Sony Xperia Z Series: Hard & Soft Reset

Learn how to perform a hard and soft reset on the Sony Xperia Z Series smartphone with this tutorial.

Soft Reset

If your Xperia Z Series is frozen and not responding when pressing on buttons or tapping the screen, try a soft reset. A soft reset will not wipe any data from the device.

1. Open the SIM card door cover on the side of the phone.
2. Use the end of a paper clip to press the small “OFF” button until the device vibrates. The Xperia will shut off, allowing you to restart.

Hard Reset

If you wish to return your Sony Xperia Z Series smartphone to factory default settings, a hard reset is the answer. If you perform a hard reset, it will wipe all data and settings from the device. You may wish to perform these steps if you’ve been experiencing lock ups or other types of malfunctions, or if you will no longer be using the device.

Note: If you think you may need any information stored on the phone in the future, be sure to backup the data.

Option 1 – Hardware Buttons

1. With the device powered off, press and hold “Power” and “Volume Down“.
2. When the “Sony” screen appears, release both buttons.
3. The Recovery screen will appear. Use the volume buttons to toggle the selection to “Factory Reset“, then press “Power” to select.
4. Use the volume buttons to toggle the selection to “Yes“, then press “Power” to select.

 

Option 2 – From Android OS

1. Open “Settings“.
2. Select “Backup & reset“.
3. Tap “Factory data reset“.
4. Select “Reset phone“.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Z Series will then go through the process of formatting the memory. Wait for it to restart and factory default settings will be restored.