WARNING! When factory resetting a phone, all personal data stored on the device’s internal memory will be deleted, including ringtones, apps, contacts, downloaded content etc. Furthermore, all settings will be restored to factory values.

NOTE: Before you reset your phone, you can visit this tread for instructions on how you can back up & restore data on the ZTE Axon, and enable / disable Android Anti-Theft.

Factory Reset via Settings:

1. Tap “Apps” on the home screen
2. Go to “Settings” and scroll to “Personal”
3. Tap “Backup & reset” > “Factory data reset”
4. In case your phone is protected by a PIN / password / pattern, enter it and proceed
5. Tap “Reset phone” and wait for the process to complete. If prompted, reboot the phone as instructed

Factory Reset via Recovery:

NOTE: If you are unable to master reset the phone via Settings, you can try factory resetting it via the Recovery menu, which can be accessed by performing a combination of button presses.

1. Turn off the phone
2. Press and hold “Power”, then after a couple of seconds, press and hold “Volume Up” as well
3. Once prompted with “Select Boot Mode”, release the hardware buttons
4. Make sure “Recovery Mode” is highlighted and press “Volume Up” to select the option
5. Once the phone displays an Android and a yellow triangle, press “Volume Up” and “Power” simultaneously
6. At this point you should have access to the Recovery menu. From here, press “Volume down” repeatedly to highlight “Wipe data / factory reset”
7. Press “Power” to select the highlighted option
8. When prompted, reboot your phone

Check for OS Updates:

NOTE: After a factory reset, you should verify if a new OS version is available. To do this:

1. Tap "Apps" on the home screen
2. Go to "Settings"
3. Scroll down and tap "About phone"
4. Tap "System updates"
5. In case a new update is available, follow the on-screen steps to download and install it