Factory reset protection was introduced on Android 5. 1 (Lollipop). It prevents the theft of your Android device. If your device has been stolen, the culprit will need to know your Google password in order to factory reset your device and gain access to it.
If you are more technically skilled, you may be able to boot the phone into Download the phone and flash the phone. This installs a new operating system on the device. In order to do this, the bootloader on the device will need to be unlocked. This will not be possible on all devices.
Warning: These apps will instruct you on how to boot your Android device in recovery mode and perform a factory reset. This will erase all data on your device.
Let the original owner know that you need the password to unlock the device. Tell them you will unlock the device and immediately remove their account. Afterward, they can immediately change the password.
These apps will walk you through the process of performing a factory reset, and then boot your Samsung device into download mode. The app will then re-install the firmware for the exact make and model of your Samsung device. Warning: You will need to know the exact make and model of your Samsung device, inputting the wrong device make result in your Samsung device being permanently damaged and unable to function. Warning: Bypassing factory reset will erase all data on your device.
In order to flash your Android device, the bootloader will need to have been unlocked prior to the factory reset, so this may not be possible on all devices. If you are able to boot your Android device into Download mode, you may be able to install a custom operating system on your Android device. You will need to download the install file for the operating system to your computer first. If you don’t want a custom operating system, you can use Google to search for a ROM containing the firmware for the exact make and model of your Android device. Warning: This process is very technical and runs the risk of permanently damaging (bricking) your device.
If you have already reset the device, power it on and go through the setup process. Enter the Google password and then remove the Google account from the device.
