How to Factory Reset Phone? Does It Really Erase All Data? 

We rely extensively on our smartphones for work and personal matters, so it is important to take proactive steps to safeguard our data. This includes photos, documents, contacts, messages and other sensitive information present in your device. If not done so, there could be a potential misuse of your data and pose a risk to your privacy and security. By erasing all data from your device, you can confidently move to the next device, knowing all your sensitive data is safe. Is simply deleting files enough to safeguard your data? Factory reset is the most effective method for restoring the device to its original state. 

Factory reset is a procedure used to restore an electronic device to its original factory settings. A factory reset is also referred to as a hard reset or master reset. This step will wipe out all your data, user-installed applications, and settings, effectively restoring the device as if it were brand new. In this blog, we will show you how to factory reset phone.

Steps to Take Before Factory Resetting Your Android Device

There are a few important steps that you should take before initiating a factory reset phone: 

• Backup Your Data: As a factory reset erases all your data, it is crucial to safeguard your essential files, photos, videos and any other data you wish to retain. You can save your data by backing up your data to your Google account, utilising cloud storage services, or transferring files to a computer.
• Write important information or password: Make sure to note down any password, account details, or app configuration that you may need to input again post-reset. This step will avoid any inconvenience while reactivating your device.
• Deactivate Factory Reset Protection(FRP): To prevent unauthorized reset, these security features require your Google password before and after reset. Remember to disable Factory Reset Protection before resetting your device for sale or anything else.

3 Ways to Factory Reset Your Phone

You can Factory Reset your phone in various ways. Here we will provide you with some important ways to factory reset your phone:

• Factory Reset Phone using Settings

You can follow these steps easy steps if you have access to settings:

• Open the device settings from the app drawer.
• Navigate to the System section and select Reset or Backup Reset.
• Select Factory Data Reset, then Reset Phone.
• Confirm your decision and enter any required password or PIN.
• Your device will restart once the reset is finished.

• Factory Reset Phone using Recovery Mode

If your device encounters booting issues, recovery mode offers a solution:

• Power off the device.
• Press and hold the designated button combination (differs based on the device) to access recovery mode.
• Use the volume buttons to navigate to Wipe Data/ Factory Reset and use the power button to confirm.
• Reconfirm and allow the device to reset.
• After completion select Reboot System Now. 

• Factory Reset Phone when It Is Locked

It is possible to perform a factory reset even if your device is locked due to a forgotten password, PIN etc. Use the below-given steps:

• Hold the power button until the device shuts down completely.
• Press and hold the combination of buttons( usually a combination of power and volume buttons) to boot into recovery mode.
• Use the volume buttons to navigate through the options presented in recovery mode, and use the power button to select Factory Reset or Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
• Confirm your selection to reset.
• Once the reset is done, select Reboot System Now.

Does Factory Reset Really Erase All Data?

Many people think that doing a factory reset on their phone deletes everything. But, The truth is that a factory reset doesn’t delete everything. A recent study by the University of Hertfordshire in collaboration with Comparitech found that you can still recover photos, emails, texts, and other documents from a reset Android device. Yes, deleting a file from your phone, SD card or computer hard drive does not mean it’s really gone. Deleting a file just removes the pointer to it, leaving the data intact until it’s overwritten. Think of it like erasing an address from your address book—the contact details are still stored until you add a new contact in its place.

So, to wipe your data properly you need to do the following 5 steps:

1. Backup your data
2. Encrypt your data
3. Overwrite with junk data
4. Remove your accounts, SIM and memory card 
5. Perform factory reset

Conclusion

Ensuring thorough data wiping is crucial. We hope that the information provided above will serve as a helpful guide for performing a factory reset on your phone with clarity.