X

How to erase a Honeycomb tablet (photos)

Learn how to erase an Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet step-by-step.

Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Donald Bell
ss1.PNG
1 of 6 Google

Honeycomb home screen

In this How To, we're going to show you the process for erasing and restoring an Android Honeycomb tablet. It's something you should probably do if you're returning a tablet back to a store, selling it, or gifting it to someone else.

Step 1: Make sure you've backed up anything important. Connect it to your computer over USB and drag over any photos or videos you may have taken, as well as any notes or documents you want to hang on to. If you're not around a computer, e-mail it to yourself.
IMG_7214.JPG
2 of 6 Donald Bell/CNET

Memory card

Step 2: Remove any memory cards you may have inserted. If these cards are yours and you're not passing them along to the next owner, this is a good reminder to get them out of the tablet.
ss2.PNG
3 of 6 Google

Honeycomb home screen setings

Step 3: We want to locate the Factory Data Reset option. So far, Android 3.0 is fairly consistent about where you'll find this. On Android 1.0 or 2.0 devices you'll have to do some hunting within the settings menu.

For Honeycomb, open the pane in the bottom right corner and expand to see all settings. Or, you can open your apps from the top right corner, and tap Settings from the All Apps tab.
IMG_7194.JPG
4 of 6 CNET

Honeycomb settings

Once in Settings, you'll find the reset option under the Privacy tab.
IMG7195.JPG
5 of 6 CNET

Honeycomb erase

Select the Factory Data Reset option and confirm that you want to erase all of the data on the device and restore the tablet to factory settings.
IMG_7202.JPG
6 of 6 CNET

Honeycomb confirm

One last confirmation, just for good measure.

Once the tablet reboots, you should see the same setup screen that appeared when you first took the tablet from the box. Leave it blank, shut it down, and pack it up. Your job is done.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos