A soft reset, also known as a restart or reboot, is a simple procedure that involves restarting a smartphone without wiping its data. It is often performed to resolve minor software glitches, freeze-ups, or other issues that can arise with a smartphone. The process of performing a soft reset may vary between devices.
In this tutorial, we will show you how a soft reset/restart/reboot is done on the new Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone.
The typical way to soft reset a smartphone is through the hardware buttons. In Samsung Galaxy S23, performing a soft reset is carried out using these key combinations:
- Press and hold both the Side/Power button and the Volume Down button for a few seconds and then release when the Power off menu appears.
- Select Restart from the given options and then tap Restart again to confirm action.
Wait for the phone to finish rebooting and after that, it should back up and work as intended.
If your device is somehow unresponsive or frozen, the above procedure wouldn’t be applicable. This is when you will need to carry out the alternative restart method on your Galaxy S23.
- To do so, simultaneously press and hold the Side/Power button and the Volume Down button for at least 10 seconds or so and then release it when you see the Samsung logo.
Allow your device to finish the reboot process and you should be able to use it normally by then.
Performing a soft reset is a quick and easy way to resolve minor software issues in various smartphones. It’s a safe process because unlike a factory reset, a soft reset does not affect any user data saved on the device.
In some devices, performing a soft reset clears our temporary files that are stored in the system cache including errant residual data that causes certain features, apps and services to glitch and stop working properly.
Outlined below is the summary of the several things that may happen after performing a soft reset or restart on the Galaxy S23:
1. The device will restart and refresh.
The soft reset process will cause the device to restart, which may take a few seconds to complete.
2. Glitches and issues will be cleared out and associated problems and errors are resolved.
If the soft reset was performed to resolve any glitches or issues, such as freezing or slow performance, these issues should be resolved after the device restarts.
3. System settings will remain unchanged.
A soft reset does not erase any data or settings on the device, so any personalization, such as wallpaper, ringtone, and Wi-Fi networks, will remain unchanged.
4. Open/running apps will be closed.
After the soft reset, any apps that were open before the reset will be closed, and you will need to reopen them.
In some cases, some unsaved data that were accumulated when using certain apps may be lost, especially if you weren’t able to save them beforehand. Nonetheless, all saved data and downloaded apps in the system storage will remain as is.
Soft reset/Restart to Fix Common Software Problems
There are several instances when performing a soft reset may be necessary for your smartphone. Tagged among the most common instances are as follows:
- Frozen or unresponsive device. If your device is frozen or unresponsive, a soft reset can help to resolve the issue.
- Slow and unstable system performance. If your device is running slow or experiencing performance issues, a soft reset may improve its performance.
- Random app crashes. If an app is crashing or causing other issues, a soft reset can help to resolve the problem.
- Battery draining too quickly. If your device’s battery is draining too quickly, a soft reset can help to resolve the issue.
- Incorrect/messed up settings. If you’ve made changes to your device’s settings and they’re causing issues, a soft reset can help to resolve the problem by restoring the device’s original settings.
- Network connectivity issues. If your device is experiencing issues with Wi-Fi, cellular, or Bluetooth connectivity, a soft reset can help to resolve the problem.
- Post-update problems. In some cases, performing a soft reset can likewise address some minor post-update issues like when an app or the device itself suddenly stops working after installing an update.
Having said that, performing a soft reset may be the simplest and most effective solution that you can try on whenever you’re experiencing any issues with your Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone.
