Last Updated on August 5, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

Smartphone operating systems might not always be as easy to navigate as desktop OSs—finding files nested on the Android operating system can sometimes be a complex task in comparison to using File Explorer on the Windows operating system—but one thing that does work in their favor is problem-solving.

Rarely do you ever have to spend time trying to figure out the solution to a problem with the Motorola Moto Z smartphone because most things can be fixed by simply taking a hard reset instead, a bit like utilizing a get out of jail free card.

Despite many people saying otherwise, a hard reset and a factory reset on the Motorola Moto Z device will yield the same outcomes: the phone will be restored to its default, factory state on both occasions. In other words, the same state that it was in when it left the factory responsible for manufacturing it. This means you shouldn’t expect to find any applications that you installed yourself still on the device. Any settings that you changed will be returned to how they were when you first opened the Motorola Moto Z out of the box too. And, of course, unless you took a backup, all the data that you accumulated—pictures, documents, music, so forth—will no longer be available once the hard reset is complete.

There are numerous similarities between computers and smartphones: they are made up of many of the same components, and all have the same heart, veins, and brain, so to speak. When it comes to resetting the software though, there are some differences. A modern-day computer operating system will offer three ways to reset: rebooting the OS, force-closing all open applications and forcing a reboot, and then a third way, which will return the device to its factory state, if desired. The mobile operating system offers the factory reset option, and the only alternative being the soft reset, which is the same as a straightforward reboot of the operating system.

You shouldn’t worry about a hard reset causing any harm to your Motorola Moto Z smartphone; provided that you’ve backed up any data that you didn’t want to lose, very little else can go wrong.

This guide is also suitable for anyone who wants to learn:

  • How to factory reset Motorola Moto Z smartphones.
  • How to wipe all data on Motorola Moto Z smartphones.
  • How to bypass screen lock on Motorola Moto Z smartphones.
  • How to restore defaults on Motorola Moto Z smartphones.
  • How to master reset Motorola Moto Z smartphones.

This is what you need to do to apply a hard reset by using the hardware keys and the settings that already come with your device.

How to Hard Reset Motorola Moto Z Smartphones

1. Start off by holding the Power button down on the Motorola Moto Z smartphone and then choose the option for turning it off when it pops up on the display.

2. Reboot the Motorola Moto Z smartphone by holding the Volume Down button for a few seconds.

3. With the Volume Down button still pressed, press also the Power button with another finger and then release both buttons after a couple of seconds.

4. Using the Volume buttons, highlight the “Recovery” option and then select it by pressing the Power button.

5. Once you can see the Android logo, press the Volume Up button and keep it held in.

6. With the Volume Up button still held, press and release again the Power button.

7. Hold the Volume Down button down to select the “wipe data/factory reset” option and then confirm it by pressing the Power button.

8. From the following screen, choose the “Yes–delete all user data” option by highlighting it with the Volume buttons and confirming it with the Power button.

9. After the smartphone is finished wiping the data, select the “reboot system now” option from the menu.

That’s all you need to hard reset the Motorola Moto Z smartphone.

Applying a hard reset is probably one of the more commonly exchanged phrases for when people are referring to implementing a factory reset, but the same guide above is also good for a few other causes. The same steps would also work if you just wanted to wipe all of the data on your Motorola Moto Z smartphone, for instance. Likewise, you could also use the same steps for bypassing the screen lock or just to restore the defaults on the Motorola Moto Z device.

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