How to Factory Reset a Samsung Galaxy Phone

Preparing Your Phone for a New Owner

Whether you are trading in your old device for the newest Samsung Galaxy S-series, passing a secondary phone down to a family member, or attempting to fix severe software glitches that no other troubleshooting steps have resolved, you will eventually need to perform a factory reset.

A factory reset (sometimes called a “hard reset”) wipes the device completely clean. It deletes your Google and Samsung accounts, your downloaded applications, your saved Wi-Fi passwords, and all of your personal photos, videos, and messages. When the process finishes, the phone will behave exactly as it did the day you first turned it on, presenting the initial “Welcome” setup screen.

Because this process is highly destructive, it is crucial that you back up your data to Google Drive or Samsung Cloud before proceeding. Once a factory reset is initiated, the deleted data cannot be recovered under any circumstances.

Method 1: Factory Reset from the Settings Menu

If your Samsung Galaxy is turning on normally and you can navigate the menus without the system freezing or crashing, this is the safest and most reliable way to wipe the phone. This method automatically handles Google’s Factory Reset Protection (FRP), ensuring the next owner does not get locked out.

1. Ensure your phone has at least 30% battery remaining, or plug it into a charger. A reset interrupted by a dead battery can permanently break the device.
2. Open the Settings app (the gear icon) from your app drawer or by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping the gear in the notification panel.
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Settings menu and tap General management.
4. Scroll down again and tap Reset.
5. You will see several different reset options (such as resetting network settings or keyboard settings). You want the most destructive option: tap Factory data reset.
6. Samsung will display a long warning page detailing exactly what accounts are currently logged in and what data is about to be destroyed. Scroll to the very bottom of this page and tap the blue Reset button.
7. If you have a lock screen PIN, pattern, or password configured, the phone will ask you to enter it now to prove you are the authorised owner.
8. Finally, tap Delete all.

If you are logged into a Samsung Account on the device, you may be prompted to enter your Samsung Account password to proceed. This is an anti-theft measure. Once entered, the phone will restart, the screen will turn black with the Android logo, and the wipe will begin.

Method 2: Factory Reset via Recovery Mode (When the Phone is Locked)

If your phone’s screen is completely unresponsive, if the operating system crashes immediately upon startup, or if you have forgotten your lock screen PIN and are permanently locked out of the device, you cannot access the Settings menu. In these scenarios, you must use physical hardware buttons to boot the phone into Android Recovery Mode.

Important Warning: Resetting a phone via Recovery Mode triggers Google’s Factory Reset Protection (FRP). After the reset finishes, the phone will demand the exact Google Account email and password that was previously synced to it before allowing the setup process to continue. This prevents thieves from resetting and selling stolen phones. If you are selling this phone, you MUST use Method 1 instead, or remove your Google account manually before using Method 2.

1. You must first turn the phone completely off. (If you are locked out and the phone refuses to power down without a PIN, press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button for about 10 seconds to force a restart, then immediately proceed to step 2).
2. With the phone powered off, plug it into a computer using a USB-C cable. (Newer Samsung phones running Android 11 or later require a USB connection to enter Recovery Mode).
3. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button simultaneously.
4. Keep holding both buttons until the Samsung Galaxy logo appears on the screen, then release them.
5. You are now in Recovery Mode. Your touchscreen will not work here. Use the Volume Down button to scroll down the text menu until you highlight Wipe data/factory reset.
6. Press the Power button once to select it.
7. The system will ask you to confirm this destructive action. Use the Volume Down button to highlight Factory data reset, and press the Power button to confirm.

Text will rapidly scroll at the bottom of the screen as the internal storage is formatted. When it is finished, the menu will reappear with “Reboot system now” highlighted at the top. Press the Power button one last time to restart the freshly wiped phone.