Symptoms
- Reset progress bar freezes at a percentage
- Phone restarts mid-reset and doesn't finish
- Reset appears to finish but old data/settings remain
- Phone won't respond after starting the reset
Likely causes
- CommonBattery died during the reset processA reset needs continuous power to complete, and low battery can interrupt it.
- CommonVery large amount of stored data taking longer than expectedErasing hundreds of gigabytes takes real time, and it can look stuck when it's just slow.
- PossibleCorrupted system partition preventing a clean resetUnderlying file system damage can cause the reset process itself to fail.
- PossibleReset interrupted by a button press or accidental restartPhysically disturbing the phone mid-reset can halt the process.
- Less commonFailing storage hardwareA degrading storage chip can cause the reset to fail repeatedly.
What to do
- Keep the phone plugged into power throughout the entire reset process.
- Wait at least 30–60 minutes before assuming it's truly stuck, especially on phones with a lot of stored data.
- If it seems frozen well beyond that, force restart the phone.
- Boot into recovery mode and retry the factory reset from there.
- For iPhone, connect to a computer and use the official recovery tool to restore instead.
- For Android, use the manufacturer's official flash/recovery tool if recovery mode reset keeps failing.
- If the reset still won't complete after these steps, the storage hardware itself may be failing.
Tools and parts
- Computer with cable (if needed)
When to call a pro
If a factory reset repeatedly fails even through recovery mode or a computer, take the phone to a repair shop to check for a failing storage chip.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.