How to factory reset a device safely (and what it does not erase)
A factory reset is the fastest way to hand a device on or start over, but it is also the fastest way to lose data you never backed up. Doing it in the right order protects your files and stops the next owner hitting an account lock.
What a factory reset actually erases
A factory reset returns the system to its shipped state and deletes the user data area: accounts, apps, photos, messages, saved networks and every setting you changed. On modern devices that data sits behind full-disk encryption, so the reset mainly destroys the encryption key rather than overwriting each block. That is why it can finish in seconds.
What it does not touch matters just as much. It does not remove the operating system, and it does not roll back a system update you already installed. It does not delete anything synced to iCloud, Google, OneDrive or a Samsung account, and it will not release an activation lock tied to an account you no longer control.
Back up and sign out before you reset
Check that your cloud backup finished today rather than three weeks ago, then copy anything that lives only on the device: authenticator seeds, downloaded media, offline notes and files parked in a Downloads folder. Authenticator codes are the single most common casualty.
Then sign out. On iPhone and iPad, turn off Find My and sign out of your Apple Account so Activation Lock clears. On Android, remove the Google account and delete the screen lock so Factory Reset Protection does not lock out the next owner. On computers, deauthorise apps and sign out of iCloud or your Microsoft account first. If low storage is what pushed you here, the steps for freeing up space are worth trying before you erase everything.
Where the reset option lives on each system
The concept is identical everywhere; only the wording moves. On iOS 15 and later the control sits under General, then Transfer or Reset; on older releases it is simply General, then Reset. Android splits it by manufacturer, so look inside System settings on Pixel and General management on Samsung.
| System | Where to look |
|---|---|
| iOS and iPadOS | General, then Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings |
| Android | System or General management, then Reset options |
| Windows 11 | System, then Recovery, then Reset this PC |
| macOS | General, then Transfer or Reset, on Apple silicon and T2 Macs |
| ChromeOS | Reset settings, then Powerwash |
Windows lets you keep your files or remove everything, and offers a cloud download that re-fetches the image instead of rebuilding from the local partition. Only the remove-everything option is right before a sale. The Windows hub and the ChromeOS hub show those panes screen by screen.
Preparing a device you are selling
Remove the physical parts first: SIM tray, memory card and any paired accessory. Delete an eSIM only if your carrier allows a re-download, otherwise transfer it to the new phone first, using the eSIM steps in reverse.
Then confirm the device is genuinely unlinked by checking your account's device list from another phone or a browser. An iPhone still listed under Find My, or an Android still showing a Google account, will meet its new owner with a lock screen nobody else can clear.
When the reset will not run
If the device cannot boot far enough to reach Settings, every platform has a recovery route: Recovery Mode through a computer on iPhone, the recovery menu on Android, the Windows Recovery Environment after repeated failed boots, macOS Recovery, and the Powerwash shortcut at the ChromeOS sign-in screen.
If it boots but demands the previous owner's credentials, no reset will help, because the lock is enforced by the vendor's servers. For everything else, follow the reset walkthrough, or use the settings finder when you cannot recall where your version hides the option. You can rehearse the whole sequence in the free settings simulator before touching a real device.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Does a factory reset remove a virus or malware?
In almost all cases yes, because the user data area where malware lives is wiped. Firmware-level infections survive a reset, but they are extremely rare on consumer phones.
Will a factory reset delete my cloud photos?
No. Anything already synced to iCloud, Google Photos or OneDrive stays in the account and reappears when you sign in again on any device.
Can data be recovered after a factory reset?
On encrypted devices, which means essentially every phone since 2015, the key is destroyed and the leftover data is unreadable. Older unencrypted drives are a different story.