Hard reset phone with no screen

[menappi]

So recently I gently dropped by phone on the floor (so gently there were no marks and it wasn't from very high up) and I noticed a small purple spot in the corner close to where I dropped it. Well, 24 hours later and my screen was completely covered in purple and is now completely black. I want to try to sell the phone for parts (or to someone who'd like to fix it) but I need to clear my data off it before I can do that but don't know the precise steps to hard reset the device. Anyone have the buttons presses memorized or know of some way to plug the phone into my computer to trigger the reset from there?

 

[SpookDroid]

You can do it in a number of ways.

1) If your phone is still connecting to WiFi or mobile data, send a remote wipe command via Google's Device Manager (with the same Google account you set it up with) or through Samsung's FindMyMobile site (with the Samsung account you set up the device with).

2) You can download SideSync to your computer and connect it through USB. That will let you see the phone's screen on your computer and interact with it with your mouse/keyboard. Unfortunately, for this to work, SideSync should have been use on the phone prior to the screen going dead. I can't remember if the Note 5 has it pre-installed and set up to automatically launch, though. Worth a try.

3) Using Kies or Smart Switch. BUT I do believe that for this to work your phone needs to be unlocked, so if you set up a lockscreen, you need to unlock it first.

4) If your screen is blank but still accepts input, and you set up a secure lockscreen, then you can try to input the wrong credentials a bunch of times until the phone resets itself. Unfortunately without you being to see what's on the screen, this is a bit difficult.

 

[menappi]

Thanks, totally forgot about the Google Device Manager. It was connected and I initiated the Formatting but I'm not entirely sure if it's doing it or what, says it is but can't see anything onscreen so I will trust that it does and if I sell the phone and it's not then they can't access my stuff since I had a passcode on it *crossing fingers*

Thanks.

 

[SpookDroid]

Glad I could help!

 

[menappi]

Quick follow up question. So I wiped the device via Google Device Manager (logged in via my laptop and simply wiped it, phone then went offline and was not showing on my list of devices so I assumed it successfully worked). I then sold the phone to somebody off eBay... The buyer just emailed me saying that the phone booted up and is asking for the login that the account was synced with...Is this possible or is this guy lying? I can give him my Google login if this is right but I'd rather not do that because it seems suspicious...What do you think?

 

[underway99]

That's a security feature on most newer phones. It will ask for login information for the last account with which it synced after wiping and reloading as a measure to prevent people from activating a lost or stolen phone. From what I've read, the only way for the buyer to use the device at this point is if you send the password. Then you could immediately revoke that device's access to your account. I don't know if there's a workaround. Or you could have the buyer return the device to you, and you could unregister the device.

I'd plan on making a new Google password too.

 

[menappi]

Thanks. So I was talking with the buyer today and I gave him my login info (for my google account that I used with the phone before I wiped it) and we couldn't get it to log in to start the phone up. The customer kept saying that the phone was saying the password was wrong. I had my Device Manager open also and it didn't show the phone connecting. The weird thing is though I get an e-mail right when he tries to log in that there was a recent sign in from the phone...so it seems as though the login info was right but for some reason the phone wasn't allowing it to unlock with my e-mail? Even though I used that phone with my google account info for the past year with no problems? I did buy the phone off craigslist though...could it have been locked to the persons email from before??? Not sure how that is even possible since I used it no problem...

 

[underway99]

Not likely that it was locked to the previous owner's account if you were able to use it.

You said that you couldn't see the device in ADM, but you got the security message. Does the phone show up on your devices page in your Google account? Go to "https://myaccount.google.com" and look for the Sign-in & security section, and click on Device activity & notifications. If you see the phone, and it indicates that the locked phone was logged into your account while you were working with the buyer, then the login appears good. The drop could possibly have caused other problems.

If this is the screen that the buyer is seeing, then the password that goes with your Google account should open the phone. It can be any Google account that you had synced with the device.



After that, I'm spent. I'm not sure how to help you. There are many here that know a lot more about these things than I. Good luck.

 

[menappi]

Thanks for the help. Yes, that is the screen the that pops up on my screen. Using my Google login info kept giving the error that the password was wrong but the phone is showing up in my Google settings under 'Recently used devices', so I'm thoroughly confused as well. The only thing I can think of is that it wants the info of the owner previous to me? The screen also asks for an email or phone number as log in..not just e-mail, which is a little different than the screenshot you sent.