Forum Discussion
SamuelSamson
Jan 14, 2025Iron Contributor
Do factory reset delete everything off Android Samsung galaxy?
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S21. Recently, my phone has been getting slower and slower, so I want to clean it up by factory resetting it. But the problem is that there are a lot of important photos, chat logs, and app data on my phone. I'm worried that they will all be gone after the reset? In addition, will backups stored in Google Cloud also be cleared?
There is another strange thing: some people say that data can be restored after the reset, saying that it may be because the data is not completely erased, but just hidden. Is this true? If so, is there a risk of privacy leakage after a factory reset?
So, Do factory reset delete everything off Android phone? Are there any friends who have used Samsung phones who can share their experience? How does a factory reset work, and is the data deleted completely? đ Thank you!
- Nobel_BaynesIron Contributor
Factory reset does not delete everything from Android phone, including Samsung Galaxy. I suggest erasing the Samsung Galaxy phone remotely via the official Find My Mobile service. Remotely erasing your device is essential if it's lost or stolen to protect your personal data. Here's how you can do it using Samsung's Find My Mobile service:
- Open a web browser on your computer or another device and go to Samsung Find My Mobile.
- Sign in with your Samsung account credentials associated with the device you want to erase.
- Once logged in, you'll see a list of your registered devices. Select the Samsung Galaxy phone you wish to erase.
- In the dashboard, click on the "Erase data" option. You might be prompted to enter your Samsung account password again for security.
- A warning will appear indicating that all data will be permanently deleted. Confirm to proceed.
- If your device is online, the erase process will begin immediately. If it's offline, the erase will occur the next time it connects to the internet.
Note: After erasing, you can no longer track your device using Find My Mobile.
- GianmaisIron Contributor
I recently helped a friend who had a Samsung phone that was lagging like crazy. Honestly, it was such a hassle for them. So, we decided to do a factory reset. First, we backed up all their important stuff (you know, the usual photos and contacts). The reset itself was super easy to do through the settings menu.
After the reset, the phone was like brand new! But honestly, my friend forgot their Samsung account password, which made the setup a bit tricky after. But no biggie â they managed to get back in eventually!
Do factory reset delete everything off Android Samsung galaxy?
In most cases, yes! But hereâs the catch: regular factory resets donât ensure that the data is irretrievable for data recovery software. If youâre super paranoid about sensitive data, you might wanna look into tools that overwrite storage or use the âEncryptâ feature before the reset â that way, it makes it harder for anyone to extract your data afterward.
- Timothy1525Iron Contributor
A factory reset on your Samsung Galaxy is designed to erase all user data and restore the device to its original system state. This process removes apps, settings, and personal data stored on the device's internal storage. However, while a factory reset is effective for most users, it may not completely erase all data to the level required for highly sensitive information.
What factory reset does? Removes all user-installed apps. Deletes personal data such as contacts, messages, photos, and videos. Resets system settings to default.
What factory reset not do? Some data remnants might remain in unused storage areas. If the device wasn't encrypted prior to the reset, data recovery might be possible using specialized tools.
How to permanently delete everything off Android (Samsung Galaxy):
Step 1: Before proceeding, ensure you've backed up any data you want to keep. You can use Samsung Cloud, Google Drive, or other backup solutions.
Step 2: Encrypting your device ensures that any residual data is unreadable without the encryption key.
Step 3: Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts. Select your Google account and tap Remove account. In the same Manage accounts section, select your Samsung account and remove it.
Step 4: Go to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
Step 5: Scroll down and tap Reset. Confirm by tapping Delete all or Erase everything.
Step 6: The device will restart and begin the reset process. This may take several minutes.
Step 7: Erase the whole device with a dedicated Android data erasing app.
In short, factory reset won't delete everything off Android Samsung galaxy phone. The data is still recoverable. You have to take additional means to permanently erase data from Android phone.
- Timothy310Iron Contributor
Do factory reset delete everything off Android Samsung galaxy? When you perform a factory reset on your Samsung Galaxy S21 (or any Android device), it will erase all personal data stored on the device, including apps, settings, contacts, messages, photos, and other files. However, certain data may remain backed up or synchronized with your Google account or other cloud services, provided you have set them up to do so.
It is true that some data may technically still exist on the device even after a factory reset because a factory reset does not overwrite the data; it merely marks the space as available for new data. This means that specialized recovery tools can potentially recover some of the lost data. This is especially a concern if you sell or give away your device without securely erasing the data.
- AsainnaIron Contributor
If you are preparing to sell or reset your Android phone, you may have a question in mind: Do factory reset delete everything off samsung phone? At first glance, factory reset does return the phone to "factory state", but in fact, it does not completely erase all data. This article will tell you how factory reset works and provide three ways to completely clean up data to help you protect your privacy.
Factory reset: clear but not completely
Factory reset will delete most of the content on your phone, including:- Locally stored photos, videos, documents.
- All contacts, text messages, and third-party application data.
- Custom settings, such as Wi-Fi passwords, wallpapers, etc.
But in fact, factory reset only marks the data as "overwriteable" instead of completely erasing it. This means that it is still possible to recover this data using professional data recovery tools. Therefore, if your phone is about to be sold or given to someone else, factory reset is far from enough!
However, you can try this method:
I recommend: Encrypt data before resetting
The fastest and free method is to make stored data unreadable by encrypting it:Turn on phone encryption (if it is not automatically encrypted):
- Open Settings and go to Security or Encryption & Credentials.
- Encrypt your phone data as prompted (some new devices are encrypted by default).
- Perform a factory reset:
Go to Settings -> System -> Reset Options and select Restore Factory Settings.
Pros: Makes data unreadable even if it is restored.
Cons: Slow operation, suitable for users with high privacy requirements. - TomilsonwIron Contributor
Speaking of do factory reset delete everything off Android phone, I just happened to have personal experience. I did a factory reset on my friend's Samsung Galaxy S21 some time ago, and found that there are really many tricks in it. Let me share it with you.
Factory reset to fix the problem
My friend's S21 suddenly became very stuck, and the APP crashed frequently, so he thought about doing a factory reset. Before the reset, I reminded him to back up his data, such as:- Sync contacts, calendars, and Gmail with Google Cloud.
- Back up important photos and videos to Google Photos or Samsung Cloud.
- Use WhatsApp's cloud backup function to save chat history.
- After the reset, his phone was as smooth as a new one, but the reset did clear the following:
Local photos, videos, and downloaded files (if they are not backed up, they must be lost).
- All APPs and their data, such as game saves, login records, etc.
- Custom settings, such as wallpapers, ringtones, and Wi-Fi passwords.
However, the reset did not delete the data stored on Google Drive and Samsung Cloud. After logging into the account, his contacts and photos were quickly restored.