How to Hard Reset a Samsung Galaxy Phone
The step-by-step guide will help you how to hard reset your Samsung Galaxy phone. This tutorial applies to all Samsung smartphones including S, N, J, and A-Series models.
We’ll need our phones to be wiped and factory data reset at some point.
It can be because you’re changing your phone and want to erase everything so that no one can have a look at your private data.
Your phone has become slow over a period of time, and you want a refresh to make it like a new one regarding performance.
You’re having some issues that might run away by factory resetting your phone.
How to hard reset Samsung Galaxy:
The hard reset method applies to all models when I say all it includes Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Note 9, S10 Plus, S9, S8 Plus, S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, S5, Note 5, Note 4, Note 3, J7, J5, J1, A7, A5, A3 and all other models that I didn’t mention!
Please note that once you hard reset your phone, everything is erased including 3rd party apps (installed from Play Store), Contacts, Photos, Videos, and other user data. It is therefore recommended to backup your important data. You can learn how to backup your phone using our detailed guide on Android backup.
Also, be careful and don’t forget to note down your Google or Samsung Account ID and password if in case you’ve set up the FRP lock. Not doing so will not give you access back to your device after you factory reset it. It is therefore recommended to turn off the FRP lock on your phone. In case you get to the Google lock screen where it asks for a Google account, then use our service.
I hope you’d be very careful and do the necessary homework even before you think to format your Samsung device.
Now let’s move on and get started with the practical guide.
You’ve 2 options to hard reset your device.
I will explain both in detail with screenshots so that you can easily understand the whole procedure. In reality, both methods do the same work and can be applied quickly, and in the end, it totally comes down to your personal preference.
Hard Reset Using Phone Settings:
Luckily, all versions of Android have similar settings options so don’t worry if you’re running Android Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop, Kitkat, or Jellybean.
- Go to Phone Settings.
- Scroll down and find user and backup. Backup and reset option is available under the same tab and tap it.
- You’ll get to the below options and don’t forget to check the Automatic restore. Whenever you to reinstall an app from Play Store, backed up settings and data will be restored.
- Tap factory data reset.
- Read the disclaimer and tap Reset device.
You’re done now. Your phone will automatically reboot and may take some time on the first boot. You can later add a new Google account and get started with a fresh factory reset device.
If for some reason you don’t like the above method you can skip to the 2nd method as instructed below.
Hard Reset Using Android Recovery:
To use this particular hard reset method, you’ll need to boot your Samsung Galaxy device into Android recovery mode. Here are the instructions:
- Power off your device.
- Now press and hold down the Vol upHomePower buttons simultaneously for around 5 to 10 seconds until you see the recovery options as shown in the image below:
- You’ll be using the Vol up/down key to scroll through the options and Power to select the desired option.
- Now select Wipe data/ Factory reset option.
- On the next screen select, “Yes” to complete the action.
- When completed, you’ll get back to the main menu options and select “Reboot system now.”
That’s it. You’ve successfully hard reset your phone.
Thanks for reading. I hope you’ve found this step-by-step guide helpful. Do let us know and share your experience in the comment section below. For more quality tutorials and guides keep visiting.
How to Factory Reset Samsung Galaxy S7
Briley Kenney has 10 years’ experience writing about technology. His work is featured at Ideaing, Smartwatches.org, Tech Cocktail, CMSCritic, and more.
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years’ experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
What to Know
- Go to Settings General Management Reset Factory Reset.
- Recovery Mode: With the phone off, press Power, Volume Up, and Home. Then Volume Down Wipe Data/Factory Reset Power.
- Resetting a Samsung Galaxy S7 starts you over from scratch, but it also means you lose all your data, so be sure to back up important files.
This article explains how to factory reset (restore) the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and S7 Active, to remove all user settings, apps, and data.
How to Factory Reset the Samsung Galaxy S7
One of the more reliable ways to fix a slow phone, especially one that’s a few years old like the Samsung Galaxy S7, is to perform a factory reset. It erases user and app data and completely clears your phone, making the software as shiny and new as the day you got it.
