How to Do a Factory Data Reset on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

You can follow these steps detailed below to perform a factory data reset on either the Pixel 2 or the bigger Pixel 2 XL.

While many people would like to avoid doing a factory data reset since it’s a hassle to set a phone back up again, there are a number of reasons why it can be a valuable tool. Some people are fearful of downloading and installing an OTA update because they have messed up a phone or tablet for them in the past.

Thankfully, most of those issues can be easily resolved by simply doing a factory data reset after the OTA update has been installed.

Again, I know this is a hassle but it’s something that has oftentimes been shown to fix everything. Some also suggest that you do a Pixel 2 data reset right after you pull the phone out of the box. Again, just because some people have had issues using the software that was installed from the factory. Then there are times when you need to do one and that usually happens if you ever run into a bootloop where you can’t get booted into Android for one reason or another.

Whatever the case is, today I will show you how to do a factory data reset on the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. Not only that, I will be separating this into two guides to show you how to do what is called a soft factory reset and what is called the hard factory reset. I’ll be explaining these two types down below.

Pixel 2 Soft Factory Reset

1. Launch the Settings application
2. Tap on the System option
3. Tap on the Reset Options option
4. Tap on the Erase All Data option
5. Tap the Reset Phone button
6. Enter your PIN/pattern/password
7. Then tap the Erase Everything button

Pixel 2 Hard Factory Reset

1. Boot the Pixel 2 into Fastboot Mode
2. Then boot the Pixel 2 into Recovery Mode
3. Press the Volume Down button until the Wipe Data/Factory Reset option is highlighted
4. Press the Power button to select this option
5. Press the Volume Down button once
6. Then press the Power button again to confirm you want to erase everything

Explanation

As mentioned, there are two different versions of the factory data reset that you can do on the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. I want to make one thing clear though, both of these methods do the exact same type of reset and the only difference here is how you approach the task. So, if you are able to boot into Android then just follow the soft factory reset guide as that is the quickest and easiest way to do it. But, if you are in a bootloop or can’t boot into Android then you’ll want to follow the second guide listed here.

You will also want to backup any and all data that you can before you continue with this process. This means connecting the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL to the PC and copying any and all of the contents from the internal storage to your computer. If there are cloud backup services in the apps or games you use, then make sure they are up to date as well. Android does have an automated backup system in place but not all applications take advantage of it.

So to start, simply open up the Settings application and then find the System option at the bottom. In this sub-menu you’ll find an option called Reset Options and through there is an Erase All Data option that you want to tap on. Then look at the bottom of the screen and tap the Reset Phone button so you can be asked for your PIN, pattern, or password. Once verified that it’s you, you can then tap the Erase Everything button at the top and wait for the Pixel 2 to wipe everything.

Now, if you can’t boot into Android then hold the Power button down until you completely power off the device. From here, you can follow the guide in step 1 of the second tutorial to boot the Pixel 2 into Fastboot Mode. From there, you’ll want to boot over into Recovery Mode and it’s here that you’ll find the Wipe Data/Factory Reset option. Use the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons to highlight the option and press the Power button to select it.

You’ll be asked to confirm if that is what you want to do and once that is confirmed you will reset your phone as I show in the video above. The process doesn’t take longer than a few seconds (even on my 128GB version) and then you can tell the device to start back up into Android.