To turn off your Galaxy phone, press and hold the Side button and Volume down together until the power menu appears, then tap Power off and confirm by tapping Power off again. This is the quickest, standard method for powering your Galaxy phone down using the physical buttons.
How to turn off a Galaxy phone with the side button
The primary method uses the hardware buttons and works on all current Galaxy models. Press and hold the Side button and Volume down simultaneously. After a moment, the power menu displays. Tap Power off, then tap Power off again to confirm. Your phone will shut down immediately.
How to shut down from the quick settings panel
If the physical buttons are unresponsive or you prefer an on-screen method, use the Quick Settings panel. Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to open Quick Settings. Tap the Power icon in the top right corner. Tap Power off, then confirm. This method is useful when you need to power down without holding any buttons.
How to power off using the settings app
You can also change the behavior of the Side button so a long press triggers the power-off menu instead of Bixby. Open Settings, then tap Advanced features, then Side button. Depending on your model, choose Long press and select Power off menu, or under Press and hold select Power off menu. After changing this setting, a long press of the Side button alone will show the power-off option. This is a convenient alternative if you prefer not to use the two-button combination.
Another way is to navigate to Settings > Device care or Device maintenance > Battery > Power or Power management, then tap Power off. This menu path is different from the Side button setting and lets you shut down directly from the battery settings.
What about emergency mode?
Emergency mode is no longer supported on current Galaxy software (One UI 5.1 and later). On older software, it could be accessed from the power menu or from Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency mode, but it is not a standard way to turn off your phone. If you are on a supported older device, you can exit Emergency mode by tapping the three dots in the top right, then Turn off emergency mode or Disable Emergency Mode, then Disable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Galaxy phone be turned off with only the buttons?
Yes. Press and hold the Side button and Volume down together, then tap Power off. No on-screen navigation is required beyond the confirmation tap.
Where is the setting to change the long-press action?
Go to Settings > Advanced features > Side button. From there, you can set the long press or press and hold action to show the power-off menu.
Is Emergency mode still supported on current software?
No. Samsung states that Emergency mode is no longer supported on devices running One UI 5.1 or later. It only exists on older software versions.
How do you exit Emergency mode if it appears?
Tap the three dots in the top right corner, then select Turn off emergency mode or Disable Emergency Mode, and tap Disable to confirm.
What should I do if my Galaxy phone doesn't turn off?
If the phone is unresponsive, perform a force restart by pressing and holding the Side button and Volume down together for about 10 seconds. This forces the device to restart, after which you can try turning it off normally.
Can I turn off my Galaxy phone by removing the battery?
Most modern Galaxy phones have non-removable batteries, so removing the battery is not possible. For older models with removable batteries, you can power off the phone first, then remove the battery if needed.
Why would I want to turn off my Galaxy phone?
Reasons include conserving battery life, troubleshooting software issues, or following customer support instructions.
For the wider topic, see powering your phone on and off.
