How To Reset Android Phone

Tips
1

I’m trying to fully reset my Android phone because it’s been freezing, running slowly, and some apps keep crashing. I’m worried about losing important photos, messages, and app data if I do a factory reset. Can someone walk me through the safest way to reset my Android, what I should back up first, and any settings I should note before I wipe it?

2

Been there. Freezing and crashes often clear up after a clean reset, but you need to prep so you dont lose stuff.

Do this before factory reset:

  1. Backup photos

    • Open Google Photos.
    • Profile icon top right → Photos settings → Backup.
    • Turn it on for all folders you care about (Screenshots, WhatsApp, Camera, etc).
    • Wait on Wi Fi until backup finishes.

  2. Backup WhatsApp / Messages

    • WhatsApp: Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up to Google Drive.
    • Google Messages: Settings → Chat features and backup are tied to your Google account. Also turn on:
      Settings → Google → Backup → make sure SMS is checked.

  3. Check Google account backup

    • Settings → Google → Backup.
    • Turn on “Backup by Google One” or “Backup”.
    • Make sure Apps, Call history, Contacts, Device settings, SMS are toggled.
    • Tap “Back up now”. Wait for it to finish.

  4. Backup other apps

    • Open each important app and check for its own backup option.
    • Authenticator apps: export accounts or sync to cloud (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, etc).
    • 2FA codes are the part people lose the most.

  5. Move files manually

    • Use Files / My Files and copy important folders to:
      • microSD card, or
      • PC via USB, or
      • Google Drive.
    • Common folders: DCIM, Pictures, Download, Music, Documents, WhatsApp, Telegram.

Once backup is done, do the factory reset:

  1. Make sure you know your Google account email and password.
  2. Phone charged above 50 percent.
  3. Settings → System (or General management) → Reset → Factory data reset.
  4. Read what will be erased, then confirm.

After reset:

  1. Log in with the same Google account during setup.
  2. When it offers to restore from backup, pick your latest backup.
  3. Install your key apps first, then check:
    • Photos synced back.
    • WhatsApp chats restored.
    • SMS and contacts restored.

If the phone still freezes after a clean reset with no extra apps installed yet, you likely have:

  • Failing storage, or
  • Not enough RAM for current apps, or
  • A bloated vendor ROM on a very old device.

In that case, no software trick fixes it long term. You either live with it or replace the phone.

One last tip. Before wiping, reboot to Safe mode and test for a bit. If the phone runs smooth in Safe mode, some third party app is the main problem and you might avoid a full reset by removing the worst offenders.

3

@byteguru covered the “normal” way really well, so I’ll hit the gaps and some “oh crap, why didn’t I do that” angles.

First, before you commit to a full nuke:

  1. Try a partial reset

    • Settings → System → Reset options → “Reset Wi‑Fi, mobile & Bluetooth” and “Reset app preferences.”
    • Reset app prefs brings back disabled apps, notification defaults, background limits etc. Sometimes weird crashes are just over-aggressive battery/permission settings.

  2. Check storage health & space

    • Settings → Storage: if “System” or “Other” is massive, or free space is under ~10–15%, it’ll lag like crazy.
    • Uninstall junk, big games, old videos.
    • If it’s an older phone that still lags after cleanup, that can hint at dying storage, in which case a reset may only temporarily help.

  3. Try one “clean boot”

    • Uninstall any “cleaner,” “RAM booster,” antivirus apps you installed yourself.
    • These often cause the exact freezes you’re trying to fix.
    • Then reboot and use the phone for a bit before doing anything drastic.

Now, on the backup/loss paranoia side, a few things @byteguru didn’t lean on enough:

  1. Screenshots of important setups

    • 2FA, banking apps, authenticator QR codes, rare app settings: literally take screenshots.
    • Store them in Google Photos or copy to PC. It feels dumb until you realize some app forgot your config and you can just re-set it from the pic.

  2. Check what won’t be backed up

    • Some games and niche apps do not sync to cloud even if you log in with Google.
    • Open those apps → look for “Account,” “Cloud Save,” “Sync” options.
    • If they have nothing and dev docs say “data stored locally,” accept that you’ll lose that progress or don’t reset yet.

  3. Backup from a PC perspective

    • Connect via USB, open the phone storage like a flash drive.
    • Copy the whole Internal Storage to a folder on your computer.
    • Yes, it’s messy. No, it’s not pretty. But when you realize some random app stored its only data in /Android/data/com.whatever, you’ll be very happy you grabbed everything.
    • I slightly disagree with the idea that Google backup alone is “enough.” It’s usually fine, until it isn’t.

  4. Verify your backups actually worked

    • Photos: Open photos.google.com on a PC and confirm your recent pics are there.
    • WhatsApp (if you use it): after doing a backup, uninstall it, reinstall, restore as a test before you factory reset the whole phone. Overkill, but it removes a lot of anxiety.
    • Contacts: go to contacts.google.com and make sure they’re all there. If you see “Device” or “SIM” contacts only, export them from the Contacts app and import to your Google account first.

When you finally do the factory reset and set everything back up:

  1. Don’t restore everything blindly

    • During setup, when it asks to restore apps, consider:
      • Restore from backup, but when it starts reinstalling 100 apps, pause/cancel partway and only install what you actually use.
    • A lot of lag comes back because people reinstall the same nonsense that broke the phone in the first place.

  2. Test performance before loading it up

    • After the reset, log into Google, let it finish the initial restore, then:
      • Use it barebones for 30–60 minutes: open browser, camera, messages.
      • If it still freezes with only a few core apps, it’s likely hardware / very old OS at fault, not your data. In that case, no factory reset magic will fix it long term, and you should start mentally budgeting for a new phone.

  3. Optional “nuclear + secure” route
    If you’re paranoid about lingering junk or you’re selling the device:

  • Do a factory reset from Settings.
  • Set it up with no account, skip everything.
  • Then immediately do another factory reset.
  • Overkill, but it helps overwrite user data more thoroughly on some devices.

Last bit: write down or save somewhere outside the phone:

  • Google account email(s) and passwords
  • PIN/pattern, or at least be sure you know it
  • Recovery email/phone access for your Google account

People get locked out by Factory Reset Protection way more often than they lose photos.

If you’re still nervous, say what phone model and Android version you’re on and what apps you’re most afraid of losing data from. The risk level isn’t the same for everyone.