How to Factory Reset or Master Reset your Samsung Galaxy S9 (easy steps)
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is probably the best and most powerful smartphone in the market today but it’s not free from problems and errors. When issues occur, there’s one thing you can do that can surely fix them–Factory Reset. It brings the phone back to its factory default settings uninstalling all third-party apps as well as deleting all third-party files stored in its internal storage. Another term used to describe this procedure is Master Reset; it’s basically has the same effects and benefits as the Factory Reset except for a few slight differences.
In this post, I will show you how to Factory Reset your phone first and tell you when to use it. In the later section of this article, I will also show you how to do the Master Reset, what needs to be done prior to doing it and when to use it. These things are among the few procedure you should know how to do in case problems occur that may require you to use one of them. So, if you’re one of the owners of this great new phone, continue reading as this post may help you one way or another.
Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our Galaxy S9 troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.
How to Factory Reset Samsung Galaxy S9
This method can be done through the Settings menu. It deletes all your files, apps, contacts, messages, pictures, videos, music tracks, etc. so make sure you make a backup of those things prior to doing this procedure.
When to use it?
You can use this if you still have access to the Settings menu and if the phone actually responds normally to your commands. If you have problems with your phone and you don’t know what causes them and you still can navigate through the Settings menu, then this is the method you should use.
How to do it?
Follow these steps to Factory Reset your Galaxy S9…
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts > Backup and restore.
- Tap the following sliders to desired setting: Back up my data, Automatic restore.
- Tap the Back key (bottom right) until you reach the main Settings menu.
- Tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen, then tap RESET > DELETE ALL.
- If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
- If prompted to verify your Samsung account, enter the password, then tap CONFIRM.
- Wait for the device to finish the reset sequence.
After the reset, you will have to setup your phone like a new device. But take note that if you’ve updated the firmware prior to the reset, the update will remain.
How to do the Master Reset on Samsung Galaxy S9
Just like Factory Reset, Master Reset also brings the phone back to its factory default settings while deleting any third-party elements stored in the phone’s internal storage but it’s actually more useful in dealing with more serious firmware issues that affect the phone’s capability to boot up. The former is done through Settings menu but this one through the Recovery Mode.
When to use it?
You may use this method if your phone can no longer boot up successfully or when you can’t access Settings for some reason. You don’t have to boot your phone successfully into the home screen to be able to do this, all you need to do is run it in Recovery Mode (Android system recovery). However, before you actually do this, you should first disable the Factory Reset Protection in your Samsung Galaxy S9 so that you won’t be locked out. To do that, you simply have to remove your Google account from your phone. Follow these steps:
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts > Accounts > Google.
- Tap your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are set up. Repeat for each account.
- Tap Menu > Remove account > REMOVE ACCOUNT.
How to do it?
The first few steps below is for you to be able to run the phone into the Recovery Mode and from there, you can proceed to resetting your phone. Here are the steps for you to follow…
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
- Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
There you have it! That’s how you Factory Reset or Master Reset your Samsung Galaxy S9. I hope that this post can help you, somehow. If you have issues with your phone and you want to share with us, contact us or leave a comment below.
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