LG G4: How to Factory Reset

Whether you just want a clean slate or maybe your latest Android update isn’t functioning properly, simply follow these steps to factory reset the LG G4.

A lot of people do not like to do a factory reset and I promise, I understand that it can be a hassle. Sadly though, this can be a required step to resolve any issues that you may have with your LG G4. Naturally, we try to do some of the less critical troubleshooting steps like booting the LG G4 into safe mode or wiping the cache partition of the LG G4 before we turn to a drastic tip like this.

So if you have tried everything else and you are still having trouble with your LG G4, then a factory reset might be best. You might think that it would be best to take it in to be repaired.

Some OEM service centers will do this and there are some local repair stores that will do this as well. If they suspect the issue is software related though, they will perform this factory reset on the LG G4 anyway. So either route you take, the device might need to be reset in order to fix those issues and why not just do it in the comfort of your own home? I will suggest that you try to backup as much of your data as possible. LG has a piece of software called LG PC Suite which will let you connect your LG G4 to the computer and then backup data like contacts, photos, applications, etcetera. Once you have done that, then let’s begin with the factory reset.

I’m actually going to cover two different methods to doing a factory reset. If you cannot boot your LG G4 into Android then you’ll want to skip down to the LG G4 Hard Factory Reset tutorial and follow those steps. However, if you can boot into Android just fine then you can follow the easier tutorial for the LG G4 Soft Factory Reset. Both methods will result in the same type of factory reset being done. These are just different methods so you can do a reset no matter what state your LG G4 is in.

LG G4 Soft Factory Reset

1. Launch the Settings Application
2. Tap on the General Tab(if in tabbed view)
3. Scroll Down and Tap on the ‘Backup & Reset’ Option
4. Tap on the ‘Factory Data Reset’ Option
5. Tap on the ‘Reset Phone’ Option at the Bottom
6. Then Tap on the ‘Erase Everything’ Option
7. Wait Until the LG G3 Resets and Reboots

LG G4 Hard Factory Reset

1. Power Down the LG G4
2. Boot the LG G4 into Recovery Mode
3. Press the Volume Down Button to Highlight the ‘Yes’ Option
4. Press the Power Button to Select this Option
5. Then, Press the Volume Down Button Again to Highlight the ‘Yes’ Option Again
6. And Press the Power Button Again to Select this Option Again
7. Wait Until the LG G4 Resets Itself

Explanation

What we’re doing here is booting the LG G4 into the stock recovery mode. Now, if you have a custom recovery installed then you’ll need to navigate through that custom menu in order to reset your phone. I will cover those steps in a later tutorial once a custom recovery can actually be installed on the LG G4. For now though, we’re just dealing with the stock recovery for the device. As you can see above, there are two different ways that you can do a factory reset on the LG G4. The first method is easier as you just have to navigate through the regular Android settings application for your device.

Those steps will guide you to the correct area of the LG G4 and then you just have to tell it to erase everything. This is the method that I recommend you do if your LG G4 is able to boot up into Android. Sometimes though, an Android device gets stuck in a bootloop or the performance is just so slow that it is intolerable to navigate through the Settings application. For those instances you will need to power down the LG G4(pull the battery if needed) and then follow the linked guide in the tutorial above to boot the LG G4 into recovery mode.

Once you are in the recovery mode for the LG G4, you’ll then be given a menu with only a couple of options(yes and no). Here, you’re going to need to use the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons to control the highlighted option. Once you have selected the ‘Yes’ option, press the Power button to select it. You’ll be taken to another screen where you are asked to confirm whether or not you want to actually factory reset the LG G4. If you do, make sure the ‘Yes’ option is selected again and then press the Power button.

Again, this will do the same type of factory reset as the first method does, it’s just a different way to get the phone to actually reset. Once the factory reset is finished, your LG G4 will reboot and you’ll be asked to activate Android again. When you get back to the Android home screen, you can connect the LG G4 to the PC and restore your data with the LG PC Suite program that you used before doing the factory reset.