How To Master Or Hard Reset On Samsung Galaxy

There can be different reasons for different people why they may need to perform a master reset or factory reset on their Samsung device. For many people, a reset of this kind can be the final troubleshooting step to fix an issue but it can also be a way to prepare a device to be sold or given to another person.

In this post, we’ll show you how to perform a master reset, which is usually a necessary potential solution if a device is having trouble turning on or accessing the Settings menu.

Master reset is one of the two methods to factory reset a Samsung Galaxy. The other way to factory reset is via the Settings menu. If you are having a problem with the phone and you can’t go to Settings app, master reset might be the only way to fix your issue.

Before doing a master reset on your Samsung Galaxy

There are a number of important things that you must prepare before doing a factory reset (either via Settings or Recovery Mode) to avoid complications.

In order to deter unauthorized usage of stolen phones, Android devices now have Factory Reset Protection (FRP) that can keep the phone locked if a user can’t provide the correct screen unlock option (Pattern, PIN, Password) or the registered Google account username and password.

So, before wiping your phone, be sure that you do the following:

  • create backup or important files,
  • charge device to at least 50%,
  • know your screen unlock option,
  • know your Google account username and password.

Create a backup

If you have something important in your Samsung Galaxy, we highly recommend that you back it up prior to doing a master reset. You can back it up using Smart Switch, Samsung Cloud, or Google Cloud.

Charge your Samsung before factory reset

While master reset procedure is quick, the phone setup that follows right after it might take some time. For this reason, you want to make sure that there’s more than enough battery left in your device before you reset it.

Make sure that you have at least 50% battery level before doing the reset to be on the safe side. Alternatively, you can also try to connect the device to a charger all throughout the process.

Make sure that you know your screen unlock pattern, PIN, or password

After the phone has been erased, the system will ask you to either enter the screen unlock option or your Google account. If you can’t provide either one, your phone will remain inaccessible and you won’t be able to set it up.

Know your Google account username and password

Google account credentials serves as a backup for you in case you forget your screen unlock option during the reset. Make sure that you know the username and password ahead of time to prevent any problems unlocking the device.

Steps to master reset your Samsung Galaxy

Time Needed : 4 minutes

Before you can wipe your Samsung device with master reset, you’ll have to boot to Recovery Mode first. This is done by pressing a couple of hardware buttons. After you’ve booted to Recovery Mode, you can then go ahead and follow the rest of the steps below to start the reset.

  1. Turn off your Samsung device.

    Turn off

    This is important as your device won’t boot to Recovery Mode when it’s on. If you are unable to power down the device normally for some reason, wait for the battery to become empty.

    Afterwards, charge the device for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the next steps below.

  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and Power keys.

    Power and Volume 1

    If your Samsung device has the Home button, make sure that you press and hold Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons together.

    Continue pressing and holding the buttons until the Recovery Mode screen comes up.

  3. Release the buttons.

    Recovery Mode 1 scaled

    Once the Android Recovery screen comes up, you can let go of the buttons.

  4. Highlight “Wipe data/factory reset”.

    wipe data factory reset scaled

    Use the Volume Down button to highlight “Wipe data/factory reset”.

  5. Select “Wipe data/factory reset”.

    select power scaled

    Press the Power button to select “Wipe data/factory reset”.

  6. Highlight “Factory data reset”.

    factory data reset orig scaled

    Use Volume Down button to highlight “Factory data reset”.

  7. Select “Factory data reset”.

    factory data reset 1 scaled

    Press the Power button to confirm factory reset.

  8. Allow the system to perform the master reset.

    factory reset in progress

    Wait for a few minutes as the system wipes the phone.

  9. Select “Reboot system now.”

    reboot system now

    Press the Power button to reboot the device. This will return the device to the normal interface.

Tools
  • Recovery mode
Materials
  • Samsung Galaxy

Suggested readings:

Get help from us

Having Issues with your phone? Feel free to contact us using this form. We’ll try to help. We also create videos for those wanting to follow visual instructions. Visit our TheDroidGuy Youtube Channel for troubleshooting.


Posts You Might Like

1 thought on “How To Master Or Hard Reset On Samsung Galaxy”

Leave a Comment