How to reset the Samsung Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a powerful phone and the entire lineup consists of devices that pack some pretty amazing hardware, but being one of the most powerful smartphones in the world doesn’t exempt the phone from the occasional problem or hiccup. This is to be expected, even the most expensive and powerful computers run into trouble every now and then.

Now, there are several different types of methods of resetting the Galaxy S21, and not all of them are equal or can necessarily be used interchangeably. So depending on the problem that you’re having. Sometimes a soft reset is enough to get the job done, but other times, you might need to consider a hard reset.

How to soft reset the Samsung Galaxy S21

So what is a soft reset? A soft reset can be thought of like being a reboot of sorts. Kind of like when your computer has hung and you turn it off and on again. This is similar for phones, like if an app is misbehaving or if your phone isn’t responding or is stuttering, sometimes a soft reset can solve those issues.

1. Hold down the power and volume down button at the same time
2. When the power menu appears, tap the Power Off button
3. Tap Power Off again to confirm
4. Wait a few seconds and your phone should be turned off
5. When the phone has been completely turned off, press and hold the power button until the Samsung logo appears

Alternatively, if you’re having a problem with the phone and the display isn’t responding to your touch input, you can just press and hold the Volume down and Power button for 7-10 seconds, after which the phone will then power off and reboot itself.

How to hard reset the Samsung Galaxy S21

If your phone’s problems are fixed after you’ve performed a soft reset, that’s great news! But sometimes there might be bigger issues with your phone that even a soft reset cannot fix, which means that it might be time to consider a hard reset, which is sometimes also referred to as a factory reset.

This essentially wipes your phone of all of its data and puts it back to the original state that you bought it in. More often than not this solves the majority of problems people have with their phones, and it can also help you diagnose if it could be a hardware problem. For example, even after you hard reset your phone and the problem persists, then it might be time to consider taking it in for a repair.

Before performing a hard reset, it’s always a good idea to ensure that your phone is backed up and all your important data and info is stored elsewhere. Once that’s done, here’s what you need to do.

1. Go to your phone’s Settings
2. Scroll down to General Management
3. Tap Reset
4. Select Factory Data Reset
5. You’ll be given a warning prompt on what you’re about to do
6. Tap Reset again to confirm
7. Enter your PIN or password if prompted
8. Tap Delete All and wait

Factory resetting your phone can take a while, so it’s best to ensure that it’s plugged into its charger to prevent the phone from dying halfway through the process which could end up complicating things.

If for whatever reason the method above doesn’t work for you, there is an alternative method to factory resetting the Galaxy S21.

1. Power off the phone
2. When it is completely off, press down and hold the Volume down and Power button at the same time
3. Let go once the Android logo appears
4. Using the Volume up and down as navigation keys, go to Wipe Data/Factory Reset and press the Power button to select it
5. Highlight Yes to confirm and press the Power button again and wait for the process to complete