A number of reasons can crop up, prompting you to factory reset or hard reset your phone.Factory Reset willrestore your Android deviceto the state where it was made out in the factory. This implies that all installed applications, software, passwords, accounts and other personal data that you may have stored on the internal phone memory will be wiped out clean.
So, you should know that a factory reset will erase all the data on your phone thus requiring you to back up your contacts, pictures, videos, documents and anything else you won’t regret losing. Otherwise the remainders are the settings pre-installed by the manufacturer, and the files downloaded to the SD card. But any apps on the card will need to be reinstalled or restored from the backup file.
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No matter for which reason you need to perform a factory reset on your device, it is effective and quick to bring your Android back to work again.
Reasons to Factory Reset your phone
Does your phone become unresponsive for a few seconds when you go back to the home screen? Then it’s a problem that you should not ignore. If you scroll through the pages and notice frequent freezing, you ought to reset the phone to bring it back to the smooth swipe.
You just need to ensure that the problem is actually from a crash on the phone, be it the widgets, or its screen. Otherwise, it could be as a result of a faulty SD card without you being awareness.
Likewise, if your phone force closes too often, it demands a reset. Android being a multitasking environment, the use of the same malfunctioning system by multitudes of apps can result in failure which is visible by the force closes. This necessitates resetting it to re-establish a clear working environment.
Slow app launches and resumes,problematic updates that mess with phone functionality, and the need to sell off your device could all be reasons to hard reset it.
Read About: Factory Reset Protection, the anti-theft kill switch that renders a stolen Android smartphone useless
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How to Factory Reset your phone
The easiest way to factory reset your phone is through the settings menu. The exact location of the factory reset option varies based on the phone you’re using, but once you find the backup and reset menu, you will see a Factory Data Reset button which you should tap to set it off.
Factory Reset in Recovery Mode
The procedure for recovery mode factory reset is not the same for every smartphone. So, you may take an extra initiative in finding out the exact steps for your model. But it usually involves holding thevolume downkey/volume upkey andPowerkey together.
Use the volume keys to choosewipe cache partition. Once done, selectwipe data/factory resetto delete any settings or apps that could be causing the malfunction. From there, you can reboot the phone to see if the problem has been rectified.
FAQs
Why perform a factory reset on your smartphone? Fixing generic phone problems: If your smartphone is having issues, such as slow performance, freezing, or crashing, a factory reset can often solve the problem. This is because the process erases any corrupt files or settings that might be causing the issue.
What should I do before a factory reset? ›
What should I do before I reset my Android phone?
- Back up your Android phone. ...
- Plug your Android phone in and connect to Wi-Fi. ...
- Know your login info to restore data after resetting your Android. ...
- Unpair your Android device. ...
- Sign out of all accounts. ...
- Remove your SIM card. ...
- Sign out of your Android phone.
Factory resetting the device to its original state helps solve any software or configuration issues, allowing it to function normally again. This can include fixing issues with software updates, fixing errors in the operating system, and improving overall performance.
What are the disadvantages of factory reset? ›
The Drawbacks of Factory Resetting Your iPhone
This means that if you haven't backed up your important files or documents before initiating the reset process, they will be lost forever.
Does factory reset really delete everything Android? ›
A factory data reset erases your data from the phone. While data stored in your Google Account can be restored, all apps and their data will be uninstalled. To be ready to restore your data, make sure that it's in your Google Account. Learn how to back up your data.
Is factory reset a good idea? ›
While a factory reset should destroy spyware on an Android, the best way to get rid of it is by using an anti-spyware tool. This will also remove Android spyware that works even when the phone is off.
What is the purpose of factory reset? ›
A factory reset, also known as hard reset or master reset, is a software restore of an electronic device to its original system state by erasing all data, settings, and applications that were previously stored on the device.
Do I remove the SIM card before factory reset on Android? ›
Remove your accounts, SIM and memory card
As part of the final preparatory process, you want to remove all your accounts configured on your device before doing a factory reset.
What do you lose after factory reset? ›
A factory reset is a setting that allows a device's software to restore the device's original system state by erasing all data, settings, and applications. This includes any contacts, photos, and installed apps on a smartphone, so be sure to back up any data that you want to keep before performing a factory reset.
What is the difference between phone reset and factory reset? ›
A hard reset is forcing your phone to restart when it's unresponsive. A factory reset is the process of restoring your phone to its original settings, like when you bought it. Factory resetting erases everything on your device, while a hard reset simply reboots it.
While there are many differences between Android and Apple models, the general process is relatively similar. A complete factory reset will allow you to save your data and remove all links to the phone, including passwords, credit card information, paired devices and any other sensitive information.
How long does a factory reset take? ›
The length of time it takes to perform a factory reset can vary depending on the size of your hard drive and other factors like processing speed. Generally speaking, most resets should take between 30 minutes and an hour.
What to consider before factory reset? ›
Before you erase your Android device, make sure you back up all your data. With a service like Google One, you are able to back up app data, call history, contacts, settings, SMS messages, pictures, and videos to the cloud. You may want to first encrypt the data on your device.
Will I lose my text messages if I do a factory reset? ›
Resetting your phone will delete and remove all the data from your phone, including photos, contacts, text messages, and app data. This menu item may say "Factory data reset" instead; if you're using Android version 5.0 - 8.0, you can skip the next step.
Does factory reset remove viruses? ›
Factory resets remove most viruses
Your smartphone will have a feature that allows you to revert the drivers and operating system to a similar or original state from when you bought the phone. Performing a hard reset will get rid of most viruses on your device because it wipes everything away.
How often should I reset my Android? ›
It's not essential to reboot if your phone is running fine, but we recommend rebooting once a week if you encounter regular glitches or slowdown. To reboot your Android phone manually, hold down the Power button until the power menu pops up and tap Restart.
What is the difference between hard reset and factory reset? ›
A hard reset is forcing your phone to restart when it's unresponsive. A factory reset is the process of restoring your phone to its original settings, like when you bought it. Factory resetting erases everything on your device, while a hard reset simply reboots it.
How safe is factory reset on Android? ›
Can my data still be accessed even after resetting my device? The data on most Android phones is encrypted, which means that it can't be accessed following a factory reset. As such, you don't need to worry about another person accessing this information if you sell your Android phone.
