How to do a factory reset
· 2 min read
The factory reset is the safety net under everything we do here. It returns the television to exactly the state it left the box in, including every package you removed.
From the menu
Settings → Device preferences → Reset → Factory data reset
Takes between five and fifteen minutes. Do not unplug the television during it.
Over ADB
adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.FACTORY_RESET
Does not work on every model: many manufacturers restrict it. If nothing happens, use the menu or recovery.
From recovery mode
When the television will not boot far enough to reach the menu:
- Unplug from the mains.
- Hold the physical button on the set.
- Still holding, plug it in.
- Wait for the recovery menu.
- Wipe data / factory reset.
The exact combination varies by model and is in the manual. Some need two buttons at once, others the remote during startup.
What you lose
- Google accounts and every app's session.
- Apps you installed yourself.
- Picture, sound and network settings.
- Tuned broadcast channels.
What comes back
Absolutely all the factory software, including the apps you removed and the advertising that brought you here in the first place.
The practical tip
Before resetting, save the list of what you had removed:
adb shell pm list packages > before-the-reset.txt
That way, when the television is back to day one, you can repeat the clean-up in ten minutes rather than reconstructing it from memory.
And note down the picture settings you had. They are the hardest thing to get back and nobody writes them down.