How to Hard Reset the Google Nexus 5

  • Replies:21
  • Stickied
Kris Carlon 35
Kris Carlon
  • Forum posts: 1,110

Nov 26, 2013, 5:05:26 PM via Website

Performing a Hard Reset on your device is simple as pie. The difference between a Factory Reset and a Hard Reset is:

Factory Reset
The 'lighter' of the two reset options. It can be done either in settings or via the recovery menu. It wipes all user data and firmware settings but leaves the contents of your internal SD Card intact.

Hard Reset
Restores a smartphone to its basic factory settings, which erases all applications that were installed by the user as well as all user data. Hard Reset wipes everything including the contents of your internal SD Card. Whatever firmware you last flashed will be the firmware you get back, but everything else will be wiped.

Clear? Ok, let's proceed with the Hard Reset for the Google Nexus 5.

  • From a powered off state, press the Power button to start your Nexus 5. When you see the Google logo press and hold the Volume Down key and release when the device vibrates.
  • Use the volume keys to highlight Recovery Menu and press the Power button to select. This will bring you to a screen with an Android on its back.
  • Hold the Volume Up key for 5 secs then release and a new menu will appear.
  • First off, you can use the volume keys to select Wipe Cache Partition. This will cause your phone to restart. once this is done, re-do the previous steps to get back to the same screen (the one that Wipe Cache Partition was on).
  • Highlight Wipe Data/Factory Reset and select using the Power key. Scroll down to Yes, Delete All Data and press the Power button again to select.
  • Your Nexus 5 will now wipe your data and reformat.
  • On the next screen hit the Power button to select Reboot System Now.

Let us know if you have any questions or problems.

Follow Kris on Google+ and Twitter / Forum Rules - Recommended for new AndroidPIT members! / Important to all community members: please read before posting

sathish rajaUsama Baghdady

Reply
1
Usama Baghdady
  • Forum posts: 2

Feb 10, 2014, 1:26:56 PM via Website

does it work on nexus 4 ?

Reply
Kris Carlon 35
Kris Carlon
  • Forum posts: 1,110

Feb 10, 2014, 10:45:29 PM via Website

The process is the same on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, as both are made by LG and have all the same button configurations.

Follow Kris on Google+ and Twitter / Forum Rules - Recommended for new AndroidPIT members! / Important to all community members: please read before posting

Usama Baghdady

Reply
1
Usama Baghdady
  • Forum posts: 2

Feb 11, 2014, 12:18:14 AM via Website

ok thanks..

Reply
1
Anagh Khandelwal
  • Forum posts: 1

Mar 9, 2014, 5:03:46 AM via Website

[b]HELP[/b]
I have a nexus 5.
I have installed market enabler and have choose sprint US
But then after i had rebooted my mobile it has stuck on a black screen
My recovery isn't working.
I have tried to hard reset from recovery but it is stucking on formating data...
Please help me it is urgent
thank you in advance....
Please [b]HELP[/b]

Reply
1
Chris Strachan
  • Forum posts: 1

Apr 25, 2014, 2:25:24 AM via Website

I have a nexus 5 that has been completely wiped. No IOS, and therefor no way to reboot with factory settings. I can't find it on my mac with usb cable...How do I restore/set phone to factory standards?

Reply
5
Sowri Rajan
  • Forum posts: 2

May 11, 2014, 6:08:59 AM via Website

You need to download google nexus kit to the desk top or laptop. Connect your mobile with desk top or laptop using USB cable.
you will be able to restore your factory settings.

Reply
1
Dylan Goffinet
  • Forum posts: 1

Jul 10, 2014, 1:19:34 AM via Website

The hard reset is not working for my Nexus 5 and my screen is glitching out way to much to do the factory reset is their anything else i can do

Reply
Kris Carlon 35
Kris Carlon
  • Forum posts: 1,110

Jul 10, 2014, 11:49:39 AM via Website

You can also reset via ADB commands from your computer. We have tutorials on the site explaining how to set up ADB.

Follow Kris on Google+ and Twitter / Forum Rules - Recommended for new AndroidPIT members! / Important to all community members: please read before posting

Reply
1
Oliver Knowles
  • Forum posts: 1

Jul 25, 2014, 1:04:07 PM via Website

I have a Nexus 5 that I bought in Hong Kong and use in China. Since trying to buy some Bluetooth earphones (fake) my phone has been glitching like the Dylan Goffinet post above, where the Google sign looks fine but then when the four rotating colour circles come onto the screen it begins to glitch more and more crazily to the point where I cannot enter my pin number and then the screen shuts down and I cannot do anything. The phone is still active as I can hear the sound when I get a new text or email, but I cannot do anything with the phone. Even when I managed to get the reboot screen with the Android lying on its back to appear, as soon as I press ANY button the glitching begins and the phone becomes useless again.
Do this sound like a virus or a software/hardware problem? It has been fine up to this week and now I cannot do anything with it. What options are available to me now? Any help would be appreciated!

