When you encounter a serious bug or your device tends to perform slower, you sometimes want to start with a clean slate: a factory reset. In a nutshell, a factory reset reverts the configuration and settings to a completely “brand new” (getting back to the state when you purchased your device and simply turned it in ON without any modifications). 

Do note that factory resetting would completely wipe your device (resulting in data loss). If you are doing a factory-reset for a resale, keep in mind that some data is potentially recoverable, and you may consider doing a more thorough “wipe” of your device.

It’s a good idea to backup your Android device or iPhone before you do a factory reset. Note also that the OS do persist, even after a factory reset, so you cannot go back to an older OS by doing this.

Factory Reset Your Android Phone

android factory reset
  1. Launch the system settings through the app drawer or home screen as shown in the image above.
  2. Scroll down and find “Backup & Reset” option.
  3. Now, tap on it and you will observe the factory reset option. Tap on it to get started.
  4. Finally, you will be warned that all of your accounts and settings would be wiped from the device. You just have to proceed by selecting “Erase Phone” to reset your device.
    android factory wipe

Factory Reset Your iPhone

iPhone factory reset
  1. Launch the system settings from the home screen as highlighted in the image above.
  2. Now, at the settings screen, you need to scroll down to find “General” settings option and tap on it.
  3. After heading into the General settings, scroll down to find the “Reset” option.
  4. Finally, head into the reset option. You will find several options to choose from. If you want to wipe out everything and start new, you will have to tap on “Erase All Content & Settings“. If you simply want to revert back all the settings but preserve the data onboard, you can tap on “Reset All Settings“.

Now, you know how easy it is to factory reset your Android/iOS phone.

If you recently performed a factory reset (or probably going to), what was the reason you did it for? Also, did you encounter a problem while doing so?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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