How do you wipe an Android phone before you sell it?

Step 1: Back up what you want to keep

A reset uninstalls your apps and removes their data, so back up first. Google backs up to your Google Account, and Samsung also offers its own backup through your Samsung account. Plug the phone in (Google suggests at least 70 percent charge, because a reset can take up to an hour) and connect to Wi-Fi. If you changed your Google Account password in the last day, Google recommends waiting 24 hours before you reset.

Step 2: Know your Google account and screen lock

Open Settings and tap Passwords & accounts (on some phones it is labeled Users & accounts, Passwords, passkeys & autofill, or Manage accounts) to see which Google account is on the phone. Make sure you know its password and your screen lock PIN, pattern or password. Google uses that account and lock to confirm the person resetting the phone is the owner, so you want them in hand before you start.

Step 3: Remove your Google account

In Settings, tap Passwords & accounts, tap your Google account under Accounts, then tap Remove account, tap Remove account again and tap Delete. If it is the only Google account on the phone, enter your pattern, PIN or password when asked. Removing the account deletes its email, contacts and settings from the phone, which is what you want here. Removing it before the reset keeps Factory Reset Protection from asking the next person for it.

Step 4a: Factory reset a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung says to decrypt an encrypted microSD card first (search Settings for Decrypt SD card), or better, take the card out and keep it. Then open Settings and tap General management. Tap Reset, tap Factory data reset and read the screen, tap Reset, then tap Delete all. Enter your screen lock if asked, and your Samsung account password if one is signed in. The phone needs a network connection, because the reset signs your Samsung account out automatically. When it restarts to the setup screen, stop there.

Step 4b: Factory reset a Google Pixel

Open Settings, tap System, tap Reset options, and tap Erase all data (factory reset). Tap Erase all data, enter your PIN if asked, and tap Erase all data again. When it finishes, choose the option to restart, and stop at the setup screen. Do not set the phone up again.

SIM and memory cards

Take out the SIM card and any memory card and keep them. We have no use for either, and you do not want to lose your photos on a card by accident. If your phone uses an eSIM, contact your carrier about moving or removing it before the reset.

Then book the hand-off

Tell us the make, model and condition through the phones page, or text (518) 501-0602. We set a time at 6 Northway Ln or come to you anywhere in the Capital Region, by appointment, and you are paid in cash on the spot. If the reset will not complete or you cannot remember the account, tell us before the meetup and we will talk it through. The iPhone wipe guide has the same steps if you are also selling an Apple phone.

Quick answers

Do I need to remove my Google account before a factory reset?

Yes, it is the safer order. Removing the account first means Factory Reset Protection has nothing left to ask for after the reset. Samsung says protection can ask for the previous account mainly when a reset is done a different way than the Settings menu, but removing it first costs a minute and removes the question.

Does a factory reset sign out my Samsung account?

Yes, Samsung says the reset signs the account out automatically as long as the phone has a network connection. You may be asked for your Samsung account password during the reset.

Is the Samsung Galaxy reset the same path as the Pixel one?

No. A Samsung Galaxy uses Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset. A Google Pixel uses Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).

How long does an Android factory reset take?

Google says it can take up to an hour. Charge the phone to at least 70 percent and keep it on Wi-Fi so it does not stall.

Can I still sell a phone if I forgot my Google password?

Recover the password first, through Google's account recovery. The reset and sign-out steps depend on it. If you are stuck, tell us before the meetup and we will point you to the next step.

Ready to ask about yours? Visit Sell your phone for cash in Albany: a local phone buyer near you. See our iPhone wipe post. See our quote form for phones. See our before-you-sell checklist. Back to all guides.