The Google Pixel 9 runs a clean version of Android, but it’s not immune to freezes, boot loops, or the occasional update gone sideways. A reset is also the right move before selling or trading in. This guide walks through all three reset paths, from the safest (no data loss) to a full wipe via recovery mode.

⚠ Back up first. A factory reset erases everything on the phone: apps, messages, accounts, downloads. Before you start, open Settings → System → Backup and confirm a recent Google Drive backup. Google Photos handles photo and video sync separately — verify it’s switched on. If the phone won’t boot, you’ll have to skip backup and accept the loss.

Watch the procedure (video tutorial)

Method 1: Force restart (no data loss)

Try this first when the screen is frozen or unresponsive but the phone is otherwise powered on — it forces a clean restart without touching data.

Press and hold the **Power button** and **Volume Up** at the same time.
Keep holding both for about 7-10 seconds until the screen goes black.
Release when the Google logo appears. The phone will boot normally.

Method 2: Factory reset from Settings (when Pixel 9 works normally)

This is the standard factory reset path. Use it when the phone works but you want to wipe it cleanly — for resale, trade-in, or to fix persistent software problems.

Open **Settings**.
Tap **System**.
Tap **Reset options**.
Tap **Erase all data (factory reset)**.
Tap **Erase all data** at the bottom. Enter your PIN, pattern, or password if prompted.
Tap **Erase all data** once more to confirm. The phone restarts and begins the wipe.

Method 3: Hard reset via Recovery Mode (when locked or won’t boot)

Use this when the phone won’t boot to Android, you’re locked out, or Settings is unreachable. Important: this triggers Factory Reset Protection (FRP) — after the wipe, the phone will demand the Google account that was previously signed in. Without those credentials, you cannot complete setup.

Power the phone off completely. If it’s unresponsive, hold **Power + Volume Up** for 10+ seconds first.
Press and hold **Power + Volume Down** together until the **Fastboot/bootloader** screen appears (white text on black with an Android lying on its back).
Release both buttons. Use **Volume Down** to scroll the highlighted option to **Recovery mode**, then press **Power** to select.
When you see an Android with a red exclamation mark, press and hold **Power**, then briefly tap **Volume Up** and release. The Android Recovery menu loads.
Use **Volume Down** to highlight **Wipe data/factory reset**, then press **Power** to select.
Highlight **Factory data reset** and press **Power** to confirm. Wait for the wipe to finish.
Highlight **Reboot system now** and press **Power**.

After the reset

The phone boots to the Android welcome screen, just like out of the box. You’ll be prompted to sign back into the Google account that was previously on the device — this is FRP, Google’s anti-theft measure, and it cannot be bypassed. Once signed in, you can restore apps and settings from your Google backup or start fresh. Some data (Signal messages, certain authenticator apps, end-to-end encrypted content) won’t restore from cloud and is gone for good.

Troubleshooting

I forgot the Google account that was signed in before the reset.

Recover the account at accounts.google.com/signin/recovery using a backup email or phone number. Google will not bypass FRP and neither will any third-party tool — the only legitimate path is regaining access to the original account. If the phone was previously owned by someone else, they must remove it from their account at myaccount.google.com.

I end up in Fastboot mode instead of Recovery, or the buttons don’t do anything.

You released the buttons too early or selected the wrong bootloader option. Hold **Volume Down** to cycle the highlighted option until it reads **Recovery mode**, then tap **Power** to select. At the red-exclamation Android screen, hold Power and briefly tap Volume Up — this is the step most people miss.

The Pixel 9 is stuck on the boot logo or in a boot loop after the reset.

Re-enter Recovery (Method 3, steps 1-4) and run **Wipe cache partition** if available, then **Factory data reset** again. If the loop persists, reflash the stock firmware using Google’s official Android Flash Tool at flash.android.com — it’s browser-based, requires a USB-C cable, and restores the phone to factory firmware.