Some of the things that will make you format your device this way includes:
If the device owner forgot the unlock pattern or pin of his/her Android phone.
Once you forget this code, you cannot access the contents of your device unless the unlock screen gets out of the way. The last recommended solution to this is to wipe the data of your phone without accessing the menu. Note that this will erase all your personal files, info and apps in the phone storage. You will only
regain this if you earlier on backed up your phone on your local drive or Google account. This procedure will leave your SD card untouched.
How to unlock Android device Pattern/Pin
How to unlock Android device Pattern/Pin
If you want to free system memory.
Formatting of device and a manual re-installation of apps will remarkably yield free memory for use.
If you forgot your Google Account credentials or your phone’s data is not turned on:
Google gives any one that forgot the phone’s unlock pattern or password a chance to remotely unlock it by signing in to his Google account that is connected to the PlayStore App on the device. You can not connect to this account if you’ve forgotten your login credentials or you remember it but your phone data is off!
Restore phone to factory setting.
This is needful if you want to sell your phone or if a change in a system file made your phone to malfunction.
HOW TO FORMAT/HARD RESET A LOCKED ANDROID PHONE.
Its simple. Many Android phone makers gives a specific guideline on this but in the absence of such, generally you:
1. Switch off the device
2. Hold the POWER key together with at least the down volume key to power the phone and start the resetting process.
3. A command-like window with sometimes a green text appears
4. Use the up/down volume keys to scroll screen and use the Power key to select.
5. Select WIPE DATA and the phone reboots after some few minutes to clear and reset your device memory.
If the above guide doesn’t work for your device, then we certainly must revisit point number 2. Note that this is because some Android versions like Gingerbread and Froyo 2.2 will not go with the typical Hard reset method outlined above. Also most recent Samsung Galaxy smartphones may need another slight alteration in point number 2.
Alternatively try this for #2…
i. Power your device while simultaneously holding the Up and Down volume screen. Hold until blue screen appears
ii. If the above doesn’t work, try holding the Up volume key + Power key + Home key especially for Samsung Android smartphones.
iii. Some phones are so tricky, try this out yourself, try holding the up volume key or the down volume key or both together with the power key until the blue screen comes up!
There is really no one specified method that works for all Android devices!
