You’re Resetting Your Android Phone the Wrong Way: Don’t Skip This Crucial Step Before Factory Reset
Many Android users believe a factory reset is enough before selling, donating, or recycling a smartphone. However, that assumption is no longer entirely accurate. With Android devices now deeply connected to Google’s cloud services, a factory reset alone may not fully disconnect the phone from your Google account.
Over time, this can lead to what many users experience as “ghost devices” — phones that continue to appear in Google services even after being wiped and no longer in use.
Why Factory Reset Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore
A factory reset clears all local data from an Android phone. While the device itself is erased, Google’s servers may still retain a record of that phone being linked to your account.
As a result, previously used phones can continue appearing as inactive devices across Google services. These entries remain visible even though the phone is no longer accessible or functional.
Old Phones Still Appear in Google Play Store
One of the most common places where this issue appears is the Google Play Store. Many users report seeing old phones listed as available devices for app installation.
Although Google allows users to hide devices through play.google.com/library/devices, there is no direct option to permanently delete them from the list.
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Ghost Devices Also Show Up in Find Hub
The issue extends to Google’s Find Hub, where wiped phones may continue appearing with a “last seen” status. These devices cannot be tracked, erased remotely, or removed manually once they become unreachable.
Similar complaints have been reported by Google Fi users, where phones remain marked as inactive due to incomplete account deauthorisation.
Where These Devices Can Be Removed
Some ghost devices can be found under myaccount.google.com/device-activity. From this page, users can manually sign out of old devices.
Once signed out, the device is removed from:
- Google Play Store device lists
- Find Hub
- Other Google services linked to device activity
However, this method does not always work for very old devices, which may no longer appear in the list.
The One Step You Must Do Before Factory Resetting an Android Phone
To avoid this issue entirely, users should remove their Google account from the phone before performing a factory reset.
Follow these steps:
- Open Settings
- Go to Passwords & accounts or Accounts
- Select your Google account
- Tap Remove account
- Confirm, then proceed with the factory reset
This ensures the phone is fully de-authorised from Google’s ecosystem before it is wiped.
Why This Step Is Important Today
Android phones are now tightly integrated with cloud services, subscriptions, device tracking, and security features. While a factory reset clears personal data from the device, it does not always remove account-level associations.
For anyone planning to sell, donate, or recycle an Android phone, removing the Google account first is a simple but essential step. It prevents long-term clutter in Google services and ensures a clean separation between the user and the device.
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