While the process is straightforward, it does requires some technical know-how. over, there are a couple of ways to factory reset the device. You can use the system settings or the Android Recovery mode.
Warning:
A factory reset will wipe all data, including your photos, videos, saved games, user app settings, and much more. Be sure to back up all critical files and data before doing a factory reset.
Optional: Remove Your Accounts
If you are wiping your phone to sell it or trade it in, you’ll need to remove your accounts first, especially your Google account. Android includes a unique security feature called Factory Reset Protection (FRP). It is designed to prevent thieves and other nefarious actors from wiping your device without your consent to gain access.
Even after a factory reset, the phone will ask for the original account password. If you reset a phone without removing the saved accounts, you will see the following message on reboot:
“The device was reset. Sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device.”
Note:
If you are resetting your device to clean it up or improve performance, and you’re going to be the one using it, this step is unnecessary.
To prevent FRP and remove your accounts do the following:
- Go to Settings Lock Screen and Security and remove all security settings, including passwords, patterns, pins, and biometrics.
Open Settings Accounts Accounts and tap on an account in the list. Then choose Remove Account. You must do this for each major account on your device!
How to Factory Reset a Galaxy S7 From the Settings
The easiest way to factory reset your device is to use the Settings menu.
- Go to Settings General Management Reset and then select Factory Data Reset.
Note
In older software versions (not updated) you must go to Settings Backup and Reset Factory Reset to find the Reset Device option.
How Do I Factory Reset My Galaxy S7 With Buttons (Recovery Mode)?
If your Galaxy S7 will not boot correctly or if it’s stuck in a loop (continues to restart repeatedly), you will need to use the system recovery mode to reset the device.
To activate recovery mode, you will need to press several buttons at once. Here’s how:
- Make sure your Galaxy S7 is powered down. Then, press Power, Home, and Volume Up all at the same time. Keep holding them.
How to Factory Reset Samsung Phone
People usually perform factory reset when their phones have software issues, or get slow and start lagging, or when they want to sell or give them to any other person. Generally, Samsung users factory reset their phones in Settings but there are also some other ways which will do the same job with ease. This article will help a lot if you want to factory reset Samsung Phone.
Before Read: Backup Data Before Factory Reset
Factory resetting will erase all the content of your phone whether it is personal data, customized settings, messages, contacts, photos, or downloaded apps. So, it is better to back up your Samsung phone before performing factory reset.
Note: You will need to enter your Google password after resetting your Phone if Google account has been logged in. This ensure unauthorized access to phone. But if you want to turn off the protection, then simply remove the Google account before factory reset.
You have 5 ways to factory reset Samsung phone. I suggest you to go through all the methods, then choose the easy and best method which will help you to perform the factory resetting process with ease.
Way 1: Perform Factory Reset Samsung in Settings
The first process to restore factory settings Samsung is using Settings. But the location of factory reset might be slightly different depending upon your phone model and even the operation system. Some of which are shown below.
Go to Settings of your phone and tap on General Management. Then search and tap on Reset Factory data reset.
Go to Settings Backup and reset Factory data reset.
Go to Settings Go to Privacy Tap on Factory data reset.
Way 2: Factory Reset Samsung using Buttons
If you are unable to open Settings, then you can use the keys (buttons) combination to factory reset your Samsung phone. You will also need to enter your Google account password that has been logged in to the phone to enter into the phone once the device is reset.
Process to factory reset Samsung using Buttons:
- First turn off your phone completely.
- Then using buttons to put your Samsung phone into recovery mode.
- For phones with Home button: Press and hold the Volume up button, Power button and Home button at the same time. As the phone vibrates, release the Power button but continue holding other two buttons.
- For phones with Bixby button: Press and hold Volume up button, Bixby button and Power button together until the phone vibtrates. And then release all buttons.
