Performing a factory reset on Nexus 5 is done when you purchased the tablet second-hand, wiping your apps and starting from scratch or when it’s basically not functioning at all. If you can still get to the tablet’s menu, make sure to back up all necessary documents before you perform hard reset on your device. Here’s how you can do factory reset of your device.
1. On your tablet, go to Settings.
2. Under the Personal section, tap on Backup and Reset.
3. Tap on Factory Data Reset and then press on Reset Tablet.
4. If you've set up a password for your device, it will prompt you to enter the said password, pin or pattern. And lastly press Erase Everything to clean out your device.
But if you can’t even get to the menu screen or the device is not functioning at all, you need to do these steps before you can perform factory reset.
1. Turn off the device first if it’s turned on and using a USB cable, connect it to your computer.
2. Press and hold Volume Up, Volume Down and the Power button simultaneously for about 3-4 seconds. This will turn on the device and you’ll see an Android image lying on its back. Wait for your computer to install the drivers before you go to the next step.
3. Using the volume buttons, navigate your device until you reach the Recovery Mode option. Press the Power Button for OK.
4. Your device will restart and will boot to a screen showing an Android with a red triangle. Just press and hold for few seconds the Power Button and Volume up to make the menu screen appear.
5. Now that you’re on the menu options, go to Settings and just follow the steps above to navigate to the Factory Data Reset page using the volume buttons. Use the Volume buttons for YES and the Power button to confirm.