Android Data Ereaer: Reset/Format Your Android Phone

If you’re at your wit’s end with your phone, screaming at it when it takes 10 minutes to start an app, it may be time for a factory reset. A factory reset will erase all Andriod data and restore it to the settings that it came with out of the box. Before you throw your phone in the trash, check out this guide.

Method 1 of 2: Resetting a Working Device

1. Open your device’s Settings. The Settings app can have varying icons depending upon on your specific device, and may be also be found within the App Tray or by pushing the phone’s dedicated menu button.

2. Find your Factory Reset option. Depending on your device, the “Factory data reset” feature may be located in one of two sections within the Settings app:

Select the “Privacy” settings, and scroll down to “Factory reset”
Select the “Backup and reset” settings, and scroll down to “Factory reset”

3. Tap “Reset device” to fully delete all Android data and restore your device’s factory settings. The accounts that you are signed into will be displayed on the screen. By default, all of your phone’s internal storage will be wiped.

If you want to erase all of the data on your phone’s SD card as well, check the box at the bottom of the screen.
4. Confirm the process by selecting “Erase everything". This will delete all data on Android and restore back to your device’s factory settings. Your phone will be as if it just came out of the box.

Method 2 of 2: Resetting a Non-Booting Device

1. Power down your device. Before you begin the reset procedure, you will need to completely power your device off. If it is frozen, you can pull the battery out to turn it off.

2. Press and hold the recovery buttons. The buttons vary from device to device, so you may need to look up the instructions for your particular phone. You will need to press and hold the buttons for a few seconds. Some of the more common button combinations include:
Volume Up + Home + Power
Volume Down + Power
Home + Power

If none of the above work, do a web search for your phone’s model plus “recovery mode”.
3. Select Factory Reset. Once the recovery menu opens, you can navigate the menu with the volume buttons. You may need to open the Recovery menu to find the Factory Reset mode. Use the Power button, some models use the camera button, to select your menu options.
You will be asked to confirm the factory reset.

4. Wait for the restore process to compete. After your phone resets, it will be set back to factory defaults and will be like it just came out of the box.

Restore Factory Settings: Erase All Content & Settings On Android

Erase All Content & Settings On Android

Whether you just upgraded your Android smartphone to another device, your organization is finally replacing that old Android with something newer and shinier or you've decided to trade devices with a friend, it's a very smart idea to wipe any and all sensitive information from your smartphone before passing it off, not just to ensure that your personal data remains private, but to also make sure your device runs like new for its next owner.

The following four steps will guide you through the Android device-wipe process, and show you how to restore Android to its factory settings (erase all data on Android).
But before the wipe, you should backup any Android data you wish to move over to your new device or your information will be lost. To back up your personal data to your PC, mount the device as a USB drive and save all data to a folder on your computer's hard drive. You can also backup your personal information and application data on Google's servers--more details on online backup below.

(Note: The process described below relates specifically to Android v2.3 [Gingerbread] handhelds, but the steps for erasing all data from any Android device are similar regardless of your software version. You should also backup any personal data you wish to move over to your new device, before wiping it, or your information will be lost. To back up your personal data to your PC, mount the device as a USB drive and save all data to a folder on your computer's hard drive. You can also backup your application data online using Google's servers--see the Privacy Settings screenshot below.)

1) To initiate the Android device wipe process, first tap your Android Menu key to bring up a number of on-screen options.

Tap Settings and tap Privacy

2) Next, choose the Settings option within the on-screen menu, and on the following screen scroll down to and tap Privacy.

Perform a Factory Reset

3) Within the Privacy Settings menu, tap the Factory Data Reset option, and on the following screen choose whether you want to wipe all data on your device, all data on your external microSD memory card or both, by filling in the appropriate check boxes. Then confirm the action by tapping Reset Phone.

4) You'll be prompted one more time to confirm your Android device wipe on the Factory Data Reset screen, and if you're sure you're ready to erase your device, tap the Erase Everything button to complete the process.

Wipe Data from Android Device

(Note: The Android erase cycle may take 10 minutes or more to finish, depending on how much data is stored on your device and/or memory card.)

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