Why do we need factory reset?

Software restore of a device to its original state

For the Tilian Pearson album, see Factory Reset (album).

A factory reset, also known as hard reset or master reset, is a software restore of an electronic device to its original system state by erasing all of the information stored on the device. A keyboard input button factory reset is used to restore the device to its original manufacturer settings. Doing so will effectively erase all of the data, settings, and applications that were previously on the device. This is often done to fix an issue with a device, but it could also be done to restore the device to its original settings.[1] Such electronic devices include smartphones.

Since a factory reset entails deleting all information stored in the device, it is essentially the same concept as reformatting[1] a hard drive. Pre-installed applications and data on the card's storage card (such as a microSD card) will not be erased. A factory reset effectively destroys all data stored in the unit.

Factory resets can fix many chronic performance issues (i.e. freezing), but it does not remove the device's operating system.[2] Factory resets may also be used to prepare a device for sale, refurbishing, destruction, donation or other transfers of ownership by removing personal data and configurations associated with the previous owner.

Examples

Factory resets can be achieved in a variety of ways depending on the electronic device. For some devices, this could be done by going into the device's Service Menu. Other devices may require a complete re-installation of the software. The following section lists a few common electronic devices and how they can be reset to factory settings.

Computer factory resets will restore the computer to the computer's original operating system and delete all of the user data stored on the computer. Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows 10, and Apple's macOS have options for this.

On Android devices, there is a factory data reset[3] option in Settings that will appear to erase all of the device's data and reset all of its settings. This method is typically used when the device has a technical problem that cannot be fixed using other methods, or when the owner wants to remove all their personal data before selling, giving away, returning or disposing of the device. After performing a study, Avast! reported that the data is recoverable using forensics software that is fairly generic and publicly available.[4] On Samsung smartphones, a factory reset operation does not affect the Knox Flag. As such, it does not reset the device to its original factory settings and is not a way to return the device to a state compatible with the manufacturer's warranty. Data on the SIM card and the microSD card is not erased.

Many other devices can be restored to factory settings, like televisions, GPS units or tablet computers.

Many electronic devices have a menu with tools and settings called the service menu,[5] which commonly includes a tool that performs a factory reset. This tool is most common in devices with displays, such as television sets and computer monitors. These menus are usually accessed through a sequence of button presses.

Game cartridges, particularly ones designed for Nintendo handhelds that maintain save data, may feature a factory reset option that can instantly delete all of such data from the cartridge, initiated either by selecting a particular setting in an options menu[6] or by inputting a particular button combination during startup.[7][8]

See also

• Hardware reset
• Reboot (computing)
• Troubleshooting

References

1. ^ a b "hard reset (factory reset; master reset)". whatis.techtarget.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
2. ^ "Guide for Performing Factory Resets on Common Mobile Devices" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
3. ^ Thomas, Arun (2016-09-08). "How To Remove FRP Lock On Samsung Galaxy Android Smartphone? (Updated)". SamsungSFour.Com. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
4. ^ Jaromír Hořejší (9 July 2014). "Android Forensics, Part 1: How we recovered (supposedly) erased data".
5. ^ "Service Menu Instructions" (MediaWiki).
6. ^ Sonic Rush Instruction Booklet. SEGA. p. 15. Delete Record: Delete all saved data on the Game Card.
7. ^ Mario Kart: Super Circuit Instruction Booklet. Nintendo of America. p. 12. To erase all of your saved data, hold the L Button, R Button, B Button and START when you turn the power ON, then choose "Yes" when the confirmation message appears.
8. ^ "Elite Beat Agents Instruction Booklet" (PDF). Nintendo of America. p. 11. Retrieved 15 September 2021. Deleting Saved Data: When you see [the opening logos], press and hold A + B + X + Y + L + R at the same time to delete saved data.

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A full factory reset is usually the final option if something has gone very wrong indeed with your device. So, why am I here saying it should be your first move? The devil, of course, is in the detail.

The idea for this 'how-to' article came to me after I had spent way too long getting my old PlayStation 4 Pro ready to be moved on to a new owner. I was lucky enough to get hold of a PlayStation 5 last year, so the time had more than come to let my much-loved PS4 Pro go. Of course, this meant I needed to ensure that all my personal data wasn't included in that sale. This proved to be rather more time-consuming than I had imagined. A bit of Startpage searching later (yeah, I've stopped Googling and use a more privacy preserving option now) quickly led me to the steps required; that was when the fun started. A full factory reset for the PS4 meant more than just deactivating the games console. By the time I'd wiped it clean of all my personal data to be absolutely certain it was safe to sell, more than three hours of my life had gone by.

