What Wiping Your Tablet Means and When to Do It
Wiping your Samsung Galaxy tablet means erasing all the data on it—your photos, apps, messages, contacts, and settings—and returning it to the state it was in when it left the factory. This is called a factory reset or hard reset. You do this when you're selling or giving away the tablet, when it's running slowly and you want a fresh start, or when you've forgotten your PIN or password and need to regain access.
A factory reset is permanent. Once you start the process, you cannot undo it. Before you wipe your tablet, back up anything you want to keep—photos, documents, contacts—to Google Drive, Samsung Cloud, or another cloud service. If you don't back up first, that data is gone.
Key Takeaways
- Back up your photos, documents, and contacts to Google Drive or Samsung Cloud before you start, because a factory reset erases everything on the tablet.
- You can wipe your tablet through Settings by going to General Management, then Reset, then Factory Data Reset.
- If you've forgotten your PIN or password, you can still wipe the tablet, but the steps depend on whether you're signed into a Samsung account.
- A factory reset takes 5 to 15 minutes and your tablet will restart several times during the process.
- After the reset is complete, your tablet will ask you to sign in to a Google account before you can use it.
Back Up Your Data Before You Wipe
Open the Settings app and tap Accounts and backup. Tap Backup and restore, then Back up my data. Make sure the toggle is turned on. This backs up your contacts, calendar events, and app data to your Google account.
For photos and videos, open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture in the top right, then tap Photos settings. Turn on Backup and sync. This uploads your photos to Google Drive so you can read them later on another device.
If you use Samsung Cloud instead, open Settings, tap Accounts and backup, then Samsung Cloud. Tap Back up and choose what you want to save. Samsung Cloud stores your data separately from Google, so using both gives you extra protection.
Wipe Your Tablet If You Know Your PIN or Password
Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap General management. Tap Reset. Tap Factory data reset. Read the warning that appears—it tells you everything will be erased. Tap Reset again to confirm.
Your tablet will ask you to enter your PIN, password, or pattern one more time to make sure you really want to do this. Enter it. The tablet will now erase all your data. This takes 5 to 15 minutes. Your tablet will restart several times. Do not turn it off or unplug it during this time.
When the reset is done, your tablet will show the setup screen, just like when it was new. It will ask you to sign in with a Google account. You must sign in with a Google account to use the tablet—this is a security feature Samsung built in. If you don't have a Google account, you can create one for free at google.com.
Wipe Your Tablet If You've Forgotten Your PIN or Password
If you've forgotten your PIN, password, or pattern, you have two paths depending on whether you remember your Samsung account password.
If you remember your Samsung account password: On the lock screen, tap Forgot password? or Forgot PIN? (the exact wording depends on your tablet model). Tap Sign in with Samsung account. Enter your Samsung account email and password. Your tablet will unlock. Then follow the steps in the section above to wipe it normally through Settings.
If you don't remember your Samsung account password: You can still wipe the tablet, but you'll need to use Find Mobile, Samsung's remote wipe tool. Go to findmobile.samsung.com on a computer. Sign in with your Samsung account (or create one if you don't have one). Find your tablet in the list of devices. Tap Unlock or Wipe. Choose Wipe. Confirm that you want to erase the tablet. Samsung will send a command to your tablet, and it will erase itself over the next few minutes. Your tablet must be connected to the internet for this to work.
What Happens After the Wipe Is Complete
Your tablet will restart and show the setup screen. It will ask you to select your language and country. Then it will ask you to sign in with a Google account. This is mandatory—you cannot skip this step. If you have a Google account, sign in with your email and password. If you don't have one, tap Create account and follow the steps to make one.
After you sign in, your tablet will read your backed-up contacts, calendar, and app data from Google. This can take a few minutes depending on how much data you have. Your photos will not automatically read—you'll need to open Google Photos and tap the read button next to each photo you want to restore, or you can turn on backup and sync again and let Google Photos upload them over time.
If you're giving the tablet to someone else, do not sign in with your Google account. Let them complete the setup with their own account instead. This way, their data stays separate from yours.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake is wiping your tablet without backing up first. Once the reset starts, your data is gone. There is no recovery. If you realize you forgot to back something up, stop and back it up before you start the wipe.
Another common mistake is turning off the tablet while it's wiping. The reset process writes new data to your tablet's storage, and interrupting it can leave your tablet in a broken state. Let it finish, even if it takes longer than you expect. Do not unplug it or hold the power button.
If you're selling your tablet, do not just wipe it and hand it over. After the wipe, sign out of your Google account before you give it to the new owner. Open Settings, tap Accounts, tap your Google account, tap the three dots in the top right, and tap Remove account. This prevents the new owner from accessing your email or photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wipe my tablet if it won't turn on?
Yes. Hold the power button and the volume up button at the same time for 10 seconds until the recovery menu appears. Use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe data / factory reset and press the power button to select it. Confirm the wipe. This works even if your tablet is completely dead, as long as the battery has enough charge to power the recovery menu.
Will wiping my tablet remove the operating system?
No. A factory reset only erases your personal data and apps. The Android operating system and Samsung's built-in apps stay on the tablet. After the wipe, your tablet will work exactly like a brand-new one from the store.
How long does a factory reset take?
Most factory resets take 5 to 15 minutes from start to finish. Older tablets or tablets with a lot of storage may take longer. Your tablet will restart several times during the process. Do not interrupt it.
What if I change my mind after I start the wipe?
You cannot stop a factory reset once it has started. The process is designed to be irreversible for security reasons. If you realize you made a mistake, let the reset finish and then restore your data from your backup.
Do I need to remove my SD card before wiping?
No. A factory reset does not erase files on an SD card. If you want to erase the SD card too, you can do that separately through Settings by going to Device care, then Storage, then SD card, then the three dots menu, then Format. But this is optional and separate from the factory reset.