Samsung · Free guide · Verified 2026-09-12
Galaxy S23
Official owner path for a locked Galaxy S23: remote wipe if the phone is online, recovery-mode reset if it is not, then sign back in with the original Google account. A reset will not lift FRP, a carrier lock, or a work profile.
Step 01
A lock screen is not the same as a Google lock
For a Galaxy S23, forgetting the PIN, pattern, or password means an official erase. After that erase, Factory Reset Protection will ask for the Google account that was on the phone. Plan for both, not just the first.
Step 02
Try a remote wipe first if the phone is online
Sign in to Samsung Find (Find My Mobile) if you turned it on, or Google Find Hub from a browser. If the Galaxy S23 is listed and reachable, a remote factory reset is cleaner than hunting for recovery-mode timing. Confirm the device name so you do not wipe the wrong phone.
Step 03
Recovery-mode reset when the phone is offline
Power the phone off. On current Galaxy phones, connect a USB cable to a computer, then hold Volume Up and Power until the recovery menu appears. Use Volume to move and Power to select.
Wipe data / factory reset erases the local storage. Photos not in Google Photos, WhatsApp not backed up, and downloads are gone.
Step 04
What to do on the Android Setup / FRP screen
After reboot, the Galaxy S23 will ask for the previous Google account. That is Factory Reset Protection. Use the same Gmail and password. If you changed the password last week, wait a bit — some phones refuse a password that is too new.
Step 05
Samsung extra (skip if this is not a Galaxy)
Galaxy phones may also ask for the Samsung account. Find My Mobile at findmymobile.samsung.com can unlock or erase a Galaxy S23 if you enabled it in advance. A Knox / company profile is a different authority — the employer has to release it.
Step 06
Carrier lock survives a reset
A factory reset does not SIM-unlock a financed phone. If a new SIM says “not supported,” that is a carrier conversation with the IMEI, not a recovery-mode trick.
Step 07
eSIM and dual-SIM aftercare on this model
Expect to add the line again. Keep the IMEI (dial *#06# from another phone’s notes, or the box). On Galaxy S23, dual-SIM layouts differ — one physical and one eSIM is common. The carrier still has to allow the device on their network.
After the reset
- Sign in with the original Google account, then restore the backup you actually have.
- Open Google Photos and Drive before you assume anything survived.
- Reinstall the carrier app and add the eSIM or SIM.
- Set a new screen lock you can write down somewhere boring and private.
Things that catch people
- USB-connected recovery is easy to miss: many recent Galaxies will not show recovery unless a computer is on the other end of the cable.
- Knox and company-managed phones are not personal unlocks.
- We do not publish passcode bypasses, FRP exploits, or Activation Lock “removal.” Those are not owner paths.
- A used phone that asks for someone else’s account is not yours to reset around. Return it or get the seller to release it.
Official sources
Boot notes for this family: Power the phone off. On current Galaxy phones, connect a USB cable to a computer, then hold Volume Up and Power until the recovery menu appears. Use Volume to move and Power to select.