Before you sellFor sellers4 min read
How to factory reset an Android phone before selling
Back up, remove your Google and brand accounts, then erase all data. Typical reset paths for Samsung, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, realme, OnePlus, Pixel and others.
In short
- Back up first, then remove your Google account and your phone brand's account so the buyer isn't locked out.
- Reset from Settings and choose the full erase, not a settings-only reset. Menu names vary by brand.
- The phone should restart to the welcome screen. Switch it off there without signing in.
01Before you reset
A factory reset deletes everything on the phone: apps, photos, chats and saved passwords. It can't be undone, so work through this list first.
- Back up your photos, contacts and files, and check the backup has finished.
- Back up WhatsApp, and note the time of the last backup.
- Move your authenticator app codes to your new phone. A normal backup doesn't bring them back.
- Remove every Google account:
Settings > Passwords & accounts(orAccounts), tap the account, thenRemove account. - Sign out of your phone brand's account too, such as your Samsung account or Xiaomi account.
- Take out the SIM and the memory card. A reset may not erase the memory card.
- Charge the phone to at least half, or keep it plugged in.
02Find the reset option
Reset from the Settings app, not with the buttons. The button route (recovery mode) is meant for phones you can't get into, and it's the kind of reset that asks the next owner for the old account. Menu names vary by brand and software version, so treat these paths as a guide.
| Brand | Software | Typical path |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | One UI | Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset |
| Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO | HyperOS, MIUI | Settings > About phone > Factory reset |
| vivo, iQOO | Funtouch OS, OriginOS | Settings, then System or System management, then Backup & reset > Erase all data |
| OPPO, realme, OnePlus | ColorOS, realme UI, OxygenOS | Settings > System & update > Back up and reset > Reset phone > Erase all data. Older versions use Additional settings in place of System & update. |
| Motorola, Google Pixel, Nothing | Close to stock Android | Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Some older Motorola phones put Reset options under System > Advanced. |
03Run the reset
- 01
Choose the full erase
Tap
Erase all data,Factory data resetor whatever your phone calls the full wipe. - 02
Confirm it's you
Enter your PIN, pattern or password. Some phones also ask for the brand account password; Samsung phones do this if a Samsung account is still signed in.
- 03
Confirm the erase
Tap the final button, such as
Delete allorErase all data. The reset can take several minutes and the phone restarts by itself. Don't switch it off part way. - 04
Stop at the welcome screen
When the setup screen appears, don't sign in or add any accounts. Hold the power button and switch the phone off.
04Check it worked
- The phone starts at the welcome or language screen, like a new phone.
- None of your wallpaper, apps, photos or accounts are left.
- From another device, open your Google account's security settings and look at
Your devices. If the old phone is still listed as signed in, choose it and sign it out.
05At the shop counter
Some people prefer to reset at the counter, after the shop has checked the phone, so they can keep using it until the last minute. That's fine, but remove your accounts at home first if you can, because it needs your passwords. Don't tell anyone at a shop your Google password.
When you sell through a Recashy partner shop, the phone is checked in front of you, graded from A (like new) to D (damaged), and its IMEI is recorded. You agree the price after the check, and can be paid in cash or by UPI the same day, by bank transfer, or have the amount adjusted against a new phone. Recashy's free pre-sale checklist puts all of these steps in order.
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