This got me thinking that if wiping data from a PS4 Pro was so convoluted and time-consuming, what about other devices across the hardware spectrum? Although for some deleting all traces of your ownership is delightfully straightforward, that's certainly not true in all cases. And, so, here we are. I hope this privacy 101 on how to factory reset all the things* before you sell or otherwise dispose of them, in 2022. is useful in some small way.

* No, not literally all the things, obviously; but a good starting point, nonetheless.

These are all the things I've had reason to factory reset in the last year or two, plus a few others for good measure. If there are any other specific things that you would like to see added to the list, then contact me using the link in my profile and I'll do my best to keep it updated.

Do make sure you have backed up any data you wish to keep before attempting any factory reset, regardless of device, because there really is no going back!

How to factory reset a Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro

Step 1: Sign into your PlayStation account.

Step 2: Go to Settings|PlayStation Network|Account Management.

Step 3: Select 'Activate as Your Primary PS4' and click on 'Deactivate.'

Step 4: Once your PS4 has finished deactivating, sign back in and head to Settings|Initialization.

Step 5: Select 'Initialize PS4' and then choose the 'Full' option when presented to you.

Step 6: Select Initialize|Yes then go and make a cup of tea, and a sandwich, pop to the shops and then have a shower before making another cup of tea. This can take two or three hours to complete, with multiple restarts.

Step 7: When you see the initial setup screen asking you to connect your controller using a USB cable, the job is done.

How to factory reset a Sony PlayStation 5

Step 1: Sign into your PlayStation account.

Step 2: Go to Settings|System Software.

Step 3: Select Reset Options|Reset Your Console|Reset

Step 4: Wait for the PS5 to restart and you will see the initial setup screen once the factory reset has been completed.

How to factory reset a Microsoft Xbox One

Step 1: Make sure you are signed in and then head for Settings in the system menu.

Step 2: Select System|Console info|Reset console.

Step 3. Select Reset and remove everything.

Step 4: Sit back and wait, then wait some more. When a restart lands on the setup your controller screen you are done.

How to factory reset a Microsoft Series X|S

Step 1: Make sure you are signed in and then head for Settings in the Profile & system menu.

Step 2: Select System|Console info|Reset console.

Step 3. Select RESET AND REMOVE EVERYTHING.

Step 4: Sit back and wait, then wait some more. When a restart lands on the setup your controller screen you are done.

How to factory reset a Nintendo Switch

Step 1: Select HOME|System Settings|System.

Step 2: Go all the way down the menu until you get to Formatting Options and then select Restore Factory Settings.

Step 3: Select Next.

Step 4: Select Restore Factory Settings and wait for about five minutes until the system restarts.

How to factory reset an iPhone or iPad

Step 1: Head to Settings|General|Transfer or Reset.

Step 2: Enter passcode or Apple ID password when requested.

Step 3: Confirm erasure and wait a few minutes.

Step 4: And relax, it really is as simple as that. Nice one Apple.

Step 5: Unless you've forgotten your passcode, in which case it gets more complicated: Apple explains what to do here.

How to factory reset an Apple Watch

Step 1: Place your Apple Watch and iPhone close together.

Step 2: Open Apple Watch app on your iPhone and head for the My Watch tab.

Step 3: Select All Watches and then the info button for the relevant device.

Step 4: Click on Unpair Apple Watch.

Step 5: Select remove your mobile data plan if you have a GPS + Cellular Watch.

Step 6: Confirm. Enter Apple ID password to disable the activation lock if set and wait a few minutes until the Start Pairing screen appears.

How to factory reset an Android smartphone

I had cause to factory reset a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ running Android 12 recently. These instructions apply with that in mind.

Step 1: Settings|General Management.

Step 2: Scroll down and select Reset|Factory data reset.

Step 3: Read the warnings and hit the big blue Reset button when you are quite sure.

Because the Android smartphone ecosystem is so fractured, you may find your device instructions will differ slightly depending upon manufacturer and the version of Android installed. In which case I suggest you search for "factory reset <device> <Android version>" which should iron out any user interface wrinkles.

