How to reset your Amazon Fire tablet

⚡ Fast fix

• Try a soft reset first by holding the power button for 40 seconds until the screen goes black.
• Factory reset via Settings if you can still access the Device Options menu.
• Use the Power + Volume Down buttons to reach the recovery menu if the screen is frozen.
• Tablet not wiping?
  An Amazon expert can help at 866-853-4942.

Resetting your Amazon Fire® tablet is a simple step that can help protect your privacy or resolve problems like a frozen screen. But there are several ways to do so, and distinguishing between them is important so you don't lose any personal data.

At Asurion, we help millions of people fix, troubleshoot, and get the most out of their tech. From protecting your smartphone or tablet against cold winter temperatures to learning how to charge your phone faster, we keep the devices you rely on most working all day, every day. Here are our tips for how to reset your Amazon Fire tablet.

What's the difference between a hard and soft reset?

A soft reset means turning your device off, then turning it back on, which can often help fix a tablet that's running slowly or having trouble loading apps.

A factory or hard reset wipes all the data from your Amazon Fire and restores your device to its original settings. Why do it? To delete your personal information before you sell your device or as a last resort to resolve certain issues, like when your device stops responding and a soft reset won't work.

How to restart your Amazon Fire tablet

To force your Amazon Fire tablet to restart, simply press and hold the Power button until the device restarts, which could take 20–40 seconds. You may see an onscreen option to turn off your tablet, but you should ignore this. Once the device is off, press the Power button again to turn it back on.

What to do before you reset your Amazon Fire tablet to its factory settings

We recommend trying a soft reset first because it doesn't risk deleting any personal information. But if you've tried that, and it doesn't work, it may be time to restore your device to its factory settings.

Before doing so, make sure you've turned on automatic backups on your device. You can check by tapping Settings > Device Options > Backup & Restore and making sure it is set to on.

You won't be able to save account passwords, individual app settings, or game progress, but you'll be able to download any purchases you've made on Amazon™ from the cloud.

How to reset your Amazon Fire tablet to factory settings

Resetting your Fire tablet will erase all personal data, apps, and settings and return it to its original factory state. Make sure anything important is backed up before you begin.

Reset from Settings (if your tablet is working normally)

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
2. Tap Settings (gear icon).
3. Tap Device Options (or Device & Software, depending on your Fire OS version).
4. Tap Reset to Factory Defaults.
5. Tap Reset to confirm. If you have a PIN or password, you’ll need to enter it.

Your tablet will restart and display a progress screen while it wipes your data. This can take several minutes. Once finished, the device will be deregistered from your Amazon account and you’ll need to sign in and set it up again like new.

How to reset your Amazon Fire tablet if it’s frozen

If your Fire tablet is completely frozen and you can’t even open Settings, don’t panic. You can reset it using Recovery Mode—but this should be your last resort, since it will erase your data. Here’s what to do:

1. Press and hold the Power button for about 30 seconds until the screen goes black.
2. Once it’s fully off, press and hold Power + Volume Down together.
3. Keep holding until you see the Amazon logo and the Recovery screen appears.
4. Use the Volume buttons to scroll to Wipe data/factory reset.
5. Press the Power button to select it.
6. After the reset finishes, choose Reboot system now.

Since the screen won’t respond in Recovery Mode, you’ll use the volume buttons to move up and down and the power button to confirm.

If your tablet won’t power off, won’t show the logo, or won’t respond at all—even after holding the Power button—the issue may be battery- or hardware-related.