Way 3: Factory Reset Samsung When Locked
If you are locked out of Samsung and want to perform a factory reset without passwords, a great tool called Tenorshare 4uKey for Android will help bypass any lock screen like pattern lock, password lock or fingerprint and wipe data on Samsung. It can even remove the Google account lock from Samsung if you meet the problem we said at the beginning.
For those who are troubled with how to reset a lock Samsung, keep reading.
-
Download and install this unlock tool on your computer and connect the disabled/locked Samsung device.
Click “Remove Screen Lock” feature to start bypassing Samsung lock screen.
Click “Start”, 4uKey for Android will inform you that it will erase all data on your Samsung phone. Click “Yes” to continue.
After that, you will get rid of the lock screen and reset the Samsung device.
This is how to reset a password protected Samsung phone. Except for Samsung, this software support with most Android devices you are having. If you have any problems about Android lock, just download this software and try it.
Way 4: Remotely Factory Reset Samsung with Find My Mobile
You can even factory reset Samsung phone with the help of Find My Mobile service. This service can even remotely factory reset your phone.
Note: You should have set up Samsung account with Find My Mobile and Remote unlock features turned on. And location service and internet also need enabling before using it.
-
First visit Find My Mobile website on your computer browser and sign in with your Samsung account.
Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 edge Factory Data Reset|how to restore to the right way to android phone2022
Now you will see different options on the right side of the screen. Click on “Erase data” to factory reset your phone.
Way 5: Factory Reset Samsung using Android Device Manager
Android Device Manger is another useful way to factory reset Samsung phone. If you have added a Google account on your Samsung phone then Find My Device will be automatically turned on which will help you wipe all the content of the phone.
- First go to browser and visit Google Android Device Manager Website.
- Next enter your Google Account and password to proceed further.
- You will see your phone information as well as different option on the left side of the screen. Click on “Erase Device” option to wipe all the data.
Final Words
In this article you have learned Samsung Galaxy factory reset process in 5 ways. You can use any one of the methods that work perfectly fine. But if you have locked your phone, then you can use Tenorshare 4uKey for Android. This tool can remove your Android password, pattern, PIN fingerprint lock with an ease. It just takes 3 simple steps to unlock your Android phone. Give it a try.
Updated on 2022-01-10 / Update for Samsung
How to factory reset the Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series phones can be wiped clean in many ways. Here are all of the ways to factory reset your phone!
Samsung released some amazing flagships in the form of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. All three of them are powerful phones that should serve your needs flawlessly for the most part. But sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to factory reset your phone. Maybe you are planning to give or sell this phone to someone or are trading it in for another new Samsung flagship. Or maybe you have run into any unforeseen issues with the phone and are hoping a factory reset could solve it. We’re here to help! Here’s how you can easily factory reset the Samsung Galaxy S23.
The instructions in this guide are valid for all variants of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
QUICK ANSWER
If your phone boots into Android, you can go to Settings General management Reset Factory data reset, and then confirm your choices in the coming screens. You’ll need to enter your Samsung account password in the final step if you added a Samsung account on the phone.
If your phone does not boot into Android, you can do a hard reset by turning off the phone first, then pressing the volume up and side keys for about 20 seconds, until you see the Android Recovery screen. Use the volume keys for navigation and the side key to confirm, and navigate to Wipe data/factory reset Factory data reset.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
Factory reset the Samsung Galaxy S23 through the Settings app
If your phone is in working condition and you can boot into the Android homescreen normally, you can securely wipe your Galaxy S23 through the usual Android resetting flow. This is the easiest method to follow.
- Optional but recommended:Back up any important files or data present on your phone. A factory reset will completely wipe your phone and erase all data (photos, videos, apps, and more). Ensure that you have everything important saved at a location other than your phone.
- Optional but recommended: Ensure that you have at least 50% battery on your device. Wiping a phone is an intensive process, and you do not want the phone to shut down in the middle of it.
