These days, you don’t really need to factory reset your smartphone, as they’ve become smart enough to not need that step taken when after a few months or even a few years. So the most likely reason is going to be to sell your smartphone, or trade it in. But before we get into how to do that, we need to talk about a few things first, that you need to be aware of.
Before you wipe your phone
The method below was done on a Google Pixel 6 Pro running on Android 12. The process is basically the same on every Android smartphone, but the wording might differ a bit. So keep that in mind. And in cases of Samsung smartphones, you may be asked for your Samsung account password before you can reset it. This would only happen if you have signed into said account. Secondly, if you have an older phone, running an older version of Android, you may be asked for your login after you’ve reset it. This can be pretty awkward if you’ve already sent it in as a trade-in, or sent it to someone else. So a good thing to do would be to remove your Google account first (Settings > Account > Google), before you reset your phone. While it’s not necessary on newer phones, it’s still a good idea.
How to wipe your Android smartphone
Now onto the main event, here’s how you can wipe your Android smartphone, and bring it back to factory settings. This will make it feel brand new, like the day you took it out of the box. Go to Settings. Next, scroll down to System and tap on that.
Next, tap on “Reset Options”. It’ll be towards the bottom of the list.
On this next page, you’ll be presented with four choices:
Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth – this is a good option to choose if you’re having issues with connectivity.Reset app preferences – this will restore all of your app and notification defaults.Erase Downloaded SIMs – this is in reference to any eSIMs that you might have on your device.Erase all data (Factory Reset) – this option will erase everything on your phone, bringing it back to the state it was out of the box.
Choose “Erase all data (Factory Reset)”.
On the next screen, your phone will tell you that it will erase all data from your phone’s internal storage. This includes:
Your Google accountSystem and app data and settingsDownloaded appsMusicPhotosOther user data
It also shows you the accounts that you’re signed into, and you’ll be signed out of those obviously. Tap on “Erase all data”. The next screen will ask for your PIN or password, if you have one on your phone. So enter that – this is essentially to ensure it is you and not some stranger that stole your phone. Next, this screen will ask you if you want to erase all data. Stating “All of your personal information and downloaded apps will be deleted. You can’t undo this action.” Tap on “Erase all data”. If your battery is low, it’ll be a good idea to plug in your phone while this is being done. Some Android smartphones will not factory reset if the phone is to low, and/or not plugged in. The process will take a couple of minutes, and then boot up like it was brand new. As a result, you’ll be able to set it up as a new phone. And that’s all there is to it. That’s how you can wipe your Android smartphone and get it ready to sell, trade-in or even give it to a friend or family member.
