How to Factory Reset a Cell Phone

Ben G.

Overview: This article supplies information about performing factory resets for Republic Wireless phones.

A factory reset will reset your cell phone to a cleared state - apps, internal memory, contacts, photos/videos, or other personal info will not be backed up or synchronized automatically. Any firmware updates you have installed will still be on your cell phone.

Before You Perform a Factory Reset
  Back Up Contacts
  Back Up Photos and Videos
  Back Up Messages (SMS and MMS)
  Back Up Miscellaneous Files
Factory Reset Instructions
How to Perform a Factory Reset via the Settings Menu (most popular)
  How to Perform a Factory Reset While Powered Off
FAQ

Before You Perform a Factory Reset

Since performing a factory reset will erase anything you have added to your cell phone, it is essential to back up anything that you want to keep. Using the links below, you can learn how to back up contacts, photos, videos, apps, music, messages, or other miscellaneous files.

Back Up Contacts
Back Up Photos and Videos
Back Up Messages (SMS and MMS)
Back Up Miscellaneous Files

Back Up Contacts

The easiest way to back up your contacts is to synchronize them to your Gmail account automatically. Once synchronized, you will be able to perform a factory reset without losing your contacts. Once you get your Gmail account set back up, your contacts will be retrieved in the Contacts app.

You may confirm that your contacts are synced to your Google account by using a computer to visit contacts.google.com
Any contacts showing on this page will be the contacts that are synchronized to your Google account.
Be sure that you are using the same Google account as the cell phone when logged onto Google's site using your computer.

If your cell phone has an SD card, you can also import/export contacts to and from your SD card.

For step by step instructions for both of the items mentioned above, please visit our Manage Contacts Help article.

Back Up Photos and Videos

The easiest way to back up photos and videos is to sync them to your Google Photos account automatically. Once synchronized, you will be able to perform a factory data reset without losing your photos and videos. Once you get your Google account set back up, you can view your photos and videos from the Photos app.

You may confirm that your photos are synced to your Google account by using a computer to visit photos.google.com
Be sure that you are using the same Google account as the cell phone when logged onto Google's site using your computer.

Back Up Messages (SMS and MMS)

Currently, there is no Republic Wireless supported way to move SMS and MMS to your computer or SD card. However, multiple third-party apps make it easy to back up and restore your messages.

Back Up Miscellaneous Files

You may have other files, notes, settings, and music that you would like to keep and restore to your cell phone when possible. If you do not have a cell phone with a micro SD card storage possibility, here are some ways you can easily store different files:

Google Drive
Back up files, folders, images, audio, and video to Google Drive. It is quick, easy, and most of all FREE up to 15GB of storage, or you can buy more storage if needed.
Move Files to or from Your Computer and Cell Phone
Move files, pictures, music, and more to or from your computer.
Android Backup Service
You can back up and restore your cell phone settings such as wallpaper, Wi-Fi passwords, app settings, etc. using Google's Backup and Restore.
Samsung Account Backup (for the Samsung Galaxy J3, S6, S7, and S7 edge phones)
Samsung phones have access to use Samsung accounts to back up information from your cell phone. Please see How do I back up data using my Samsung account for additional information.

Factory Reset Instructions

A factory reset will reset your cell phone to a cleared state - apps, internal memory, contacts, photos/videos, or other personal info will not be backed up or synchronized automatically. Any firmware updates you have installed will still be on your cell phone.

You can perform a factory reset two separate ways. The first way is through the Settings app, which is the most widely used method. The second way is through Recovery mode, which is typically used if your cell phone is frozen or locked up.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Due to the "Kill Switch" regulation that protects consumer's information from lost or stolen phones, if you have a screen lock set up on your cell phone, you will need to verify ownership of your cell phone when performing a factory reset.

If you are performing a factory reset before selling your cell phone, giving your cell phone to someone else, or returning your cell phone, please ensure you have removed any screen locks and have removed the "Kill Switch" protection by performing your factory reset through the Settings menu. Performing a factory reset through recovery mode or from a remote source will not remove the "Kill Switch" protection feature. If you are sending your cell phone back to Republic for any reason, you must remove this feature to be eligible for a refund or to avoid being charged for a replacement phone. Please review our Return and Replacement Policy? for more info.
If you are performing a factory reset via the Settings menu, you will need to verify your screen lock (pin, pattern, or password) before your cell phone will perform the reset.
If you are performing a factory reset while powered off, you will need to verify with the Google email address and password that was entered during the phone setup process before you can get back into your cell phone. If you have not set up a Google account with your phone, please do so before performing a factory reset through Recovery mode.

How to Perform a Factory Reset via the Settings Menu (most popular)

For step-by-step instructions, click on one of the below links that corresponds with the cell phone you have:

How to Perform a Factory Reset While Powered Off (typically used if the screen is frozen/the power button is unresponsive)

You should only need to perform a factory reset through recovery mode if your cell phone is frozen/unresponsive. If you have a pin, pattern, or password set up on your cell phone and you're selling your phone, giving it to someone else, or returning it from where you purchased it, DO NOT perform a factory reset through recovery mode as it won't remove the Google protection feature called the "Kill Switch" and will make the phone inaccessible to anyone other than you. Instead, you will need to perform a factory reset through the Settings menu on your cell phone (instructions above).

Tip: Please ensure that you have a minimum battery level of 30% before performing a factory reset through recovery mode. After performing the reset, test your cell phone before adding any apps or accounts.

FAQ

Will a Factory Reset Erase My SD Card?

Do I Need to Factory Reset My Phone Regularly?

Can a Factory Reset of a Phone Change My Plan or Phone Number?

Does Resetting the Phone Affect My Service?