- On your Galaxy S23 phone, go to Settings General management Reset Factory data reset.
- You’ll arrive at a screen that lists all the personal accounts and types of data present on your phone. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and click the Reset button.
- You’ll reach a confirmation screen, warning that all data on your phone will be cleared. Click Delete all to confirm and begin the wiping process.
- If you’ve added a Samsung account on the phone, you will be asked to enter the password of that account as a safety check to confirm your ownership of the phone. If you have not added a Samsung account to the phone, you will not see this screen.
- Wiping the phone will take a few minutes. Your phone will reboot once the wiping is complete.
Since wiping the phone can be an intensive process, it is advised that you remove the Galaxy S23 from any phone case that you may have put on it. This is not a requirement, but it will help your phone dissipate any heat that may be generated during the process.
Hard reset the Galaxy S23 through the Android recovery menu
If you’re facing issues with your Galaxy S23 and cannot boot into the Android homescreen, you can try hard resetting the phone. Doing so involves booting into the Android recovery menu and wiping your phone from there.
- Optional but recommended: Connect your Galaxy S23 to a power source. Your phone needs to have enough charge to complete the wiping process, and it can be difficult to gauge your battery level in the recovery menu. So it is better if you remain connected to a power source through a wired connection.
- Locate the side button and the volume up button:
- The volume button is the long button on the right side of the phone (when the screen is facing you). The volume up button is the upper half of this long button.
- The side button is the smaller button below the longer volume button.
- If your phone had a lockscreen password, PIN, or pattern, you will be asked to enter this to verify your ownership.
Note that hard resetting a Galaxy S23 through the recovery menu will trigger Factory Reset Protection (FRP) on the phone. It is advisable that you then initiate the phone setup, as the phone will require the password of the primary Google account that was present on the phone before its wipe. If the phone asks for your credentials, you can enter the same to disable FRP. You can then proceed to add the new primary account on the phone or switch off the phone to interrupt the setup process.
How to Factory Reset the Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge
Do not ship the device to anyone without checking for FRP, as the only way the phone can become usable again is by entering your password, and you may end up having to share your password.
Factory resetting your Galaxy S23 remotely
There may be situations where you do not have access to your smartphone, and you want to factory reset it. For instance, if you’ve lost your Galaxy S23 and are unable to locate it, you’d still want to factory reset the device to protect your data on it. In such situations, you can remotely factory reset your Galaxy S23, presuming you have signed into either a Google account or a Samsung account on it. Note that both methods will trigger FRP.
Using Google’s Find My Device
If you have signed into a Google account on the phone, you can use Find My Device to factory reset the phone.
- Go to www.google.com/Android/find on a browser.
- Sign into your Google account.
- Select your Galaxy S23 in the top left corner.
- Choose the Erase Device option in the left sidebar.
- Confirm your selection when prompted.
When your lost device next connects to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data, it will receive the wipe command and wipe itself.
Using Samsung’s Find My Mobile
If you have signed into a Samsung account on the phone, you can use Samsung’s Find My Mobile to factory reset the phone. The method and end results are similar to Google’s Find My Device methods mentioned above.
- Go to https://findmymobile.Samsung.com/ on a browser.
- Sign into your Samsung account.
- Select your Galaxy S23 in the left sidebar.
- Choose the Erase data option that will appear in the top right corner.
- Confirm your selection when prompted.
When your lost device next connects to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data, it will receive the wipe command and wipe itself.
FAQs
Yes, factory resetting your Galaxy S23 will wipe your data. Please ensure you have backed up your important files and data before wiping your phone.
Yes, wiping your phone will delete all your photos. Please ensure you create a backup for your photos before proceeding.
No, you cannot bypass security measures through a factory reset. You can sidestep a PIN requirement through remote resetting, but you will still be triggering FRP, which would require other credentials before the phone becomes usable again. The data on the phone is wiped anyway, so you cannot access that data even if you sidestep the security PIN.
