Android

How to Factory Reset an Android Phone Before Selling

A Google account still signed in triggers Factory Reset Protection (FRP), which blocks the sale. Here's the prep checklist.

An Android phone displaying its system reset settings menu

Android's equivalent of Apple's Activation Lock is Factory Reset Protection (FRP) — and it catches out sellers just as often. Skip the account-removal step and even a full factory reset won't let the next owner (or us) set the phone up. Here's the checklist, in the order that actually avoids the problem.

Back up first

Back up photos, contacts and app data to your Google account or a new device before resetting. Most Android phones sync this automatically if backup is enabled, but it's worth checking Settings → System → Backup before you go further.

Remove your Google account

Go to Settings → Accounts → select your Google account → Remove account. Do this before factory resetting to avoid FRP issues. This is the step people skip, and it's the one that actually matters — a factory reset alone does not remove FRP if a Google account was active on the device at the time.

Factory reset

Go to Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data (factory reset). Menu names vary slightly by brand — Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo and Huawei all phrase this a little differently, but it's reliably under a System or General Management section.

Common FRP mistakes

The two most common issues we see: resetting before removing the Google account (leaves FRP active), and forgetting a secondary account was ever added at all — check for more than one signed-in account before you reset. If FRP does trigger, the device will ask for the previous Google account's login on setup, which we won't have and can't bypass.

Remove SIM and memory card

Don't forget to remove your physical SIM and any microSD card before handing over the device — these are easy to leave in and aren't part of what we're buying.

Brand-specific extras

Some brands layer their own account on top of the Google one — Samsung accounts and Xiaomi/Mi accounts are the two we see most. If you've signed into one of these, sign out of it separately (usually under Settings → Accounts as well) before resetting, for the same reason as the Google account.

This guide is general information, not a guarantee of value or outcome for your specific device — your estimated quote and final offer depend on your device's actual condition.

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