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How to factory reset the HTC One M8 for better performance

htc one m8 teaser
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The HTC One M8 is a fantastic phone, but like any Android device the combination of app installs and uninstalls and everyday use means that from time to time it can misbehave. If your HTC One M8 feels slow, is prone to freezing or infuriates you with constant crashing, it’s probably time to go nuclear and carry out a factory reset (sometimes called a hard reset or a master reset). Here’s how to factory reset the HTC One M8 for better performance.

htc one m8 teaser
We love the HTC One M8, even when it misbehaves. / © ANDROIDPIT

What to do before you factory reset the HTC One M8

Backup, backup, backup: if it’s important to you, make sure you’ve got a backup copy somewhere safe before you reset your HTC. Also make sure you’ve got a note of any crucial app passwords, because post-reset you’ll need to set them up again. Also, make sure you’ve synced with your Google account so that all the online data Google has for your tablet is up to date. That’ll make restoring your HTC One M8 much simpler.

It’s also worth trying a few other things first. If you’re finding that all of your problems appear to happen with the same app, there’s a good chance that something has gone wrong with it rather than with your entire Android device - so try uninstalling, rebooting and reinstalling it to see if that fixes the problem. Clearing the app and system caches can solve odd behavior too, and of course it’s important to ensure that the version of Android on your HTC is the most recent version available. No operating system ships without a few bugs, and Google generally kills the worst ones with successive releases.

AndroidPIT HTC One Factory Reset 1
The fastest way to reset your phone is to do it from Settings. / © ANDROIDPIT

What a factory reset actually does to your HTC One M8

Carrying out a factory reset will essentially restore your HTC to factory-fresh condition - and like a brand new one from the factory, that means it won’t have any of your stuff on it. Factory resetting will remove all of the data on your phone including apps you’ve installed, user accounts you’ve created, files you’ve stored and any customization you’ve carried out. The only thing it doesn’t get rid of is system updates, so for example if you’ve installed a few Android OS updates they’ll still be there after the reset is complete.

When you should factory reset your HTC One M8

The main reason for factory resetting your device is to stop it from misbehaving. The reset is effectively a spring clean of your device, sweeping away the dust from various apps, removing temporary files and generally ensuring your device is all clean and sparkly. It’s also a good idea to factory reset your HTC if you’re selling it or giving it to somebody else.

AndroidPIT HTC One Factory Reset 2
Resetting removes your data, but that doesn't mean it can't be recovered. / © ANDROIDPIT

An important warning for secret agents, superheroes and international men and women of mystery

A factory reset deletes your data, but it doesn’t make it impossible to recover that data. It’s possible to recover data after a phone has been reset, and while that’s beyond the knowledge of (and of no interest to) the typical smartphone owner, if you’ve been using your phone for top-secret stuff you want to get rid of forever you should fire your HTC into the center of the sun, or at least invest in secure wiping software.

AndroidPIT HTC One Factory Reset HBoot
You can also reset your HTC using the hardware buttons. / © ANDROIDPIT

How to factory reset the HTC One M8 from the Settings menu

There are two ways to reset your HTC: you can do it from Settings, or you can do it using the hardware buttons. The first method is slightly faster, so here’s how to do it:

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap Backup and Reset
  • Tap Reset Phone
  • If you want to zap the contents of your SD card too, check Erase SD Card.
  • Tap OK

And that’s it. As with any serious system things, always ensure you’ve taken a backup and that your device is charged and/or connected to the charger before doing any of this.

AndroidPIT HTC One Hard Reset
Resetting makes use of the volume and power buttons.  / © ANDROIDPIT

How to factory reset the HTC One M8 using the hardware buttons

If your HTC One isn’t booting, you can’t access the settings or you just really like buttons, you can factory reset your HTC using the following steps:

  • Press and hold the Volume Down button and then press and hold the Power button.
  • Wait for the screen with three Android images to appear. Release the buttons.
  • Using the Volume Down key to navigate, select Factory Reset. Use the Power button to confirm your selection.

Have you found resetting your HTC One M8 cures all known ills, or have you still got a stubborn problem? Share your experiences in the comments!

