How to Factory Reset an Android Phone the Right Way (Back Up First)

You want to wipe your Android phone — to sell it, fix a stubborn problem, or start clean — but you don’t want to lose your data or get locked out afterward.

Why: A factory reset erases everything on the phone: apps, photos, messages, accounts, and settings. Done wrong, you lose data you didn’t back up, or you hit Factory Reset Protection (FRP) — a security feature that locks the phone until you sign in with the Google account that was on it. The fix is to back up and confirm your account credentials before you erase.

The menus below use Google’s generic Pixel/Android wording. On Samsung (One UI) the path is Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.

Fix 1: Back up everything first (this is the step people skip)

Once you erase, it’s gone. Back up before you touch the reset menu.

1. Phone data and settings: Settings > Google > All services > Backup, then tap Back up now. Wait for it to finish (can take up to 24 hours for a full phone — start it the day before).
2. Photos and videos: open Google Photos, tap your profile picture, and confirm it says Backup complete.
3. Anything not in those backups: export authenticator 2FA codes, WhatsApp chats, and any files you care about manually.

(See our Google One backup guide for the full backup walkthrough.)

Fix 2: Confirm your Google account and screen lock (avoid the FRP lockout)

Factory Reset Protection will lock the phone after reset unless you can prove it’s yours.

1. Make sure you know the Google account username and password currently signed in on the phone.
2. Make sure you know the screen lock — PIN, pattern, or password.
3. If you changed your Google password in the last 24 hours, wait 24 hours before resetting (Google blocks reset-and-restore in that window as an anti-theft measure).
4. Selling or giving the phone away? After backing up, remove your Google account first: Settings > Passwords & accounts > [your account] > Remove account — this clears FRP so the new owner can set it up.

Fix 3: Erase all data (the actual reset)

With backups done and credentials confirmed, you’re safe to wipe.

1. Charge the phone to at least 70% and connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings > System > Reset options.
3. Tap Erase all data (factory reset).
4. Tap Erase all data, enter your PIN/password if prompted, and confirm.
5. The reset can take up to an hour. When it finishes, choose to restart.

On Samsung: Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset > Reset.

Fix 4: Set up and restore on the fresh phone

After the reset, the phone boots into setup like new.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi and sign in with the same Google account you backed up to.
2. Choose to restore from your backup when prompted.
3. Your apps, settings, and (via Google Photos) photos download in the background.

FAQ

Will a factory reset fix my phone’s problems? Often, yes — it clears software corruption, bad updates, and misbehaving apps by returning the phone to a clean state. Try it as a last resort after backing up, since it’s a full wipe.

Will it remove a forgotten screen lock or Google account? No — and that’s the point of Factory Reset Protection. If you don’t know the account or lock, the phone stays locked after reset. Recover those credentials first.

Does a factory reset delete everything permanently? It erases all data from the phone. Anything you backed up to your Google account is recoverable; anything you didn’t back up is gone.

How long does it take? Up to about an hour for the reset itself, plus time to download your backup and apps afterward.

Sources: Android Help — Reset your Android device to factory settings · Pixel Phone Help — How to factory reset your Google Pixel phone