Have an old Samsung tablet you want to give your friends or family? Or maybe you want to sell it and use the money to upgrade to a shiny new Android tablet? If you're ready to ditch your old tablet, you'll want to do a factory reset to erase your data. Resetting an Android tablet is pretty straightforward, but there are a few quirks in Samsung's process that can create a major headache when the lucky person who inherits your slate attempts to set it up. Take a moment to work through this tutorial to ensure your factory reset, and subsequent set up, are seamless.

When should you reset your Samsung tablet?

There can be multiple scenarios when you should consider resetting your Galaxy tablet, apart from selling or passing it to your friends or family. If your Samsung tablet is particularly old and working very slow, you can hard reset it to see if that helps improve performance. You can also try some of these tips to speed up your slow Android device. Similarly, if the tablet is behaving wonky, and you have exhausted all other troubleshooting steps, you can try a factory reset as a last resort.

If you are getting your hands on a secondhand Samsung tablet from eBay or any other marketplace, it is recommended you reset it before logging in with your Google account. This will ensure there are no rogue apps on the tablet that could potentially steal or snoop on your sensitive data. You should also reset the tablet if you are getting it from your friends or family to ensure no residual data is left on it.

Things you should know before your reset your Galaxy Tab

• When you reset a Samsung tablet, it will be restored to its factory state. All your data and linked accounts will be removed, and you will have to set up the device like new. So, make sure to back up your Android tablet beforehand.
• If you want to create a backup on your PC, you can use Samsung's Smart Switch app.
• A factory reset will not downgrade your Samsung device to an older build. It will remain on the last installed firmware. This method cannot be used to go back to an older Android version or bootloader.
• This process will not void the warranty of your device.
• A factory reset will not resolve any hardware issues that you are facing.
• Your Samsung tablet must have at least 10% battery before you can factory reset it. Ideally, ensure there's at least 50% juice before starting with the steps.
• Factory resetting and hard resetting mean the same thing.
• To factory reset the device, you must know the Google account and Samsung account login details. This will ensure the factory reset protection system is turned off and does not cause any issues if you pass on the device to a new user.

How to back up your Samsung tablet before your reset

If you want to quickly back up important device settings, home screen pages, apps, and calendar entries on the tablet, you can use Samsung Cloud. All data is saved to your Samsung account and can be easily restored to another Samsung tablet.

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Scroll down and select Accounts and backup.
3. Under Samsung Cloud, select Back up data.
4. Proceed to enable the toggles for all the items you'd like to back up.

   

   

   

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5. Tap the Back up now option to create a backup that's automatically synced to the cloud.
   1. If you had previously set up Samsung Cloud, your device would be automatically backed up.
   2. A backup occurs when the device is on charge, connected to Wi-Fi, and the screen is off.

This is an ideal option to use if you are selling your current Samsung tablet and upgrading to a newer model from the company.

How to reset your Samsung tablet and remove your data

With your data safe and sound in the cloud, you can nuke everything on the tablet. It's good policy to remove your secure lock screen before resetting, which will also disable factory reset protection. This feature stops your device from being used by a thief, and it should be disabled when you enter your password in the steps below. Still, it's only a few extra taps to ensure the device remains usable after you sell or give it away. With that done, it's time to reset.

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Scroll down and select General management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Select Factory data reset from the menu that opens.
   1. You can use the Reset network settings or Reset all settings option if you are having some system issues and don't want to do a full reset.

      

      

      

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5. A list of all data that will be erased and accounts that will be unlinked will be displayed.
   1. Proceed further by tapping Reset.

6. Confirm your selection by tapping Delete all.
   1. Enter the device unlock pattern/password for authentication purposes when prompted.
   2. Lastly, you must enter the Samsung account password as a final confirmation.

      

      

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Time to add some awesome apps to your new tablet

Your Samsung tablet will now reboot and reset itself. After that, you'll be greeted with the initial setup process again. If you are upgrading to a new Android tablet, check out the best tablet apps for Android that are specifically optimized for the big screen.