Just about all of these devices have a built-in delete function, often called Factory Reset or Restore to Factory Defaults. Be careful: many of these devices also say you can reset the device by holding down a power or reset button for 10 seconds. Most of the time, thatâs just a reboot or restart; it doesnât delete your data. Make sure youâre using instructions to truly restore the device to a âfresh from the factoryâ clean state.
Additionally, to be thorough, itâs probably a good idea to sign yourself out of any online accounts and disconnect from wifi before resetting the device. Below we cover instructionsÂ
Amazon Echo
- You can often reset a device from the device itself
- Then de-register the device using Amazonâs website
- Visit amazon.com and sign in
- Mouse over where it says âHello [your name]â, and select Your Content & Devices
- Click Devices in the Manage Your Content and Devices menu
- Find your device in the list, and click the button with the â…â to the left of the device name
- Click Delete Voice Recordings, then confirm by clicking Delete
- Click the â…â button again, click Deregister, and then confirm by clicking the Deregister button.
Android Devices
- First forget any wireless networks, and sign out of your Google account(s)
- Encrypt your data: go to Settings > Security and find the Encrypt Phone section
- If it says âEncryptedâ, youâre already set.
- If not, tap Encrypt Phone and follow the on-screen instructions
- Finally, go ahead and factory reset the device
Apple TV
- First, forget any wireless networks
- Open Settings, then select Network > Wi-Fi
- Select the wireless network (SSID) you wish to forget
- Select Forget Network
- Repeat the above for any other wireless networks, as needed
- Then reset the device.
PlayStation
(note instructions below are for PS3; steps for other versions may vary)
- Sign out of the Playstation Network
- Delete all users from Users > select user icon > press triangle > select Delete
- Disconnect wifi by resetting back to default settings
- Delete all saved data from Settings > System Settings > Restore PS3 System
Roku
Roku does not offer a way to disconnect from wireless; you can simply run factory reset
Xbox One
Sign out of your Xbox Live profile, then reset to factory defaults