How to Reset your Google Pixel 8 Pro!
While the much-anticipated Pixel 9 series is expected to bring some tasty upgrades to Google’s flagship smartphone line, there’s little doubt that last year’s Pixel 8 Pro still remains a perfectly-capable smartphone, with impressive camera performance, a great-looking display as well as some useful software features.
While it is a great phone in general though, it should be noted that the Pixel 8 Pro is not entirely immune from unexpected hiccups and performance issues. This includes moments such as app freezes, or certain software and hardware features that would just randomly stop working properly. If you find yourself in this situation, we highly suggest doing a quick emergency procedure of sorts, such as a reset.
Why Should you Reset your Pixel 8 Pro?
Usually, resetting an Android device allows it to work as if it were brand-new again (at least in most cases), removing any user-installed apps and files and reverting it to a fresh-from-the-factory state. There are also times when your phone simply needs a quick reboot to recover from app crashes, freezes, and whatnot. With that said, there are two different ways to reset your Google Pixel 8 Pro:
- Restart/Reboot: Sometimes called a “soft reset,” this simply turns your phone off and on again, allowing it to recover from unexpected performance issues.
- Factory Reset: Otherwise known as a “hard reset,” this method erases everything that’s saved on your phone, including your apps, settings, files, photos, and music, for example. It’s recommended that you back up your files to your PC, or online via cloud storage services.
How to Reset your Pixel 8 Pro
If you’ve encountered an issue on your Pixel 8 Pro that prevents it from functioning normally, or maybe you’d like to bring it back to its factory settings to sell it or give away, then you can try the following methods below:
Basic Restart
- Press and hold your power button for a few seconds.
- A menu should pop up on your screen with options for “Emergency,” “Lockdown,” “Power Off,” and “Restart.”
- Select “Restart.”
- Your phone should then turn off, and automatically turn back on within the next few seconds.
Factory Reset
As mentioned earlier, factory resetting removes all bits of personal user data from your phone, so it’s advised that you should backup your files to a PC or via cloud storage.
- Open your “Settings” app.
- Head down to “System” > “Reset Options.”
- Tap on “Erase all Data (Factory Reset)”
- Tap on “Erase all Data.”
- Your phone should then proceed with removing your data and automatically reboot after a few minutes.
Force Restart
In the unfortunate event that your Pixel 8 Pro is non-responsive and you are unable to access any settings menus through your screen, then you might need to force restart your phone.
- Hold down your power button for a few seconds until the screen turns off – it should then automatically turn back on afterwards. If not, turn it on again as you would normally.
We hope this information was useful to you – if you want to learn more about the Pixel 8 Pro, then feel free to check out our other content below:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra versus Google Pixel 8 Pro: Battle of the AI
- Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Beyond the Pricing Difference
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