WARNING! When you factory reset your phone, all personal data located on the phone’s internal memory will be deleted. This includes ringtones, downloaded content, media files, contacts, apps etc. Furthermore, all settings will be restored to factory values.

NOTE: Data stored on the SD and SIM cards will not be affected by the factory reset. For instructions on how to back up and restore personal data on the phone, visit this thread.

Factory Reset via Settings:

1. Tap “Apps” on the home screen
2. Launch “Settings”
3. Scroll to “Personal” and tap “Backup and reset”
4. Enable or disable “Back up my data” and “Restore”
5. Tap “Factory data reset” > “Reset device”
6. If necessary, enter your PIN / password / pattern to continue
7. Tap “Continue” > “Delete all”

Factory Reset via Recovery (Hardware Keys):

NOTE: In case your phone crashes, freezes, or otherwise prevents you from resetting it via settings, you can try resetting the device from the Android System Recovery menu, which can be accessed by performing a combination of button presses.

1. Turn off the phone, if necessary
2. Press and hold “Power”, ‘Home”, and “Volume Up” at the same time
3. When you see the “Samsung” logo, release “Power”
4. At the “Android” logo, release “Home” and “Volume Up” too
5. Wait for the Android Recovery menu to appear (this may take 1-2 minutes)
6. From the Recovery menu, press “Volume down” repeatedly to navigate to and highlight “Wipe data / factory reset”
7. Press “Power” to select the highlighted option
8. Press “Volume down” and highlight “Yes – delete all user data”
9. Press “Power”
10. When the phone finishes restarting, “Reboot system now” will be highlighted
11. Press “Power” to select the highlighted option

Check for OS Updates:

NOTE: After you have reset the device, it’s recommended to verify if new software updates are available for download. To do this:

1. Open the apps drawer
2. Launch “Settings”
3. Scroll to, and tap “About device”
4. Check if a new update is available. If so, follow the on-screen instructions to download and apply it