To hard reset Sony Xperia Z5 handsets is to wipe all data and reset the device to the way you first found it when you opened it out of the box. It’s a step that’s most commonly taken when you have a bug in the OS or you are choosing to sell the device. If you are selling the device, you probably are performing the hard reset for the sake of deleting all of the data on the device. Those who are experiencing problems with the software and want to reset probably want to store the data and just benefit mainly from the reset itself.

Unfortunately there is no way to apply a hard reset on the Sony Xperia Z5 smartphone without wiping the data; that’s all part of the process. It’s one of the reason why we always suggest you back up the Sony Xperia device data with incremental updates. Sometimes if you wait too long to backup the device and something goes wrong, there is no way you can take the backup at that stage. Hopefully it’s not too late for you to take a backup of the data now if you are resetting to fix a problem with the Sony Xperia Z5 smartphone.

Examples of data you may wish to back up include the text messages, pictures, videos, settings, SMS text messages and apps. Basically anything that you added to the device will be subtracted from the device. With a backup taken you can later restore that data again and have everything on your device just like it was prior to taking the backup.

REQUIREMENTS

• The following guide works only for hard resetting the Sony Xperia Z5 smartphones. While it’s possible the same method works for other devices, it’s best you look them up individually just to make sure and not attempt to follow this guide unless you do know it works for a different device.

HOW TO HARD RESET SONY XPERIA Z5

Using the hardware keys

• Long-press the Power key to completely turn off the device.
• Turn it back on again and navigate to the Menu > Settings > Backup & Reset > Factory Data Reset.
• Now tap over the ‘Reset Phone’ option.
• Tap the ‘Erase Everything’ and agree to the terms and conditions it displays.
• The device will now reset.

Using the FlashTool

• Download the Sony FlashTool and the Sony USB Drivers to the computer. You’ll need that to be a Windows computer.
• Long-press the Power key so that the device eventually turns off.
• Reboot by holding the Volume Down and do not let go of that button. Now connect it to the computer whilst still holding down that button.
• Get the device in recovery mode.
• Choose the ‘wipe data factory reset’ and ‘wipe cache partition’.
• Head back to the main recovery menu and select the ‘Reboot System Now’ button.
• The Sony Xperia Z5 will now reboot into the normal mode which is the same mode you would usually use the device.