How to factory reset an Amazon Kindle

Step 1: Ensure your Kindle is sufficiently charged before continuing, you will need to be at 40% or more to perform the factory reset operation.

Step 2: Open your device and swipe down from the top of the screen to display the quick actions menu.

Step 3: Select All Settings|Device Options.

Step 4: Select Reset Device.

Step 5: Read the warning about deleting your data from the device but leaving it accessible from the cloud and click to confirm the factory reset.

Step 5: If you have the parental control option enabled but can't remember the password then you will need to enter 111222777 in the passcode field to initiate the reset.

How to factory reset an Amazon Echo

Step 1: The easiest way to start the Echo factory reset process is to ask it. Say 'Alexa go to settings' to pop up the settings screen. Or you can pull down from the top of the screen and select it from the options displayed.

Step 2: Now scroll down and select Device Options|Reset to Factory Defaults.

Step 3: Those are the instructions that work with the Amazon Show, because that's the device I've used it on. However, performing a factory reset will differ from device to device, generation to generation. Luckily, Amazon has a full set of step-by-step instructions for all of them.

How to factory reset a Google Nest Hub

Step 1: Press and hold the volume-up and volume-down buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.

Step 2: Wait for the on-screen factory reset warning to appear and if you keep hold of the volume buttons it will continue. If you change your mind, let go of the buttons.

These incredibly simple instructions are specifically for a Google Nest Hub. There may be some slight Nest/Home device variations depending on what you have, but Google has it covered with full instructions for each.

How to factory reset an older Mac

These instructions are for a Mac running a pre-macOS Catalina version. For Catalina or later instructions, which are slightly simpler, see Apple's specific instructions. If you need to factory reset a Mac with Apple silicon or the T2 chip and are running macOS Monterey, then you'll want this factory reset information.

Step 1: Open iTunes and head for Account|Authorisations|Deauthorise This COmputer and enter your Apple ID and password before selecting the Deauthorise option.

Step 2: Now that you have signed out of iTunes you'll need to sign out of iCloud. From the Apple menu select System Preferences|iCloud|Sign Out.

Step 3: Sign out of iMessage (are you thinking about just using a chainsaw by this point?) by opening the app and selecting Messages|Preferences|iMessage|Sign Out.

Step 4: Unpair all Bluetooth devices from System Preferences|Bluetooth.

Step 5: Enter Recovery Mode by restarting your Mac and holding Command-R until the Apple logo appears.

Step 6: Select Disk Utility|Macintosh HD|Erase.

Step 7. Enter the following details. Name: Macintosh HD Format: APFS and click erase or erase volume group, depending which button appears. You may need to enter your Apple ID at this point as well.

Step 8. Quit back to the Disk Utility window and select Reinstall macOS and then wait until the Mac reaches the Setup Assistant at which point you are good to go, leaving a clean Mac ready for the new owner.

How to factory reset a Windows 10 computer

Step 1: Head for Settings and then select Update and Security|Recovery.

Step 2: Select Reset this PC|Get Started.

Step 3: Select Remove everything.

Step 4: Confirm that you want to erase all personal data from all drives.

Step 5: When you are asked how you would like to reinstall Windows you can choose to download from the cloud (the latest version, coming in at around 4GB) or a local installation using the data on your device.

Step 6: And finally, you can now read the list of what is about to happen, press Restore and Robert is your mother's brother.

You can find specific details of how to perform a factory reset of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 devices here.

How to factory reset a router

While you may reboot a router if you are having problems with your network and use the admin console to upgrade your firmware to keep up with the latest security mitigations, if you are selling the thing then a factory reset is what you need. This ensures all your network names/IDs and passwords are deleted. Because there are so many different routers out there supplied by different providers or bought as a third-party product, no one set of instructions will fit all. It's highly recommended, therefore, that you go and search for your particular hardware (all the details will be on the back) but here is a generic guide to help you along.

Step 1: Use the paperclip and reset button triple 30 technique: depress the reset button with the paperclip and hold for 30 seconds. Unplug your router for 30 seconds then switch back on. Repeat step one.

www.routerpasswords.com will help find your default router admin credentials

Step 2: Alternatively, a search for your router model should reveal the admin interface method. Using a web browser enter your router IP address (that search will reveal this as well) or use the software that came with it to launch the admin console. Login. If you have never logged in as admin before then, yep, you can search for the default credentials online (which is why it's important to change them in the first place!) Find the restore menu, usually, and select the factory reset option.