How to Factory Reset Android Phones

Android smartphones tend to drop down their performance after using them for an extended period of time. That often results lag issue, app crashing, connectivity issue, automatic shut down, etc. Whether you need a fresh start or want to sell your old smartphone, the best thing you can do is factory reset Android to get original performance and remove bugs. Here’s everything you need to know.

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Note:
1) Make a backup of any critical documents or personal data that you might lose during this process. The process will erase everything, including internal storage.

2) Make sure your smartphone’s battery is greater than 60%. Turning off the device during the process may corrupt the OS.

Factory Reset Using Traditional Method

The most simplest way to factory reset Android is to use the default option inside device the Settings. Here’s how:

Go to System on your Android phone from quick panel.
In the app, select “System“.
Then, tap on Reset option.
Tap on Erase All Data (Factory Reset).
Enter the device password/pin/pattern
Lastly, Select Erase all data and wait for a few minutes to complete the process.

(Note that: Different devices have different options for factory reset.)

Factory Reset From Recovery

You can use the recovery method to perform a factory reset when you don’t have access to your device settings or your device is in a locked state. It generally happens when you forget your lockscreen password or pattern.

In this scenario, you can use certain hardware-key combinations to boot your device into recovery mode. Then, you can use the wipe/reset option in recovery mode to do a factory reset. Here’s how:

Turn Off your Android smartphone completely.
Press & hold volume up + Power key simultaneously for at least 10-15 seconds. Don’t leave the buttons until the boot logo appears.
It will reboot your device into recovery mode. You can use volume slider to go around the menu and power key to select an option.
Now navigate the pointer to Wipe data (or Factory Reset ) option and select using power key.
Select Yes from the next screen to perform the factory reset.

Factory Reset Using FindMyDevice App

FindMyDevice is a very popular location tracking app for Android. One can use the FindMyDevice app to track the real-time location of the smartphone and erase device data remotely.

The app works only when your smartphone has: Signed in with a Google account, turned GPS location and internet connection on, and turned find my device on.

Here’s how to use FindMyDevice app:

First, download & install FindMyDevice on your Android.
Once installed, open it on your phone and allow GPS location permission to this app.
Next, log in using your Google account and password.
Now you can view the location of your smartphone in real-time.
Just Click on Erase Device option from the bottom and it will remotely format your device.

If you’ve lost your device, do this using another backup smartphone. If you don’t want to erase your device, tap on the secure device option that will lock your device.

Factory Reset using TWRP

This method is only for those users who have installed TWRP recovery on their Android phones. Installing TWRP recovery allows users to install custom ROMs, flash root files and Xposed modules, and other flashable zip files.

If you have TWRP installed already, just follow the given instructions one by one to format your Android phone.

First, boot your device into TWRP recovery by holding down the volume up and power buttons for 10-15 seconds.
Once TWRP recovery loads up, Tap on Wipe or Format option.
Next, select Dalvik Cache, Data, Internal Storage, and Cache.
Lastly, swipe to wipe from the bottom option.

That’s it.

Install New Software from your Desktop/PC

The most effective method to completely reset your smartphone is the install new software. Let me tell you how. For example, if you’re stuck in a boot loop or have a soft-dead smartphone, you can install new software using your desktop/PC and make it like a new one (at least software-wise). There are multiple video tutorials available on YouTube and Internet that you can watch and learn how to flash new software on your phone.

Conclusion

You can use these factory reset options for Android depending on your choice. If you find any problems during the process, let me know in the comment box.