How to remove your Google account from a Galaxy before you sell
Every Samsung Galaxy has a lock called Factory Reset Protection. While your Google account is on the phone, a reset locks it to that account, so nobody else can set it up. That's great if it's stolen, and a problem when you sell: we can't test it, wipe it or pay for it, and we can't remove the lock from here. Only you can.
It takes a couple of minutes. Do these four steps in order, then post your phone.
1Turn off Find My Mobile
SettingsSecurity and privacyLost device protectionFind My Mobile
Switch it off. It may ask for your Samsung account password.
Do this first, so the Samsung account signs out cleanly in the next step.2Sign out of your Samsung account
SettingsAccounts and backupManage accountsSamsung accountSign out
Tap your Samsung account, then Sign out at the bottom.
You can also tap your name at the top of Settings to get there.3Remove your Google account
SettingsAccounts and backupManage accountsGoogle accountRemove account
Tap your Google account, then Remove account, and Remove account again to confirm. It may ask for your PIN.
Got more than one Google account on it? Remove each one.4Check it worked, and take out the SIM
SettingsAccounts and backupManage accounts
There should be no Google account and no Samsung account left in the list. Then take out the SIM.
Want to reset it yourself? Do it after this step, never before: a reset with the account still on is what locks it.If it arrives still signed in
If it arrives still signed in, we can't unlock it, so we post it straight back to you, free, and can't pay for it. A couple of minutes now saves your phone a round trip in the post.
- On a computer or another phone, go to myaccount.google.com, then Security, then Your devices, pick this phone and Sign out.
- Then sign in at smartthingsfind.samsung.com with your Samsung account and remove this phone there too.
Back up anything you want first if you can. If the accounts are already off the phone, there is nothing to do.
Check your Galaxy's price: Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Cracked or faulty? See broken Galaxy S23 prices, or every broken model on the broken phone page.
How selling your Samsung Galaxy works