back With an Exclamation Mark(you won’t see this if you have a custom recovery installed)
7. From Here, Press and Hold the the Power Button, Then Press the Volume Up Button
8. If Done Right, You’ll be Taken to the Recovery Mode Menu

Explanation

Before we can get into the Recovery Mode on the Nexus 5X, we’re going to need to get into Fastboot Mode. If you don’t know how this is done, follow the linked tutorial in the guide above and that will get your Nexus 5X into Fastboot Mode. Once there, you’re going to need to navigate through this menu by using the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons because the screen will not respond to your taps.

So, once you highlight the ‘Recovery’ option, you’ll want to press the Power button to select it. This will take your Nexus 5X to a splash screen of sorts as you’ll see an Android on its back with an exclamation mark above its chest. So to get past the splash screen, you need to press the hold the Power button and then press the Volume Up button while still holding the Power button. As soon as you press the Volume Up button, you should instantly be taken into Recovery Mode.

There’s no need to hold these buttons down because when you do it properly, it will instantly take you to the Recovery Mode menu. So, just keep trying to time the button presses and you’ll eventually make it into the Nexus 5X Recovery Mode. Once there, it will be just like Fastboot Mode where you need to navigate through the menu with the Volume and Power buttons. Be careful what you do here because you can factory reset the Nexus 5X and that will erase all of your personal data. When you’re done with Recovery Mode, you can highlight and select the ‘Reboot System Now’ option, or you can press and hold the Power button to foce the Nexus 5X to reboot.