How to factory reset the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

We don’t envy anyone who needs to reset Samsung’s Z Fold 5 under bad conditions — it’s an unbelievably expensive phone, and for that pricetag, the expectations are high. No smartphone is flawless though, and when your Fold 5 is running perfectly, you might still need to return it or give it to someone else. Whatever your situation, here’s how to perform a factory reset using software or hardware methods.

How to factory reset the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Whether you should use a software or hardware reset depends on the state on your Fold is in. If it’s generally operating normally — i.e. you’re free to roam around the operating system — you should always prefer the software method. The hardware option is complicated, and should typically be a last resort, as we’ll explain in a moment.

Performing a software reset

Follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app. If its icon isn’t readily visible, just swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon.
• In the main options list, select About phone.
• Find and tap Reset. If you’re looking at the Fold’s larger screen, the button will be in the right-hand panel that’s opened up.
• Tap Factory data reset. You’ll see a warning screen listing the data that’s about to be erased, the apps that will be uninstalled, and the accounts the device is still signed into. This is your last chance to back out if you need to sign out of those accounts, and/or copy any files that aren’t already safe in the cloud or some other form of external backup.
• When you’re prepared, tap Reset. Be patient while the process is underway.

If you want to use your Z Fold 5 again, you’ll need to set it up as if it were a completely new phone. Thankfully, signing back into your Google and Samsung accounts should speed up a lot of that.

Performing a hardware reset

Once again, you should treat this option as a last resort. It can be difficult to remember the button presses involved, and requires a second device nearby. If you can’t even reach the Android homescreen, however, this is going to be your only choice.

• Connect your Fold to a computer, tablet, or smartphone via USB-C. You can’t just connect to wall power here — otherwise, the process won’t work.
• Close your Fold, then press and hold the sleep/wake (a.k.a. power) and volume-down buttons until the front screen is black. If the screen is already black, press and hold those buttons for about 10 seconds.
• Release all buttons, then press and hold sleep/wake and volume-up until you reach the Android Recovery screen. If this doesn’t happen, try repeating the last step.
• Tap the volume-down button until Wipe data/factory reset is selected, then tap sleep/wake to choose the option. You can use volume-up to scroll back upwards if you make a mistake.
• Using the same button control scheme, select Factory data reset. Wait several minutes while the reset completes.
• If you find yourself back at Android Recovery, pick Reboot system now or Power off.