Reply
2
Dilip D
  • Forum posts: 1

Aug 16, 2014, 12:09:48 PM via Website

Hiiii kris....
i'm brought nexus 5 recently... beginning it was good .. now sometimes, when i unlock the screen, the playstore gets opened automatically.... and sometimes the browser gets opened with some fancy URLS... IS there any problematic reasons for this...?

and one more ques..
does hard reset wipes out the device warranty..???

Reply
32
Deactivated Account
  • Forum posts: 770

Aug 17, 2014, 7:22:50 AM via Website

Dilip D

Hiiii kris....
i'm brought nexus 5 recently... beginning it was good .. now sometimes, when i unlock the screen, the playstore gets opened automatically.... and sometimes the browser gets opened with some fancy URLS... IS there any problematic reasons for this...?

and one more ques..
does hard reset wipes out the device warranty..???

No. Not at all.. You are safe to hard reset

Ready To Help You.

Reply
Kris Carlon 35
Kris Carlon
  • Forum posts: 1,110

Aug 22, 2014, 11:42:08 AM via Website

Hi Oliver, it sounds like a problem with the display driver. If the phone is still working on (because you can hear the sounds etc) then you might be able to do s reset through recovery simply by remembering how many steps you need to make to do a factory reset (if that's what you want to try).

The other option would be to connect your phone to your PC and reflash the factory image from Google. This will give you a fresh start (make sure to do a backup first though) and if the problem remains you might just have to take it in for repair.

Follow Kris on Google+ and Twitter / Forum Rules - Recommended for new AndroidPIT members! / Important to all community members: please read before posting

Reply
1
George Soropos
  • Forum posts: 1

Jan 12, 2015, 1:10:26 AM via Website

From a powered off state, press the Power button to start your Nexus 5. When you see the Google logo press and hold the Volume Down key and release when the device vibrates.

Yeah... No. That is not how you do it lol. You have to hold down the start button AND the volume down button AT THE SAME TIME

Reply
1
Joost spoelstra
  • Forum posts: 1

Jul 9, 2015, 2:54:44 PM via Website

Hello,

I have a problem with rebooting my phone. When i do the steps: push volume button down and press on/off button untill i see the reboot system, for just a small second the reboot system comes up in the screen but then the phone goes off again. And I can start over again. Is there any other way to come in the reboot system and it will stay in the reboot system? Thank you for responding

Sincerely Joost

P.s I have a nexus 5 phone

Reply
1
Anoop Chitkara
  • Forum posts: 1

Dec 11, 2015, 12:34:28 PM via Website

The recovery mode is showing an error. What can be done?

Reply
Gaurav Kaushik 1
Gaurav Kaushik
  • Forum posts: 1

Apr 8, 2016, 5:59:23 AM via Website

Hi Joost,

i have the same problem, i am not even able to run it into the safe mode. When ever i press power button and volume key down button safe mode screen appears and go away within 1 sec. I am fed up of this stupid loop it is getting start and getting for from last 10 hours. please help if you got the solution.

Thanks,
Gaurav

Reply
sathish raja 1
sathish raja
  • Forum posts: 1

Jul 26, 2016, 10:33:03 PM via Website

I have problem with entering in recovery mode. If I select recovery mode option with power button, then it's show no command. How can I hard reset my Nexus 5. Please kindly reply me

— modified on Jul 26, 2016, 10:36:59 PM

Reply
1
Sukrut
  • Forum posts: 1

Oct 10, 2016, 10:36:37 AM via Website

Hii,
My Nexus 5 is not working at all.
not able to do hard reset as phone is not switching on at all.
whn i try switchng ON the phone the google screen appears and the phone shuts down. and then the google kscreen keeps appearing every 10 secs automatically.
Please Help.

Reply
Bastian Siewers 66
Bastian Siewers
  • Forum posts: 9,729

Oct 10, 2016, 11:35:42 AM via Website

Hello Sukrut,

please try to hold the power button for a longer period of time, up to a minute, so the phone gets fully shut down. After that try the button combination that Loie posted in the first post when turning the phone on. You should be able to get into recovery mode.

Liebe Grüße, Bastian
Die Regeln | Die Moderatoren und Admins | Screenshots richtig posten

Reply
Mary Thelen 1
Mary Thelen
  • Forum posts: 1

Apr 16, 2018, 1:20:31 AM via Website

Hi, I'm having the same problem as Sukrut. Even when I hold down the power button for over a minute it still continues to flash in and out of the google screen and never fully shuts down. When I try to select recovery mode by pressing the power button it goes back into the black screen--> google screen loop. Any tips?

Thanks,

Mary

Reply
1
Dogg
  • Forum posts: 1

Dec 9, 2019, 7:18:05 AM via Website

My cel Died,
Did it before & was able to restart it holding the buttons down.
But this time I tried every combination for the whole day.
Nothing ! no sign of life. :-(

Reply