An Android TV Box is very similar to a mobile phone. Yes, it has a different chip, and the system interface changes a bit, but in essence, it is practically the same. Therefore, after prolonged use, or if you have a performance problem, as with the mobile, it is necessary to reset the device’s factory data.
This is something that you will also want to do if you are faced with a possible “brick.” When you do a factory reset, you will format the TV Box with the same applications and initial settings as when you took the device out of its box for the first time. It is what is commonly known as a “reset.”
Factory Reset vs. Hard Reset: What’s the difference?
There are 2 types of “format” or factory data recovery:
- Factory Reset: This is the simplest process. You can do this from the device settings menu and returns the TV Box to its factory state. The data, settings, and apps you have installed by hand are deleted, but the applications installed as standard are kept.
- Hard Reset: Hard reset is the same as Factory reset. It erases the data and keeps the pre-installed applications. To do a hard reset, you usually have to perform some combination of buttons to access the device’s recovery menu and perform the deletion from there. Most people usually do this when the system is corrupt or even cannot access the Android desktop.
Once you have reset the TV Box, the applications will work just as fast and fluid as at the beginning.
Important notice: is your Android rooted?
Before starting to restore your Android TV Box system, it is important to consider whether the device is rooted or not. If so, you must be very careful, since in some cases doing a factory reset in Android when you have root permissions can cause a total blockage of the device.
To prevent this from happening, find a specific reset tutorial for your brand and model of TV Box. If you are reading these lines and your device is already locked or hangs in the boot menu, check method 2 that we explain a little further down. When entering the recovery, also erase the cache by clicking on «Wipe cache partition.» Hopefully, this will be enough for Android to load properly again.
Before we start, is the operating system on the SD card?
TV Boxes have recently become quite a popular device for emulating retro games. If you have recently bought a TV Box and it includes a CoreELEC, LibreELEC, Batocera, or similar operating system, it will surely install on the device’s microSD card.
In these cases, if you remove the microSD from its slot and turn on the TV Box, you will see how it loads the operating system that the machine came from the factory (surely a version of Android from a couple of years ago). If you have problems with the operating system of the microSD, what you have to do is format the card, download the ISO image of the system again and flash it on the microSD.
How to reset an Android TV Box to factory state (Factory Reset)
If the TV Box still responds well and still allows you to navigate through its different menus and settings, the quickest thing is to carry out a Factory Reset.
- Open the list of device applications.
- Go to the “Settings” menu of the Android TV Box. It may also appear under “Configuration.”
- Click on “Storage and restoration.”
- Select “Factory data reset.”
- In this new window, select “Factory data reset” again.
When the device restores the factory data (this process may take several minutes), you can reuse all the apps that came pre-installed, download applications, and make the customization settings you want.
Method 2: How to reset the factory data of an Android TV Box through a Hard Reset
You can use this second method when the TV Box works really badly. Like when you reset the factory data of an Android mobile, TV Boxes also allow you to do it by pressing a button.
To carry out the process, you need 2 items: a wooden toothpick – or any other “skewer” made of a non-conductive material, no metal – and a USB keyboard – in some TV Boxes with the remote control is enough.
- The first thing to do is disconnect the device from the cable that leads to the power outlet.
- Take the toothpick or needle and insert it into the AV or SPDIF port. If you add a little pressure, you will notice that there is a button that moves a little, making a kind of click.
- Note: some TV Boxes have their own hole with the Reset button.
- Hold down the AV/Reset button for a few seconds and connect the power cable again.
- Without stopping pressing, wait for the TV Box to start. It may take 5-10 seconds.
- Instead of starting the system in the usual way, enter the recovery mode. Now you can stop pressing with the toothpick.
- In the recovery screen, move the cursor to the option ” Wipe data/Factory reset. “ If the control of the TV Box does not work, you must connect a USB keyboard (arrows to scroll and the tab key to hit enter).
- Accept the deletion confirmation message (“ Yes ”).
- The system will erase all data and restart. This process can take several minutes. Unless there is irretrievable damage on the TV Box, the device will most likely work again like the first day.