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Gary Marshall

Gary Marshall
Freelance writer

Former lion tamer, Girls Aloud backing dancer and habitual liar Gary Marshall has been writing about technology since Google was two guys in a garage. He's written for many fine magazines, newspapers and websites, written a range of how-to-books and a novel, co-written a BBC documentary series and dishes out weekly tech advice on BBC Radio Scotland.

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13 comments
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  • 1
    Twahirwa Sep 15, 2020 Link to comment

    plz ur support is needed i can not factory reset my htc one m8 when do all steps nothing changes it return back to menu and i forgot my pin


  • 1
    Twahirwa Sep 15, 2020 Link to comment

    i followed all your steps but i can not find the three android images coming


    • 1
      Matrixunloaded Dec 15, 2020 Link to comment

      Same here. All I get are the htc One screen--no three images. Meanwhile I keep getting ":Sense Home has stopped working." Any help appreciated.


      • 1
        Matrixunloaded Dec 15, 2020 Link to comment

        I found this on a T-mobile site:
        Back up data on the internal memory.
        Be sure the phone is off.
        Press and hold the Volume Down key.
        Turn the phone on by pressing the Power key until the phone vibrates, then release Power.
        Continue holding the Volume Down key.
        Release the Volume Down button when the black screen with red and blue lines of text appears.
        Press the Volume Down button repeatedly until reboot to bootloader is highlighted, then select it with the Power button.
        The device will display a white screen with colored text.
        Press the Volume Down button repeatedly until BOOT TO RECOVERY MODE is highlighted, then select it with the Power button. The screen will display the white HTC screen, and then turn black. After several seconds, another black screen with red and blue text will appear.
        Press the Volume Down button repeatedly until wipe data/factory reset is highlighted, then select it with the Power button.
        Press the Volume Down button repeatedly until Yes – delete all user data is highlighted, then select it with the Power button.
        Once the data wipe is complete, make sure reboot system now is selected and press the Power button.


  • 1
    Idle Racer Aug 22, 2019 Link to comment

    This particular M8 seems to constantly need to do "Optimising App X of 167" which takes forever, and doesn't always guarantee it'll work afterwards. It used to be a great phone, but after a battery change, it seems to have gone haywire!


  • 1
    luke gilbert Dec 9, 2018 Link to comment

    To much porn kills the phone Pablo viruses take over


  • 1
    luke gilbert Dec 9, 2018 Link to comment

    Gifting my m8 to one of the mates but can't factory reset, doing what you said but no option to factory reset 4 options download somert and reboot plus couple other things, do I need to go to ee to open it up and if so how much


  • Steven Oesterreicher 1
    Steven Oesterreicher Feb 11, 2018 Link to comment

    I have had HTC phones for a lot of years, but I'm leaving and going to LG V30+. The battery and the message that keeps coming up is infuriating.


  • Aislinn Foley 1
    Aislinn Foley Jun 25, 2017 Link to comment

    I can't factory reset my phone. Every time I click the settings button on the phone an error report comes up saying "com.android.settings has stopped unexpectedly. Would you like to send an error report to HTC? This will help us improve our products" It does not matter if I send an error report or not, I still can not get into my settings. I have tried searching manually on the phone for factory rest and the send pop up error report comes up. I have tried to manually use the volume and off buttons to factory reset the phone and the same pop up error report comes up. Can someone help me I really do not know what to do or why this has happened.


  • Carmen Carmensita 1
    Carmen Carmensita Dec 18, 2016 Link to comment

    Few days ago my HTC M8 would not connect to house wifi. After some google research and trial and error with no results i did a factory reset on the phone. That messed up the things even more since now i keep getting 'Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped'. So i cannot log into my google account,therefore no more apps of any kind.I took it today to a repair shop and they told me is a jailbroken phone and there is nothing they can do about it. What should i do? Thank you for your time.
    C.


  • Pablo Ballistreri 1
    Pablo Ballistreri Apr 22, 2016 Link to comment

    My HTC M8, keep notify an error with contact, and i can't make calls, only by downloading an extra app. I think that a system update brake my phone, i make a hard reset, and now is worst, the message appear all the time, and i can't use the phone for anythin!!! please help me!!!


    • 2
      Nick Mathys Oct 4, 2016 Link to comment

      You should buy a new phone.

      luke gilbert


  • 1
    Donovan Yoakum Jun 26, 2015 Link to comment

    What do I do if that don't help it just freezes agin

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