How to Factory Reset Any Android Phone in 7 Steps

Before you touch the reset button, open Google Drive (or your phone's built-in backup - Samsung Cloud on Galaxy, OneDrive on some OnePlus models) and run a full backup. Sync your photos to Google Photos, confirm your contacts are pushed to your Google account, and let the phone finish uploading.

Factory reset wipes everything on the device. Anything not in the cloud or copied to a microSD card is gone the second you confirm. Watch from 0:22 to see the reset warning the host explains - it lists exactly what will be erased.

Pull down the notification shade and tap the gear icon, or open the Settings app from your app drawer. Scroll down and look for Reset, System, or General Management. On Samsung Galaxy it lives under General Management. On Google Pixel and stock Android it sits under System. On Xiaomi and older devices it is buried in Additional Settings as Backup and Reset.

The label changes by brand but the menu always exists. If your phone is more than a few years old or runs a heavily skinned version of Android, you might have to dig two levels deep.

If scrolling does not turn up Reset, tap the search bar at the top of the Settings screen and type the word reset. Every Android phone built in the last five years has this search field at the top.

The phone surfaces Erase all data (factory reset) directly so you can skip the menu hunt. Tap that result to jump straight to the reset screen. Watch at 0:46 to see the search shortcut in action.

On the Reset screen you see a list of options - Reset network settings, Reset system settings only, Erase downloaded apps, and at the bottom Erase all data. The Erase all data row is the full factory reset. Tap it.

The phone now shows the warning screen that lists exactly what is about to be wiped: accounts, downloaded apps, music, photos, system settings, and on some Samsung and Xiaomi phones, the contents of your inserted microSD card. Read the list before you continue.

Read the four options on this screen carefully. Reset network settings only resets Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Erase downloaded apps and their data leaves your photos. Erase all data wipes everything. Tap Erase all data.

A confirmation card slides up from the bottom asking are you sure - this will erase all data and cannot be undone. Tap Erase data to continue. If you have a microSD card you want to keep, cancel out, pop it out with the SIM tray tool, then come back.

The phone asks for your lock-screen PIN, pattern, or password before it will reset. Type it in. A second confirmation appears with the message This will erase all data. Tap Erase data.

This is the point of no return. Once you tap that final button the wipe begins and you cannot stop it. If you are selling the phone, this is the step that guarantees the next owner cannot recover any of your photos, messages, or saved logins.

The phone reboots and shows the manufacturer logo, then a black screen with a progress spinner. Do not touch it - the wipe takes five to fifteen minutes depending on storage size. When it finishes, the Select Language / Welcome screen appears.

Follow the prompts to pick a language, connect Wi-Fi, sign into your Google account, and decide whether to restore from your earlier backup or set up as new. If you are selling the phone, power it off at the Welcome screen and box it up - the next owner will sign into their own Google account from a fresh start. Watch from 2:10 to see the first-time setup screens in order.