Why has my Nexus 5 reset itself?

[silvershadow1x]

My Nexus 5 Shut Off and Lost All Data

After I plugged my Nexus 5 into the phone charger last night it kept turning off and then it kept trying to turn back on again but it would usually only make it to the Google startup logo. I unplugged it and still got the same results. Today I tried turning it on a few times. Finally it began to work but it started up resetting itself as a new phone. Therefore I lost all of my apps, settings, photos, and text messages. How do I get my old phone back?

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: My Nexus 5 Shut Off and Lost All Data

Welcome to Android Central! Did you end up having to go to a Recovery Menu, or did you just keep pressing the Power button? If you saw the Recovery Menu (which has lots of small text in blue), is it possibly you selected the Wipe Data/Factory Reset option?

If not, then it's possible there was some catastrophic glitch that forced a factory reset. It happens rarely. But if it was a true factory reset, then unfortunately, the data that was stored locally on your phone is gone. Your apps can be reinstalled from Google Play, because your record of installations and purchases is kept in your Google account. But any photos that were only stored locally can't be recovered--that's why it's always recommended to backup data on a regular basis.