How to Reset a Samsung Tablet

Resetting a Samsung tablet can fix many issues

By
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Editor
  • University of Massachusetts, Boston
Ruben Circelli has been a freelance technology writer and editor since 2014. His work has appeared on dozens of sites, including Komando.com, Twinfinite, and TheGamer.
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Updated on May 24, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • Hold Volume Up + Home + Power until you enter Recovery Mode. Then, select Reset.
  • Be careful: Factory resetting a device completely wipes its data, removing everything.

This article explains how to hard reset a Samsung tablet.

The following instructions will apply to the majority of Samsung tablets; however, depending on your region and particular device, you may have to follow similar but not identical steps. When in doubt, simply search for your product online followed by the word 'reset' and you'll find information about your particular device.

How Do You Hard Reset a Samsung Tablet?

Samsung tablets run Android, and Android has a built-in, easy way to hard reset your device back to factory defaults. As a warning, make sure to backup anything important on your tablet before resetting it. Once reset, your data will be gone.

Only use a hard reset as a last resort, however, because not only will your data be removed but personal settings will also be lost. Though, hard resetting can be a good way to fix problems with a Samsung tablet you otherwise can't solve.

Is There a Reset Button on a Samsung Tablet?

There isn't a reset "button" on a Samsung tablet, but you can press a series of buttons to put your device in Recovery Mode from where you can reset your device to factory defaults, wiping all the data on the device in the process.

To reset your Samsung tablet via Recovery Mode all you'll need is your tablet and a few minutes.

  1. Turn off the Samsung tablet. Make sure it's completely powered off and not in a sleep state. Once your screen turns off, give it a few seconds, and you'll be ready.

    It's also best practice to make sure your device is either fully-charged or plugged in for this process, just so you don't lose power during an important moment and end up creating problems.

  2. Depending on your particular Samsung tablet, either hold the Power and Volume Up buttons or the Power, Volume Up, and Home buttons until your device turns on, entering Recovery Mode.

    This usually takes around 10 to 15 seconds, but once your screen turns on, you can let go of the buttons regardless of how long you've been holding them. You'll know you have entered Recovery Mode if your tablet doesn't boot up as normal.

  3. When you boot into Recovery Mode, you'll see a list of options on the screen, one of which is to factory reset and wipe your device. Choose this option, and follow any onscreen prompts.

  4. After the reset is finished, simply power your tablet on normally, and when it boots up you'll have a freshly wiped and reset device with no personal data on it whatsoever.

    Make sure to backup any important data before resetting your tablet. Once reset, your data can't be recovered.

FAQ
  • How do I hard reset a Samsung tablet?

    Sometimes, your Samsung tablet will become unresponsive, and you'll just want to force it to restart without deleting any data. To do this, hold the Power button for about 10 seconds until the tablet restarts.

  • How do I screenshot on a Samsung tablet?

    On newer Samsung tablets, take a screenshot by pressing and holding the Power and Volume Down buttons. On older ones, hold Power and Home.

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