Tech Reference

How to reset your Android device and erase your personal data

Written by Steven John
Samsung S10 Smartphone
You can factory reset your Android device and delete all of your data. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
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There are two main reasons to reset your Android device.

First, you're done with the device and are planning to sell it, trade it toward a new device, or give it away. Second, you're done with the device's infuriating glitches and lag and you just want a new device that works.

A factory reset can fix the issues plaguing your Android device, restoring your device to like-new condition and helping it work properly once again.

Resetting your device also wipes all of your personal files, data, and information from your device, so your privacy is protected, even once someone else has it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)

How to reset your Android device

1. Open the Systems app on your Android and find the "General management" tab.

2. In General Management, tap "Reset."

How to reset Android
Tap "Reset."  Steven John/Business Insider

3. Tap "Reset settings" if you merely want to restore your phone's default settings without wiping it clean, or hit "Factory data reset" to totally reset your phone.

How to reset Android
Select how you'd like to reset your phone.  Steven John/Business Insider

4. On the next page, scroll down and hit "RESET." 

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.