How to Reset Windows Phone

Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system should be easy to use. The Start Screen, Microsoft’s version of the iPhone’s home screen, is filled with tiles that display relevant information so users don’t have to jump in and out of their most used apps. Cortana, Windows Phone’s personal assistant, makes it super easy to play a specific song, open an app, or get the latest weather and sports information. Even with these features and more, you will need to reset a Windows Phone at some point. This also applies to iPhone and devices running Google’s Android operating system.

Sometimes Windows Phone Store refuses to work properly. Resetting your Windows Phone can eliminate the ‘Do Not Continue’ error that also plagues the devices of users who change the lock screen.

Before doing a reset on your Windows Phone, you need to know the basics. First, there is a difference between resetting a Windows Phone and Restarting Windows Phone. Restarting your Windows Phone is great for when you see a consistent problem, but the problem is when an app is not working properly. Press and hold the power button to restart your Windows Phone and then turn off the lock screen shade that appears on your screen. Restarting doesn’t mess up your apps or data in any way. That’s why it’s always a good idea to restart your Windows Phone to fix an error before resetting it.

Plug in your Windows Phone and back up your music and videos before resetting your Windows Phone. It’s a good idea to back up your pictures as well, but if you have OneDrive configured, your Windows Phone already does that for you automatically. Never start resetting your Windows Phone while its battery is low. Actually, plug in your Windows Phone before starting the reset process. If your Windows Phone’s battery dies during the reset, you can expect a bricked phone that needs to be sent in for service. Don’t cut corners, find your charger and plug it in now.

Let’s start.

Turn on your Windows Phone by pressing the button.

At this point, if you’ve already assigned a PIN to your device, you may be prompted to enter a PIN code. Enter now.

Welcome to the Windows Phone Start Screen, you’ve undoubtedly spent a lot of time here. You may have rearranged your apps and added more to your Start Screen. To reset your Windows Phone, you need to open the Settings app. You may have pinned the Settings app to your Start Screen. Look for the Gear Live Tile with the setting label. As in the picture below.

What do you do if you don’t have the Settings app pinned to your Start Screen? You will want to find it in the list of installed apps on your device. Put your finger on the right edge of your screen and swipe right to see the list of installed apps. There is also an arrow at the bottom of your Start Screen to access it.

All apps are listed here in alphabetical order. Tap on it.

On the settings screen, scroll down in the settings area until you find it. In our example, the phone will list About immediately after the update. On most Windows Phones this is the last settings option under System. On Microsoft Mobile and Nokia phones, it is listed just before the Nokia Account. Tap on About.

Scroll the download and tap the button.

Now tap if you are absolutely sure that you want to delete everything on your Windows Phone. Again, doing this will leave you with a completely blank Windows Phone with no contacts, basic settings, apps, and music.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get those things back easily. When you create a contact with Windows Phone, that contact is saved in your Microsoft Account. Microsoft also backs up installed apps and email accounts, but not their passwords. As long as you’re connected to the internet when you start the setup process, you’ll get everything back when you re-add your Microsoft Account to your Windows Phone after the reset.

Windows Phone 8.1 automatically installs the apps you had during the backup after the reset, but not all. Apps from the Windows Store won’t return to your device. That’s right, even if you paid for them. It’s also important to note that Xbox does not support cloud backup for Windows Phone games. You will keep your achievements, but you will have to start everything wisely.

Good luck with resetting and restoring your Windows Phone.