Whether you are selling your old Android phone, passing it on to a family member, or trying to fix a persistent software problem, a factory reset is often the most reliable solution. This guide walks you through exactly what a factory reset does, what to do before you start, and how to complete the process on stock Android and Samsung One UI devices — including how to reset via Recovery Mode if your phone is unresponsive.
What Does a Factory Reset Actually Do?
A factory reset wipes your Android phone back to its out-of-box state. It erases all personal data stored on the device — your photos, messages, installed apps, app data, Wi-Fi passwords, accounts, and settings. After the reset, the phone behaves as though it has just come out of the packaging for the first time.
What a factory reset does not do is remove the Android operating system or the device firmware. The phone’s software version stays intact. It also does not automatically remove your Google account from Google’s servers — it only removes the account sign-in from the device itself. This distinction matters because of Factory Reset Protection, which is covered below.
Before You Reset: Back Everything Up
A factory reset is permanent and cannot be undone. Before you proceed, take the time to back up anything you cannot afford to lose.
Google Account Backup
Android’s built-in backup saves your app list, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS messages to Google Drive. To check it is enabled, go to Settings > System > Backup and make sure Back Up to Google Drive is switched on. Tap Back Up Now to force an immediate backup before you reset.
Photos and Videos
If you use Google Photos with Backup and Sync enabled, your images should already be safe in the cloud. Open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, and select Photos Settings > Backup to confirm everything has synced before wiping the device.
WhatsApp does not back up automatically to your main Google Backup. Inside WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tap Back Up Now. This saves your message history and media to Google Drive so you can restore it when you set up your phone again.
Apps That Need Re-Registration
Some apps cannot be restored simply by reinstalling them. Make a note of any apps that will require re-registration or reconfiguration after the reset. The most important ones to consider are:
- Banking and financial apps — these often require identity verification to set up on a new device
- Multi-factor authentication apps such as Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator — export your accounts or move them to a backup method before resetting, or you may lose access to secured accounts
- VPN or business apps tied to a work profile
Contacts
If your contacts are synced to your Google account they will restore automatically after the reset. If any are stored locally on the device, go to Contacts > Import/Export and export them to your Google account or to a file on your SIM card.
How to Factory Reset Android (Stock Android)
On stock Android — the version used on Google Pixel phones and many other devices — the factory reset option is found here:
- Open Settings
- Tap System
- Tap Reset Options
- Select Erase All Data (Factory Reset)
- Tap Erase All Data to confirm
- Enter your PIN or password if prompted
- Tap Erase All Data again to begin the process
The phone will restart and the wipe process will take a few minutes. When it is complete, the device will boot into the initial setup screen.
How to Factory Reset a Samsung Phone (One UI)
Samsung devices run One UI on top of Android, and the menu layout is slightly different from stock Android:
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and tap General Management
- Tap Reset
- Select Factory Data Reset
- Scroll down and tap Reset
- Enter your PIN, password, or pattern if prompted
- Tap Delete All to confirm
Samsung devices may also prompt you to remove your Samsung account before the reset completes. This is important — see the Factory Reset Protection section below for why.
How to Factory Reset via Recovery Mode
If your phone is frozen, stuck in a boot loop, or you cannot access the Settings menu, you can perform a factory reset using Recovery Mode. The button combination varies by manufacturer, but the most common method is:
- Power off the device completely
- Hold the Volume Down button and the Power button simultaneously until the Recovery Mode screen appears (on some Samsung models it is Volume Up + Power + Bixby)
- Use the Volume buttons to navigate the menu — highlight Wipe Data / Factory Reset
- Press the Power button to confirm the selection
- Navigate to Yes using the Volume buttons and confirm with the Power button
- Once complete, select Reboot System Now
Recovery Mode bypasses the operating system entirely, so it can resolve issues that prevent a normal reset from completing. Refer to your device manufacturer’s support page for the exact button combination if the above does not work on your model.
Factory Reset Protection (FRP Lock)
Factory Reset Protection is a security feature built into Android that activates automatically after a factory reset if a Google account was signed in on the device. When the phone restarts after the reset, it will ask you to sign in with the Google account that was previously associated with it. Without those credentials, the device will be locked and unusable.
This is designed to deter theft — a stolen phone that has been wiped cannot simply be set up by a new person without the original owner’s Google credentials.
If you are selling, donating, or returning the phone, you must remove your Google account before resetting. To do this, go to Settings > Accounts > Google, select your account, and tap Remove Account. On Samsung devices, also remove your Samsung account via Settings > Accounts and Backup > Manage Accounts > Samsung Account > Remove Account.
Removing accounts before the reset deactivates FRP and allows the next person to set the phone up with their own Google account without any issues.
What to Do After a Factory Reset
When the phone boots up after the reset, you will be guided through the initial Android setup. At this point you have two options:
- Set up as new — start fresh with a clean install. This is the best option if you are resolving a software problem, as restoring from a backup could reintroduce the same issue.
- Restore from backup — sign in with your Google account and, when prompted, choose to restore from your most recent Google Backup. Apps, settings, and data will be restored automatically over Wi-Fi.
WhatsApp will offer to restore your chat history from Google Drive when you reinstall it. Banking and MFA apps will need to be set up manually.
Managed and Business Devices: Check With IT First
If the Android device was issued by your employer or is enrolled in a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system, do not perform a factory reset without speaking to your IT department first. A manually reset managed device will typically re-enrol into the MDM automatically when it reconnects to the internet, and the device may be remotely locked or wiped in the meantime.
In many cases, an IT administrator can trigger a managed reset remotely, which handles the process in a controlled way and ensures the device is properly decommissioned or re-provisioned according to company policy. Proceeding without notifying IT could cause complications with corporate accounts, email profiles, and security certificates that are tied to the device enrolment.
Summary
A factory reset is a straightforward process once you know where to look and what to prepare. Back up your data, remove your Google account if you are passing the phone on, and choose the right reset method for your situation — whether that is through Settings, Samsung’s One UI menus, or Recovery Mode for an unresponsive device. Follow the steps above and you should have a clean, fully reset phone ready in under ten minutes.
