If you are about to sell your Sony TV to someone, a factory reset is recommended to erase everything and restore it to defaults. But what if the Sony TV remote doesn’t work when you want to do so? Knowing alternative ways is helpful, right? Here, we have summarized ways to reset the Sony TV to its factory settings without a remote.
Soft Reset Sony TV Without a Remote
It is advisable to perform a soft reset on your smart TV before you proceed to do a factory reset. Performing a soft reset is one of the best ways to clear all the minor issues, and this process will not delete any saved information on your Sony TV. This method is called power cycling, and it can be performed without relying on a remote.
All you need to do is just remove the cord of your Sony TV from the wall outlet. Then, leave your Sony TV unplugged for around 30 seconds. After a small interval, plug the power cord back into the power outlet. Press the Power key to turn the Sony TV on. Try this method periodically to keep your Sony TV free from minor issues.
Factory Reset the Sony TV Using Physical Buttons
You can reset your Sony TV easily using the Physical buttons on your TV if you don’t have a remote control. The physical buttons on your Sony TV are usually found at the bottom or at its backside. Using those buttons, you can reset your Sony TV without accessing the Settings menu. The steps to reset the Sony TV using the physical buttons differ based on the number of buttons it has.
1. Remove the power cord of your Sony TV from the electrical outlet.
2. Replug the power cord back into the electrical outlet while holding the TV’s physical Power button. If your TV has more than one button, hold the Power and Volume Down (-) keys simultaneously for a few seconds.
3. Continue to press those buttons on the Sony TV for 10 – 30 seconds until the LED near the Sony logo glows white. If your Sony TV has three or multiple buttons, the LED will glow green. You need to start over from the first step if the LED doesn’t glow green.
4. The appearance of the white or green LED light indicates that your Sony TV begins the resetting process. Allow the Sony TV to complete the factory reset by waiting patiently for a few minutes.
5. Your Sony TV will restart twice during this process. Once the reset process is complete, your Sony TV will turn on automatically. If it does not, press the Power button manually to turn on the TV.
After the reset, you need to finish the initial setup by following the on-screen guidelines shown on your Sony TV.
Use a Keyboard or Mouse to Reset the Sony TV
If you have a wireless keyboard with a touchpad or a mouse, you can use any one of them to reset, as most smart TVs have a USB port. Attach the USB cable of the keyboard or mouse to the TV’s USB port. A cursor will appear on your Sony TV screen, and you can use it to go to the TV settings and reset it.
- For Sony Android TV: Head to the Settings menu on the home screen → Tap Device and Preferences → Select Reset → Tap Factory Data Reset → Click Erase Everything → Select Yes.
- For Sony Google TV: Go to Settings → Tap System → Select About → Select Reset → Tap Factory Data Reset → Click Erase Everything → Select Yes.
- For Sony Bravia TV: Navigate to Settings → Tap System Settings → Select General Set-up → Select Factory Settings → Select Yes.
Hard Reset the Sony TV Using Remote Apps
If you don’t have a mouse or a wireless keyboard, use remote apps to reset your Sony TV. Remember that Sony TVs are available in different operating systems, so the remote app for controlling them differs. Here, we have listed the compatible remote apps for each Sony TV model for your convenience.
| Sony TV Model | Remote App |
|---|---|
| Sony Bravia TV | Sony | BRAVIA Connect (Play Store | App Store) |
| Sony Android or Google TV | Google TV App (Play Store | App Store) |
Keep in mind that you need to pair your Sony TV with the remote app to use it. For that, you need to connect your Sony TV to the same WiFi to which your smartphone is connected. Later, use the remote app’s directional keys to go to your Sony TV settings and perform a factory reset.
Apart from installing remote apps that work via WiFi, you can also install IR remote apps. These IR remote apps do not require WiFi but need an Android smartphone with a built-in IR Blaster. Install the IR remote app on an Android phone and control the TV by pointing your phone towards it.
Since third-party developers release IR-based remote apps, choosing the right one might be quite difficult. After testing several IR apps, we have shortlisted a few that work with most Sony TVs.
Thus, you can reset your Sony Bravia TV, Android TV, and Google TV without a remote using the above-mentioned steps. If you have multiple Sony TVs, you may think of buying a replacement remote. In that case, you can buy a universal remote for Sony TV and use it to control all TVs with a single remote.
If you have doubts about setting it up, refer to this guide on programming a universal remote with a Sony TV.
FAQ
Press the Menu key on the Sony Wega TV panel. Go to Settings using the channel keys and choose Factory Settings. Then, select Yes to begin the reset.
You can seek assistance from Sony customer support via chatbot, text, and call. Otherwise, post a query in the community forum and get help from supporters.
