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| Most factory resets start in the Settings app, so back everything up before you ever reach the erase button. |
A factory reset wipes an Android phone clean and returns its software to the state it was in when it first left the box.
It is the right move when serious software problems will not go away, when a phone is about to be sold or handed down, or when years of clutter have slowed everything to a crawl.
Done carelessly, though, the same reset permanently deletes photos, messages, and app data that exist only on the phone and were never backed up anywhere else.
This guide shows the safe order instead: back everything up first, check exactly what will be deleted, run the reset from Settings or Recovery Mode, then restore your data afterwards.
What a Factory Reset Deletes — and What It Keeps
Google's own support pages put it plainly: a factory reset erases all of the data from the phone, and once the process starts there is no way to undo it.
What disappears is everything stored locally: your accounts, downloaded apps and their data, your personal settings, text messages, and every file saved in the phone's internal storage space.
| Item | What happens in a factory reset |
|---|---|
| Downloaded apps and app data | Deleted from the phone |
| Photos, videos and downloads in internal storage | Deleted unless backed up first |
| Accounts and device settings | Removed and returned to defaults |
| SMS messages and call history | Deleted unless included in your backup |
| Data synced to your Google Account | Safe in the cloud, restored when you sign in again |
| Photos backed up to Google Photos | Safe in the cloud |
| SIM card contents | Not touched by the reset |
| microSD card | Usually left untouched; some phones offer a separate option to format it |
| Android updates already installed | Stay installed; the reset does not downgrade Android |
One detail surprises many owners: a reset does not remove Android updates that are already installed, so the phone stays on its current Android version after the wipe.
Your Google Account itself is not deleted either, because the reset only removes it from this phone while everything already synced to the cloud stays safely in your account.
Before You Reset: A Safety Checklist
Run a full backup to your Google Account. Open Settings > Google > All services > Backup, switch on Backup by Google One if it is offered, and tap Back up now before you do anything else.
A fresh backup covers your apps, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS and MMS messages, and Google notes a full backup can take up to twenty-four hours to finish.
Check your photos and videos separately. Open Google Photos and confirm that backup is switched on and fully caught up, because photos that never finished uploading will not come back after the phone has been erased.
Back up chat apps inside the apps themselves. In WhatsApp, open Settings > Chats > Chat backup and tap Back up, since chat histories are stored in each app's own backup rather than the main system backup.
Make sure you know your passwords and screen lock. After a reset done with the buttons or remotely, Android asks for the Google Account that was previously synced, or the old PIN, pattern, or password, before anyone can set the phone up again.
That security check is called Factory Reset Protection, and it is designed to make a stolen phone useless, so test your Google password on another device before you erase anything.
Charge the battery to at least seventy percent. Google gives that figure because a factory reset can take up to an hour, and a phone that dies halfway through erasing can end up needing the whole process repeated.
Save anything that lives outside the backup. Copy downloads, documents, and recordings to a computer or cloud storage, export authenticator and banking app data where the app allows it, and keep two-factor backup codes somewhere safe and separate.
If the phone is changing owners, plan the handover. Once your backup is verified, remove your SIM card and any microSD card after the reset, and never hand over a phone that still shows your accounts in its settings anywhere.
How to Factory Reset from Settings
If your phone still turns on and you can unlock it, resetting through Settings is the method to choose first, because the phone lists every account and warns you before anything is erased.
On Google Pixel and Most Android Phones
Open the reset menu. Go to Settings > System > Reset options — on older Android versions the path is Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options — or search for the word reset in the search bar at the top of Settings.
Choose the full erase option. Tap Erase all data (factory reset) and read the screen carefully, because it lists the accounts that will be removed and reminds you that music, photos, and other data will be deleted permanently.
Confirm twice. Tap Erase all data near the bottom of the screen, enter your PIN, pattern, or password if the phone asks for it, and then tap Erase all data a second time to start the wipe.
Wait without touching the phone. The phone erases its storage and restarts by itself, and Google warns the process can take up to an hour, so leave it plugged into its charger until the welcome screen finally appears.
On Samsung Galaxy Phones
Open the reset menu. On a Galaxy phone, go to Settings > General management > Reset, where Samsung groups the factory reset together with its smaller network and settings resets on one screen.
Select Factory data reset. Tap Factory data reset and scroll through the list of everything that will be erased, then tap the Reset button at the bottom when you are completely sure about continuing.
Confirm with Delete all. Enter your PIN, pattern, or password when asked, tap Delete all, and type your Samsung account password if the phone requests it before the reset begins.
Let the phone restart. The Galaxy erases itself and reboots automatically to the first setup screen, and Samsung notes the wording of these menus can differ slightly between models and One UI versions.
