If you cannot reset your Android phone via the Settings menu, there’s another way to erase all the data on your phone: Recovery Mode. Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy S22 or a Pixel 7, every Android smartphone has a Recovery Mode that allows you to do several things, such as rebooting the system, installing updates, clearing the cache, and resetting the device to factory settings. First, switch off your Android phone, then follow the steps to reset via Recovery Mode.
- If you own a Google Pixel, press and hold the power + volume down buttons to access the bootloader menu.
- Use the volume keys to navigate to Recovery Mode and press the power button.
- You should see Google’s logo and an Android robot on the screen. Press and release the power and volume up buttons.
- Now, use the volume keys to select the wipe data/factory reset option and hit the power key.
On the other hand, if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI 3.0 or above, you’d have to connect your phone to your computer with a USB-C cable before you can boot in Recovery Mode.
- Hold the power + volume up button till you see Samsung’s logo on the screen.
- Release all buttons and wait for the phone to enter Recovery Mode.
- Use the volume keys to select the wipe data/factory reset option and hit the power key to select it.
- Select Yes on the following screen and wait until the phone boots after erasing all the data.
Keep in mind that you’ll still need to back up all of your data before performing this action, otherwise, your photos and any other files that aren’t already backed up will be lost.
