The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a reliable flagship, but software hiccups happen — a frozen screen after an update, a boot loop, or a phone you’re preparing to sell. This guide walks through three reset paths, from the no-data-loss force restart to a full recovery-mode wipe. Methods 2 and 3 erase everything, so back up first.
Watch the procedure (video tutorial)
Method 1: Force restart (no data loss)
Try this first when the S24 is frozen or unresponsive — it forces a restart without touching your data.
- Press and hold the **Side button** and **Volume Down** at the same time.
- Keep holding both for about 7-10 seconds.
- Release when the screen goes black and the Samsung logo appears. The phone reboots normally.
Method 2: Factory reset from Settings (when Galaxy S24 works normally)
Use this standard factory reset when the phone still works but you want to wipe it cleanly — selling, gifting, or fixing persistent software bugs.
- Open **Settings**.
- Tap **General management**.
- Tap **Reset**.
- Tap **Factory data reset**.
- Scroll down and tap **Reset**. Enter your PIN, password, or pattern.
- Tap **Delete all** to confirm. The phone restarts and begins wiping.
Method 3: Hard reset via Recovery Mode (when locked or won’t boot)
Use this when the phone won’t boot, is locked out, or Settings is unreachable. This triggers Factory Reset Protection — after the wipe, the phone will demand the Google account that was previously signed in. Without those credentials, the phone cannot be set up.
- Power the phone off completely. If unresponsive, hold **Side + Volume Down** for 10+ seconds until it shuts down.
- Connect the phone to a computer with a USB-C cable. Modern Galaxy devices require an active USB data connection to enter Recovery.
- Press and hold **Volume Up + Side button** at the same time.
- Keep holding until the blue Android Recovery menu appears, then release both buttons.
- Use **Volume Down** to highlight **Wipe data/factory reset**, then press the **Side button** to select.
- Highlight **Factory data reset** and press the **Side button** to confirm.
- When the wipe completes, select **Reboot system now**.
After the reset
The phone boots to the Samsung Welcome screen. You’ll be required to sign back into the Google account previously used on the device — this is Factory Reset Protection, and Samsung cannot bypass it. After sign-in, you can restore from a Samsung Cloud or Google backup, or set up as new. Some app data (game saves, end-to-end encrypted messages, authenticator app codes) does not restore from cloud and is gone permanently.
Troubleshooting
I don’t remember the Google account that was signed in before the reset.
Recover the account at accounts.google.com/signin/recovery using a recovery email or phone number. If the phone was previously owned by someone else, only that person can remove it from their Google account — Samsung will not bypass FRP under any circumstances.
The phone reboots normally instead of entering Recovery mode.
You likely released the buttons too early, or the USB cable isn’t providing a data connection. Use a known-good USB-C cable plugged into a computer (not just a wall charger), and hold **Volume Up + Side** firmly through the Samsung logo until the blue Recovery menu appears.
The S24 is stuck in a boot loop after the factory reset.
Re-enter Recovery (Method 3, steps 1-4), select **Wipe cache partition** first, then run **Wipe data/factory reset** again. If the loop persists, reflash official firmware using Samsung Smart Switch on a PC — it will detect the phone in Download mode (**Volume Down + Volume Up + USB** while powered off) and restore stock software.
