Factory reset an Android phone safely
Back up first
Photos to Google Photos, WhatsApp chats to Google Drive, contacts to your Google account.
Menu names may be slightly different on your phone brand.
Back up first
Photos to Google Photos, WhatsApp chats to Google Drive, contacts to your Google account.
Make sure you know your Google email and password
After the reset the phone asks for the same Google account. Without it the phone stays locked.
Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data
Enter your PIN, confirm, and wait for the phone to start like new.
Everything on the phone is permanently deleted.
Did it work?
Save it, or post it to your story.
From basic to technician
Technical details (for the curious)
Factory Reset Protection (FRP)
After a reset Android asks for the last Google account that was on the phone. It stops stolen phones being reused, but also locks out owners who forgot their password. Check it first at myaccount.google.com.
Before selling a phone
Remove your Google account in Settings › Accounts first, then reset. That way the buyer isn’t locked out by FRP.
Reset from Recovery
If the phone won’t start, a reset can be done from the Recovery menu (usually Power + Volume up while off). You still need the Google account afterwards.
While you’re here
Worth reading
Quiz time
Still not fixed?
In the next update you can tell us what happened, and our AI helper will suggest another way. Until then, restart the device and go through the steps once more.