The Sony Xperia Z was originally released in 2013 and it is still considered as Sony’s best phone and even one of the best Android devices available. It is waterproof and protected against dust. If you have a Sony Xperia Z that has been infected by a virus or that is not working as it should, you may have considered to hard reset the device. We will go through the steps needed to complete this, but we’ll start by going through a few more things before deciding if a hard reset (or a factory reset as it is also known as) is actually the best solution in your case.
As previously mentioned, one of the instances when a hard reset may be considered is if your phone is infected by a virus. If you have noticed that certain apps are not working properly and you are unable to uninstall them, or if your phone is painfully slow, you probably can also see a hard rest as a solution. You may also want to perform a hard reset when you are selling the device or giving it to someone else. A hard reset allows you to delete all the data that you have stored over time in the Sony Xperia Z. With a hard reset, you can wipe all the current data. This can solve any software or OS related issue. Hard resetting your phone will also help if you have forgotten the pattern and your Sony Xperia Z is locked. It will also be a good option if you can’t remember your Gmail login details.
Preliminary steps
Before you can hard reset your Sony Xperia Z, there are a few steps that you need to follow. Keep in mind that the instructions are exclusively for Sony Xperia Z devices and they shouldn’t be tried on different brands or models.
Since hard resetting the phone means that all the data that you have stored and your settings will be deleted, it is important that you back up the data before. There shouldn’t be any impact on your external SDcard when you hard reset the device. However, it is advisable to remove it.
You need to charge the device fully, or at least make sure that it is 70% charged to avoid any issues during the factory reset.
Last, but not least. It is important that you know what you are doing before proceeding. This guide is meant to help you, but it should be followed carefully and at your own risk.
There are two ways to hard rest your Sony Xperia Z. The first method is based on the device’s settings. The second one is done through the recovery menu and it works better when you can’t access the menu option because the phone is locked and you can’t remember the pattern or because there are booting related issues.
How to hard reset your Xperia Z – Phone Settings
- Go to Settings from the main menu
- Look for the Backup and Restore option and select it
- Select Factory Data Reset, then the Reset Phone option. A message that says “Erase Everything” will appear. Confirm this to restart your Xperia Z and that is it. You have hard reset your phone successfully.
How to hard rest your Xperia Z – recovery menu
- To perform a hard reset, start by turning off your Xperia Z
- Press and hold the volume up and volume down buttons. These two buttons have to pressed simultaneously and then you can press and hold the Power button.
- You will see the menu on the screen right away. Go to the recovery options with the Volume Up and Down buttons.
- Select the recovery option by using the Power button. Once you see the Android logo on the screen, you need to press and hold the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons. This will prompt the Xperia Z to the recovery menu.
- Select Wipe data/factory reset. The process takes less than a minute and your smartphone will start automatically after that.
