How to reset your Android phone and what you need to know beforehand

Resetting an Android phone or tablet, means restoring it to its factory settings. It may also be referred to as a "formatting" or a "hard reset".

When you reset your Android device, all accounts, installed apps, and stored data are completely removed from the device. Deleting data from an Android device when you stop using it yourself, means you can avoid issues such as data breaches or someone using your account without permission.

There are various situations when you might want to reset your Android device.

It might be when you're no longer using your Android device yourself, or it could be when you cannot resolve issues with the device, for example if it’s not working properly or you can’t unlock it.

Other situations when you may want to reset your device are as follows:

• Repeated reboots
• Crashes
• Device is unresponsive
• Flickering screen
• Missing pixels
• Black screen
• Device will not unlock
• To prevent unauthorised use by others

Resetting your Android device will restore it to factory settings and delete any registered Google accounts and data from the device. Therefore, there are some things you need to do before you factory reset your phone.

Note: The verification procedure and method may vary depending on the Android version and device type.

Verify your Google Account username and password

If you use your Android device regularly, you might not often think about the Google Account you have registered. Some people may have completely forgotten their Google Account or password. Before resetting your Android device, ensure you have checked your Google Account username and password.

Verifying your account.

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Tap [Account].
3. If you can't tap [Account], please contact your device manufacturer.
4. Your Google Account username will be displayed.

Verifying your password

To verify your account password, log in to your account on another device or computer. If you've forgotten your password, please refer to the login help.

If you have set a screen lock, please check your phone's PIN, pattern, or password. If you are unable to unlock your phone, please refer to the troubleshooting section.

Backing up your data to your Google Account.

Once you've verified your account and password, make a backup of the device you're resetting.

After the reset, the device will return to its factory settings, which means that installed apps and saved data will be erased. If you have made a backup, you can not only restore a device to its pre-reset state, you can also use the backup to transfer your data to a new device.

There are two backup methods: automatic backup and manual backup. Here we will explain the manual backup process that you can use to back up your data before you reset a device.

Note: It may not be possible to back up data from some of your apps to your Google Account.

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Tap [Google] → [Backup]. If these steps don't match your device's settings, you can search for "Backup" in the Settings app or contact your device manufacturer.
3. Tap [Back Up Now]
4. For information on scheduling automatic backups, please refer to "Android Help."
5. Check out this video for a more convenient method of backing up your smartphone data.
6. Charge and connect to the network
7. A reset can take up to one hour, so make sure your Android device's battery is sufficiently charged.
8. Charge your Android phone or tablet to over 70%.
9. Connect your Android phone or tablet to Wi-Fi or a mobile network. Once the factory reset is complete, connect to the Internet and sign in to your Google Account.

Once you've completed the preparations, you’re ready to system reset your Android device. We'll use a Pixel phone as an example to explain each step.

Note: Some of these steps only work on Android 8.0 and later. Additionally, the reset procedure may vary depending on the device type.

Use the Update and Software Repair tool

Using the Update and Software Repair tool, could mean that you may not need to perform a backup before you factory reset your phone. What’s more, whilst resetting typically restores the device to the version of Android it originally shipped with, using the tool will allow you to install the latest version of Android to your smartphone or tablet.

Note:The Update and Software Repair tool is available on Google Pixel 3 and later.

1. Connect your Android phone or tablet to your computer using a USB cable.
2. Go to https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Reset via your phone's Settings app.

Some Android devices can be reset via the Settings app. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Tap [System] → [Advanced] → [Reset options] → [Erase all data (factory reset)].
3. To erase all data from your Android phone's or tablet's internal storage, tap [Erase all data].

If necessary, you'll be asked to enter a PIN on your Android phone or tablet. Enter your PIN and tap [Erase all data].

Once your Android phone or tablet has finished resetting, select the option to restart.

Set up your Android smartphone or tablet and restore your backed-up data.

Reset via Find My Device.

Android devices can also be reset remotely. If you lose your Android device, you can reset it from your computer's browser or from the Android app. Even if you don’t have your device with you, you can reset it via "Find My Device" if the following conditions are met.

Requirements:

• The power is on.
• The device is signed in to your Google Account
• The device is connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi
• Visibility in Google Play is turned on
• Location services are on
• Find My Device is turned on

If the requirements are met, you can reset the device by following the steps below.

Remote reset procedure:

1. Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.
2. If you are have multiple devices, click the Android phone, tablet, or other device you want to reset at the top of the screen.
3. If you have multiple user profiles set up on your Android phone or tablet, log in with the Google Account of the main profile.
4. A notification will be sent to the Android phone or tablet you wish to reset.
5. Select [Erase device]. If necessary, first click [Enable lock/data erase].

Erase device: Permanently deletes all data on your Android phone or tablet (there are cases where the data on your SD card may not be deleted). Once erased, Find My Device will no longer function on your Android phone or tablet.

Reset using the buttons on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Depending on the type of device, you may be able to reset it using the buttons on the device itself. This type of reset may be useful if you can't reset your device from the Settings app, or if you're experiencing issues such as the screen not responding.

1. If your Android phone or tablet is powered on, press and hold the power button to turn it off.
2. Press and hold the volume down button and the power button at the same time for 10~15 seconds.
3. If you hold down the buttons for too long, your Android phone or tablet will restart. In this case, please try again from step (1).
4. Use the volume buttons to cycle through the menu options until [Recovery Mode] appears on the screen. To select a menu item, press the power button once.
5. The words "No command" will appear on the screen. Press and hold the power button. While holding the power button, press the volume up button, and then quickly release both buttons.
6. The options to reset your Android will be shown. Use the volume buttons to scroll to [Wipe data / factory reset] and press the power button.
7. Use the volume buttons to scroll to [Factory data reset] and press the power button.
8. The factory reset will begin. When the reset is complete, the message "Data wipe complete" will appear at the bottom of the screen.
9. Use the volume buttons to scroll to [Reboot system now] and press the power button.
10. To set up your Google Pixel, complete the OS installation on your Android phone or tablet and tap [Start].
11. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Android smartphone or tablet and restore your backed-up data. Find out how to back up and restore data.

We will now explain how to restore your device after resetting it. In particular, we’ll tell you how to restore it using the backup made in advance.

When you reset your Android phone, tablet, or other device, it returns to its factory settings. To restore your data and settings, add your Google Account. By adding an account, you can recover any data and settings that you have backed up.

Please follow the instructions displayed on the screen. The steps may vary depending on the type of device. For detailed instructions, please refer to the manufacturer's support site. Please be aware that recovery may take up to 24 hours, so it’s advisable you keep your device charged for the whole time.

When using an Android device, there may be situations where you need to reset. Provided you make the proper preparations before a reset, you should be able to restore your data, including to a new device. Make sure you understand how to back up and restore so that you can correctly reset your device.

Note: Some of the content introduced in this article may not be available on certain devices. The availability of this product, or some of its features, depends on the device manufacturer.