Disadvantages of Factory Reset [Android]

Resetting your smartphone to factory settings has a number of advantages, but it also has some disadvantages.

The official source claims that when resetting to factory settings, all data is erased from the phone. Information synced with your Google Account can be restored, but apps and their associated data will be deleted. To be able to recover your data, make sure it's backed up to your Google account. Are there any advantages of factory reset?

When a user wants to clear his device of unnecessary data, there is nothing easier than performing a factory reset. However, it should be understood that this operation leads to zeroing and all information stored on the device is erased.

Disadvantages of Factory Reset on Android Smartphones

Any device running on the Android operating system has a factory reset function. However, many users do not understand well that this option has not only advantages, but also a number of disadvantages. Moreover, not everyone understands where this will lead at all.

What does a factory reset on Android do?

In addition to useful data, a lot of useless files are stored in the smartphone's memory. For example, various programs form a data buffer that will be stored on the device so that the application loads certain data as quickly as possible. Likewise, with sites that are cached in browsers, and all this will be stored in the gadget's memory. Of course, if the file is not needed, you can simply delete it. However, sometimes so much unnecessary data accumulates that the user has no choice but to clean the device by resetting the settings.

This operation may be required in the following cases:

1. When there is already a lot of unnecessary information on the phone, it became impossible to clear it manually.
2. When there is no way to find a damaged or infected file, which brings problems to the operation of the entire device.
3. In case you need to get  a smartphone   in its original form, that is, completely clean.

What are the benefits of a factory reset on Android?

The main advantage of this operation is that the user will receive a completely clean Android device. All data will be deleted from it:

1. Photos.
   
2. Video recordings.
3. Notes.
4. Contacts.
   
5. SMS messages.
   
6. User-installed applications.
   
7. Other files not specified by the factory version of the settings.

This method of cleaning will quickly and easily get rid of all data and free up memory. Typically, a factory reset is used in the following situations:

1. When selling a smartphone, a person needs to delete all their data.
2. It is necessary to get rid of a damaged or infected file that cannot be found manually.
3. Free memory as needed.

Thus, answering the question of what does a factory reset on Android do, we can say that this is a complete wipe of the device from all user data.

Disadvantages of factory reset

Although this operation has advantages, it also has disadvantages. When performing a factory reset, users are not always aware that they will lose all their data. And only after cleaning the device, they understand that the system has returned to its original state. In order for the disadvantages of a factory reset not to play a cruel joke on the owner of the device, he needs to remember about such things as syncing with Google and creating a system backup.

Synchronization with cloud storage is the easiest and ideal way to save as much information as possible. Of course, in this case, you need to check the availability of free memory. If the storage is full, no new data will be saved to it.

In order to check the synchronization, you need to do the following:

1. Open the settings menu on your smartphone.
2. Go to the item with accounts.
3. Find your Google account.
4. Check if all services and applications are synchronized.

If it is found that some data has not been transferred to the storage for a long time, for example, if the user has not used some application for a long time, then he will need to click on the Synchronize now button.

If there is a gap between scheduled syncs, you may lose some of the files. For example, it will be very offensive if, after a factory reset, the user discovers that important contacts from his notebook have disappeared or good photos that he took recently have disappeared.

By the way, so that the shortcomings of the factory reset do not affect the chat history in instant messengers, you also need to periodically create backups. For example, Viber and WhatsApp have been offering this feature for a long time. The data will be stored on Google Drive, and after the reset, you can restore all saved chats.

It is also recommended to remove the flash drive before resetting, just in case. Some modern smartphones, when returning to factory settings, clear not only the phone's memory, but also the microSD card.

How to reset a locked Android phone?

If there is no way to unlock  a smartphone   in Google Device Manager, then this does not mean that access to a factory reset is not possible. It is enough to follow a simple algorithm:

1. First you need to turn off the device by long pressing the power button.
2. Next, you need to hold down the power button and the volume down button at the same time for twenty seconds. In some cases, it may take a little longer. This must be done until the device boot menu appears. It is from it that you will need to reset the settings.
3. You will need to use the volume buttons to navigate the boot menu. They will allow you to move up and down to the desired option. In this case, Wipe data / factory reset will become the required line. In order to confirm your choice, you will need to use the power button.

Thus, it is possible to reset the phone even if it is locked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to factory reset my phone Android when it is locked?

Yes, you can reset settings on a locked device. To do this, turn off the phone, hold down the power and volume buttons until the download menu appears. And there you can do a factory reset.

Is Android factory reset dangerous?

No, an Android factory reset is not dangerous in itself. It's a built-in feature of the Android operating system that allows users to erase all data on their device and return it to its original factory settings.

How to reset Android to factory settings?

Open the Settings app on your Android device. Click System or System and Updates, depending on your device. Look for an option called Reset or Reset Phone and click on it. If you're ready to continue, confirm your decision by clicking Reset or Delete

What are the potential downsides of performing a factory reset on an Android device?

Downsides include complete data loss, potential removal of system updates, and the need to reinstall apps and reconfigure settings.