How often should I factory reset?

[smalba]

So I got my note 5 the day it came out and I have never factory reset it. I was thinking today should I reset it? Is it healthy to do it often or is it best to not reset it for a long time?

What do you guys think?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[LeoRex]

re:

Well... depends. If there is nothing wrong with your phone and everything is running fine, don't bother. If it aint' broke, and all that.

 

[vel7wil]

re:

I usually only do a reset if I get an update and things start acting funky. It's a major hassle but usually fixes everything. Other than that just hit the reset every so often to power down and back on, if you leave your phone on all the time. Also clearing your cache and updating your profile and prl helps some issues.

 

[Mayze]

re:

If it's running fine then I wouldn't worry about it. I avoid it it all costs because it's too much of a pain to set the phone back up the way I want it.

 

[anon(9228075)]

re:

I'm thinking of doing one to make my Samsung pay work again. What is the best way to backup apps, pics etc... Will you lose all settings like which ring tone for what etc...?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(9228075)]

And how long does it take to go through the process?

Should you wipe partition cache after or before?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[smalba]

re:

Yeah nothing is really wrong I was just wondering if it's something I should do. I will just wait maybe until next update. Thanks guys

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[geeksquadkid]

re:

What made it stop working?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Geezer Squid]

re:

I'm a big believer in shutting down my phone once or twice a week, but I never plan a Factory Data Reset. As previously stated, I do one after a system update or IF I'm having problems that are not solved with a simple restart.

Good luck!

 

[Crashdamage]

re:

And how long does it take to go through the process?

Should you wipe partition cache after or before?

Posted via the Android Central App

How long it takes to reset/restore depends on your backups, how much stuff you have installed, your skill level, etc. All I can say is for me, usually 2-3hrs to get everything exactly as it was is average.

Here's a guide to doing backups without using any proprietary software that ties you to a certain manufacturer, so you can move from anything to anything:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=4460745

A reset wipes the cache partition. Otherwise, unless you have a specific problem that could be cache-related it's best to leave it alone. I usually never clear the cache partition for the life of the device. I never do resets either.

 

[Crashdamage]

re:

I'm thinking of doing one to make my Samsung pay work again. What is the best way to backup apps, pics etc... Will you lose all settings like which ring tone for what etc...?

Posted via the Android Central App

Before doing the nuclear option, a factory reset, try clearing the Pay app cache only - not the cache partition - and restarting the phone.

You will lose some configuration with a reset. How much depends on you, the stuff you have installed and how well you did backups. See the guide linked in post #10 above.

Ringtones set to contacts will be restored if you have saved contacts to Google.

One of the changes in Marshmallow 6.0 is what can be automatically backed up to your Google account has been greatly expanded. But, developers have to enable it in their app, it's not something Google can do. Some already have. As more and more apps enable this feature backups will become easier and more complete.

 

[dancing-bass]

So I got my note 5 the day it came out and I have never factory reset it. I was thinking today should I reset it? Is it healthy to do it often or is it best to not reset it for a long time?

What do you guys think?

Posted via the Android Central App

Typically I'll do a full factory reset under one of the 3 following circumstances:
1) if I receive a software update (I mean phone software, not app updates). Typically I've found that overall the phone behaves better this way. Apps settle in better, battery life is more consistant, etc.
2) if the phone is exhibiting problems that can't otherwise be solved (strange behavior that uninstalling recent apps, clearing cache, and rebooting doesn't solve)
3) roughly every 6 months, if for no other reason to clear out crap left behind from installing and uninstalling apps, and to give everything a fresh start. This last one isn't mandatory, it somewhat depends on what all I've been doing with the phone, but if you install and uninstall a lot of apps it may not be a bad idea.

These are my general guidelines - by no means do I follow them meticulously, but they do seem to work for me. Of course - your milage may vary!

 

[GFxer]

My advise would be not do it unless you are facing performance or other problems that cannot be fixed on its own.

It does help with performance by returning it to vanilla state but this might be a hassle if you don't have a good backup app such as titanium.