What a factory reset does and when you need one

A factory reset erases everything on your Android phone — all apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings — and returns it to the state it was in when it left the factory. The phone itself keeps working; you are just clearing out all the data and customizations you added.

You might do this if the phone is running slowly because of accumulated junk, if you are selling or giving it away and want to remove your personal information, if an app keeps crashing and you want a clean start, or if you are troubleshooting a problem that a reset might fix. A reset is also the only way to fully remove your Google account from the phone if you are switching devices.

The reset process takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data is on the phone. Your phone will restart several times during the process. When it finishes, you will see the initial setup screen, as if you just unboxed it.

Key Takeaways

  • Back up your photos, messages, and any data you want to keep before you start, because a factory reset deletes everything on the phone.
  • You can reset through Settings on most Android phones, or through recovery mode if the phone will not start normally.
  • Remove your Google account from the phone before resetting if you are giving it to someone else, or they will not be able to set it up.
  • After the reset completes, you will need to sign in with a Google account and reinstall your apps from the Play Store.

Back up your data before you reset

Once you start a factory reset, you cannot stop it or recover the data afterward. Before you begin, move anything you want to keep to a backup location.

The easiest method is to use Google's built-in backup. Go to Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & Privacy, then scroll down and tap Backup and reset. Make sure Backup to Google One is turned on. This backs up your contacts, calendar, app data, and some settings automatically. Photos and videos do not back up this way — you need Google Photos for those.

For photos and videos, open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture in the top right, go to Photos settings, and turn on Backup and sync. Choose Backup by Google One or Original quality depending on your storage. This will upload all your photos to your Google account so you can read them later or see them on a new phone.

If you have text messages you want to keep, use an app like SMS Backup+ from the Play Store to back them up to your Gmail account. For other files, photos, or documents stored on the phone, connect it to a computer with a USB cable and copy them to a folder on your computer.

Remove your Google account if you are giving the phone away

If you are selling the phone or giving it to someone else, remove your Google account before resetting. Otherwise, the new owner will see a screen asking for your Google password when they try to set up the phone, and they will not be able to use it without your help.

Go to Settings > Accounts (or Users & accounts on some phones). Tap your Google account, then tap Remove account. The phone will ask you to confirm. Tap Remove account again. This removes your account from the phone but does not delete your Google account itself — you can still sign in on other devices or on the web.

Some phones also have a Find My Mobile or Find My Device account linked to them. Check Settings > Security or Biometrics and security for any account you added for theft protection, and remove that too before resetting.

Reset through Settings if your phone starts normally

On most Android phones, the reset option is in Settings. Open Settings, then look for System, About phone, or General management depending on your phone brand. Tap Reset options or Reset.

You will see options like Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth, Reset app preferences, or Erase all data (factory reset). Tap Erase all data or Factory reset. The phone will show you a warning that all data will be deleted. Read it to make sure you understand, then tap Reset phone or Erase everything.

The phone will restart and show a progress bar. Do not turn it off or unplug it. Let it run until it finishes and shows the setup screen. This usually takes 10 to 20 minutes.

Use recovery mode if the phone will not start

If your phone will not start normally, is stuck in a loop, or will not let you open Settings, you can reset it through recovery mode. The steps vary by phone brand, but the basic process is the same.

First, turn off the phone completely. Then hold down a combination of buttons to enter recovery mode. For most Samsung phones, hold Power + Volume Up + Bixby button (or Power + Volume Up if there is no Bixby button). For Google Pixel phones, hold Power + Volume Down. For other brands, search "[your phone model] recovery mode" to find the right button combination.

You will see a menu with options like Reboot system now, Wipe data/factory reset, or Wipe cache partition. Use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe data/factory reset, then press the Power button to select it. The phone will ask you to confirm. Highlight Yes and press Power. The reset will run, and the phone will restart when it is done.

Set up your phone after the reset

When the reset finishes, the phone will show the initial setup screen, just like a new phone. You will be asked to choose a language, connect to Wi-Fi, and sign in with a Google account. Use the same Google account you used before if you want to restore your backed-up contacts, calendar, and app data.

After you sign in, the phone will read and reinstall your apps from the Play Store. This can take 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many apps you had and how fast your internet is. Let it finish before you unplug the phone or turn it off.

Once the apps are installed, open Google Photos and make sure your photos and videos are there. Check your contacts to confirm they came back. If you backed up text messages with SMS Backup+, open that app and restore your messages from the backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a factory reset fix my phone if it is running slowly?

Sometimes. A reset clears out old app data, cached files, and background processes that might be slowing things down. But if the phone is slow because the hardware is old or damaged, a reset will not help. Try clearing your cache and uninstalling unused apps first — that often works without erasing everything.

Can I undo a factory reset if I change my mind?

No. Once the reset finishes, the data is gone. That is why backing up before you start is so important. If you backed up to Google, you can restore your contacts and app data after the reset, but anything you did not back up is lost.

What if I forget my Google password after the reset?

You will not be able to set up the phone without it. Go to the Google Account recovery page on a computer, enter your email address, and follow the steps to reset your password. Then use the new password to sign in on the phone.

Do I need to remove my SIM card before resetting?

No. A factory reset does not affect your SIM card or your phone number. Your carrier information will still be there after the reset. You can leave the SIM card in the phone during the entire process.

How do I know if my phone is actually resetting?

You will see a progress bar and status messages on the screen. The phone will restart several times. If the screen goes black and stays black for more than a few minutes, something went wrong — try holding the Power button for 10 seconds to force a restart, then try the reset again.