How to Factory Reset with Recovery Mode
Use Recovery Mode when the phone will not start normally, the touchscreen has stopped responding, or you are locked out of a phone that you own and can prove is yours.
Prepare and switch the phone off. Back up anything you still can and charge the battery first, then power the phone down completely and wait a few seconds until the screen is fully dark.
On a Pixel or stock Android phone, enter Fastboot first. Hold Volume Down and Power together until the Fastboot screen appears, use the volume keys to highlight Recovery Mode, and press Power to select it.
When a broken Android robot with the words No command appears, hold Power and press Volume Up once, then release both buttons so the recovery menu opens on the screen.
On a Samsung Galaxy, connect a cable first. Recent Galaxy models only enter recovery while connected to a computer by USB cable, so plug the switched-off phone in, then hold Volume Up and the Side or Power button until the recovery menu appears.
Wipe the data. In the recovery menu, use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe data/factory reset, press Power to choose it, then highlight Factory data reset on the next screen and confirm with Power once more.
Reboot the phone. When the wipe finishes and the menu returns, leave Reboot system now highlighted and press Power, then be patient, because the first start after a reset takes noticeably longer than a normal restart does.
The exact button combination varies between brands such as Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, so check your maker's support page if the menus above do not appear on your particular model.
Remember that a recovery reset triggers Factory Reset Protection, so during setup you must sign in with the Google Account that was on the phone before, or enter its old screen lock.
What to Do After the Reset
When the welcome screen appears, the phone behaves like a brand-new device, and the next few minutes decide how much of your old setup comes back automatically.
Restore your backup during setup. Connect to Wi-Fi, sign in with the same Google Account you backed up with, and choose the latest backup when the setup wizard offers to copy your apps and data across.
Give the phone time to finish. Apps re-download from the Play Store in the background and photos reappear in Google Photos as they sync, so keep the phone on Wi-Fi and charging until everything settles down completely.
Restore WhatsApp from its own backup. Reinstall WhatsApp, verify your number, and accept the prompt to restore your chat history from the Google Account backup you made inside the app before resetting.
Re-verify sensitive apps. Banking apps, authenticator apps, and work accounts usually ask you to prove your identity again after a reset, which is normal, and your saved backup codes make that process far quicker.
If you are selling or giving the phone away, stop at the welcome screen. Do not sign in or connect your accounts, because the clean setup screen is exactly what the next owner expects to see first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a factory reset delete everything permanently?
It deletes everything stored on the phone itself, including accounts, apps, settings, messages, and files in internal storage, and that local data cannot be recovered afterwards by normal means.
Anything that was backed up or synced to your Google Account, Google Photos, or another cloud service survives, because those copies live on servers rather than on the handset.
Does a factory reset remove the data on my SD card and SIM card?
Normally no, because the standard reset targets the phone's internal storage, and the contents of a SIM card are never touched by an Android factory reset at all.
A removable microSD card is usually left as it is too, although some phones show a separate option to format it, so remove the card beforehand if you want to be completely certain.
How long does a factory reset take?
Google warns that the reset itself can take up to an hour, even though many phones finish in considerably less time, especially when they hold only a small amount of data.
Never force the phone off while it is erasing, and keep it connected to a charger, because interrupting the process halfway can leave the software in a broken state.
Will a factory reset fix software problems?
It often does when the cause is a misbehaving app, corrupted settings, or years of accumulated clutter, because all of those are wiped away and the system starts completely clean.
Faults caused by damaged hardware, a worn-out battery, or a failing storage chip will still be there afterwards, since a reset changes software rather than repairing physical parts.
Does a factory reset unlock my phone from its carrier?
No, because carrier locking is controlled by the network operator rather than by anything stored in the phone's settings, so a reset leaves a SIM lock exactly as it was before.
What if setup keeps asking for a Google Account I no longer use?
That prompt is Factory Reset Protection doing its job, and the only legitimate way past it is signing in with the account that was synced on the phone before the reset happened.
If you have forgotten that password, recover the account first through Google's account recovery on another device, because there is no official bypass for this theft-protection check at all.
Will a factory reset remove malware?
In most cases yes, because malicious apps and their data are deleted along with everything else, which removes the kind of malware most Android phones ever actually encounter in practice.
Malware that arrived inside a system update from an untrusted source is a different matter, so only ever install updates offered through the phone's own software update settings screen.
A factory reset is not something to fear when it is done in the right order, with a verified backup first and your account details ready for the setup afterwards.
Take the backup steps seriously, use the Settings reset whenever the phone still works, and keep Recovery Mode for genuine emergencies, and the whole job stays safe and boring.