How to Hard Reset (Factory Reset) Nexus 6

Need help in performing a hard reset or master reset on your Nexus 6 smartphone? This article will walk you through it.

Hard reset or master reset is a process of erasing your device and restoring factory default settings on it. While this method can help resolve various device issues (hardware or software), it will result in the loss of all data stored on the device including third-party applications and personal contents, and settings configuration. That being said, this type of reset should only be considered and used as a last resort after performing all other troubleshooting procedures.

It is also highly recommended to complete a backup of the device information before you start performing a hard reset.

Once you have created a backup of all your important contents, you may proceed with the following steps.

Hard Reset Nexus 6 from the Settings Menu

1. Tap the All Apps icon from the Home screen.

2. Scroll to and tap Settings.

3. Under Settings, scroll to and tap Backup & reset.

4. Tap Factory data reset to continue.

5. Read the warning and tap the Reset Phone button at the bottom of the Factory data reset screen.

6. If prompted, enter the correct Pattern, PIN or Password, if you've set Device Protection on your device, then tap Next to proceed.

Note: You can skip this step if you have not set Device Protection on your device.

7. Read the warning and tap the button to Erase Everything.

8. Wait for your phone to complete the reset process and restart.

Hard Reset Nexus 6 using Hardware Keys

You can also hard reset your Google Nexus 6 using the hardware keys, especially if the device menus are frozen or unresponsive. Here's how to do it:

1. Power off the device.

2. Press and hold the Volume down button, then press and hold the Power button at the same time until the device turns on.

3. Press the Volume down button twice to highlight the Recovery Mode option.

4. To start recovery mode, press the Power button. You will then see an Android robot with a red exclamation mark.

5. While holding down the Power button, press and release the Volume Up button to display the Android recovery system menu.

6. Scroll to Wipe data/factory reset option using the Volume buttons, then press the Power button to select it.

7. Scroll down to Yes - erase all user data.

8. Press the Power button to select it.

In case your phone becomes unresponsive at any point during this process, you can restart your device by holding down the Power button for several seconds.

After the hard reset, your phone will be restored with the original factory settings.