A reset wipes your phone clean and returns it to factory settings
When you reset your phone, the device erases all the data you have stored on it — your photos, messages, apps, contacts, passwords, browsing history, and settings — and returns the phone to the state it was in when it left the factory. Nothing is recoverable after a reset unless you have a backup saved somewhere else, like cloud storage or a computer.
There are two types of reset. A soft reset (or restart) straightforward turns the phone off and back on, which clears temporary memory but keeps all your data. A factory reset (or hard reset) is the permanent one — it deletes everything and requires you to set up the phone from scratch, as if you just bought it new.
Most people mean factory reset when they say "reset my phone." That is the one that matters for privacy, security, and whether you can recover your information.
Key Takeaways
- A factory reset erases all your personal data permanently unless you have a backup saved to cloud storage or a computer beforehand.
- You can back up your phone to iCloud (iPhone) or Google Drive (Android) before resetting, and restore everything afterward.
- Resetting a phone does not remove it from your Apple ID or Google account — you will need your password to set it up again.
- If you are selling or giving away your phone, a factory reset removes your data but does not may provide the new owner cannot recover it with specialized tools.
- A soft reset (restart) clears temporary problems but keeps all your data intact.
Why people reset their phones
The most common reason is to fix a phone that is freezing, crashing, or running slowly. A soft reset (turning it off and back on) solves most of these problems and takes two minutes. If that does not work, a factory reset clears out corrupted files or conflicting apps that a restart cannot fix.
People also reset phones before selling them, giving them away, or trading them in. A factory reset removes your personal information so the next owner does not inherit your photos, messages, or login credentials. However, this is not the same as making your data unrecoverable — forensic tools can sometimes retrieve data even after a factory reset, which is why sensitive information should be encrypted before you reset.
Less commonly, someone resets a phone because they forgot their password or PIN and cannot unlock it. A factory reset will let them back in, but it erases everything on the device.
What data actually gets deleted
A factory reset removes photos, videos, messages, call history, contacts, calendar events, notes, app data, saved passwords, and your custom settings like wallpaper and notification preferences. It also removes most third-party apps you installed — the apps that came with the phone stay, but your downloaded apps are gone.
Data stored in the cloud — like Gmail, photos backed up to Google Photos or iCloud, or documents in Google Drive — is not deleted by a factory reset. That data lives on Google's or Apple's servers, not on your phone. When you sign back into your account after resetting, you can read it again.
Text messages and photos stored only on your phone, with no cloud backup, are permanently deleted. The same goes for app data like game progress, saved passwords in apps, or notes you took in a notes app that does not sync to the cloud.
How to back up before resetting
On an iPhone, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Turn on iCloud Backup. Your phone will back up automatically when it is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. You can also tap "Back Up Now" to start when ready. This saves your photos, messages, app data, and settings to Apple's servers.
On Android, open Settings, tap Google (or your account name), then tap Manage Your Google Account. Go to the Backup tab and turn on Backup by Google One. This backs up your photos, contacts, messages, and app data to Google Drive. Some Android phones also have a Samsung Cloud or manufacturer-specific backup option in Settings.
For photos and videos specifically, both iPhone and Android users can turn on automatic photo backup in Google Photos or iCloud Photos. This way, even if something goes wrong with your phone backup, your photos are safe in the cloud.
What happens after you reset
After a factory reset, your phone looks brand new. You will see the setup screen you saw when you first turned it on. You will be asked to sign into your Apple ID (iPhone) or Google account (Android), choose a language, set up Face ID or fingerprint, and create a Wi-Fi connection.
Once you sign into your account, you can restore your backup. On iPhone, you will see an option to "Restore from iCloud Backup" during setup. On Android, the phone will ask if you want to restore from your Google backup. This brings back your photos, contacts, messages, and app data — though it can take an hour or more depending on how much data you have.
Apps you had installed will read again automatically if they are still available in the App Store or Google Play. Apps that have been removed from the store will not reinstall.
The security difference between soft and hard reset
A soft reset (restart) does not remove any data. It just clears the phone's temporary memory, which is why it fixes freezing and crashing. If someone has access to your phone, a soft reset will not stop them from seeing your photos, messages, or apps.
A factory reset removes your personal data from the phone itself, but it does not may provide the data is gone forever. Specialized recovery tools can sometimes retrieve data from a phone's storage even after a factory reset, especially if the phone has not been used much since the reset. If you are disposing of a phone that contained sensitive information, encryption before the reset makes recovery much harder.
The most important security step is signing out of your accounts before resetting. If you reset without signing out of your Apple ID or Google account, the next person to set up the phone will be locked out — they will need your password to proceed. This is a security feature, but it also means you should remove your account from the phone before handing it to someone else.
Resetting a phone you are selling or giving away
Before you hand over your phone, do a factory reset. This removes your personal files and settings. Then sign out of your Apple ID (iPhone) or Google account (Android) before the reset, or remove your account from the phone after resetting.
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, scroll down, and tap "Sign Out." You will be asked for your Apple ID password. On Android, go to Settings, tap Accounts, select your Google account, and tap Remove Account.
If you do not remove your account, the new owner will see an "set up Lock" (iPhone) or "Factory Reset Protection" (Android) screen asking for your credentials. This prevents them from using the phone until you sign out remotely or they contact you for your password.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a factory reset?
No, a factory reset cannot be undone. Once it is done, the data is gone from your phone. If you have a backup saved to iCloud or Google Drive, you can restore from that backup, but the backup has to have been made before the reset. If you reset without a backup, your data is lost.
Will a factory reset remove viruses or malware?
A factory reset will remove most malware because it deletes all apps and files. However, if malware is embedded in your phone's firmware (the core software), a factory reset may not remove it. For most people, a factory reset is enough. If you suspect serious malware, contact your phone's manufacturer or a security professional.
Does resetting my phone delete my iCloud or Google account?
No. Your iCloud or Google account exists on Apple's or Google's servers, not on your phone. A factory reset removes the account from your phone, but the account itself and all the data stored in it remain. You can sign back in anytime.
How long does a factory reset take?
The reset itself usually takes 5 to 15 minutes. Setting up the phone afterward and restoring your backup can take an hour or more, depending on how much data you have and your internet speed.
What if I forget my password after resetting?
If you reset your iPhone and forget your Apple ID password, you can recover it at iforgot.apple.com. For Android, go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery. You will need access to your recovery email or phone number to verify your identity.