It happens to the best of us. You’re settled in for a binge-watch of The Bear or maybe a high-stakes Call of Duty session, and suddenly, the apps start crawling. Or maybe your screen is acting like a strobe light from a 90s warehouse rave. You’ve tried turning it off. You’ve tried unplugging it. Nothing. This is usually when you realize it’s time to learn how to factory reset LG TV units properly, because a simple power cycle just isn't cutting it anymore.
A factory reset is the nuclear option. Honestly, it’s a pain because you lose your calibrated picture settings and you have to sign back into every single streaming service you own. But sometimes, it’s the only way to flush out the digital junk that accumulates in webOS over time. It’s basically like giving your television a fresh brain.
Why You Actually Need a Reset (and Why You Might Not)
Most people jump straight to the reset when things get glitchy. Stop. Before you wipe everything, check your internet. I’ve seen dozens of "broken" LG TVs that just had a bad DNS setting or a crowded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel. If your apps are crashing but the menus are smooth, it’s probably a network issue, not a hardware failure.
However, if you’re selling the TV on Facebook Marketplace or your OS is freezing every five seconds, you need that clean slate. LG's webOS is generally snappy, but it can get bogged down by cached data from heavy apps like YouTube or Netflix. A reset clears the "NVRAM" and "Flash" memory where these little bugs like to hide.
How to Factory Reset LG TV: The Standard Method
The process varies depending on how old your TV is. LG has updated their interface several times over the last few years, moving from the old "launcher bar" to the new full-screen home interface.
For Newer Models (webOS 6.0 and later)
If your remote has a dedicated Disney+ or Rakuten TV button, you’re likely on a newer version.
- Grab your Magic Remote and hit the Settings button (the gear icon).
- Look for All Settings at the bottom of the side menu.
- Navigate to General.
- Find System.
- There it is: Reset to Initial Settings.
The TV will ask for a password. If you haven't changed it, the default is almost always 0000 or sometimes 1234. If you’ve forgotten a custom PIN, that’s a whole different headache involving a specific sequence of volume buttons on the remote. Once you confirm, the screen will go black. Don't touch it. Seriously. If you pull the plug while it's formatting the internal partitions, you could "brick" the motherboard, turning your $1,500 OLED into a very expensive wall mirror.
The Older webOS Path
Older sets (roughly 2014 to 2020) keep things a bit more tucked away. You still go to All Settings, but you’ll head to General and then scroll down until you see Reset to Initial Settings. It’s simpler, but the hardware is slower, so the reset might take a good five minutes to finish.
The "Secret" Service Menu Reset
Sometimes the standard menus aren't accessible. Maybe the screen is so glitched you can’t even see the gear icon. Techs from places like Rtings or authorized LG repair shops use a "service menu" to force a reset.
You usually need a special service remote for this, which costs about $10 on Amazon. But, there's a "In-Stop" command that wipes everything, including the internal usage timer. Warning: messing around in here can void your warranty. Don’t change the panel voltage settings unless you want to see actual smoke.
Resetting Without a Remote
What if your dog chewed the Magic Remote? You aren't totally stuck. Most LG TVs have a small physical button located under the LG logo at the bottom of the frame or on the side.
- Locate the button.
- Long-press it for about 10–15 seconds while the TV is on.
- This doesn't always trigger a full factory wipe on every model, but it can force a reboot that might get you back into the menus.
For a true factory reset without a remote, your best bet is plugging a standard USB keyboard into the back of the TV. Use the arrow keys and the Enter key to navigate to the settings menu just like you would with a remote. It works surprisingly well.
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What Happens After the Wipe?
Once you figure out how to factory reset LG TV and actually pull the trigger, the TV will eventually reboot to the "Welcome" screen. This is where the real work starts.
You’ll have to:
- Re-pair your Magic Remote (hold the Back and Home buttons together).
- Select your language and country.
- Reconnect to Wi-Fi.
- Accept the "User Agreements." Pro tip: You don't actually have to accept the "Voice Recognition" or "Interest-Based Ads" toggles to use the TV. Unchecking these can actually make the UI feel slightly faster because the TV isn't constantly sending your viewing data back to LG’s servers.
Calibrating Your Image Again
This is the part everyone forgets. A factory reset wipes your picture modes. If you spent an hour tweaking your "Filmmaker Mode" or "Expert Bright Room" settings, they are gone.
Before you reset, take photos of your settings menus with your phone. Capture the White Balance, the OLED Pixel Brightness, and especially the TruMotion settings. Re-entering these manually is much easier than trying to remember if you liked "De-Judder" at 3 or 4.
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Common Troubleshooting During a Reset
Occasionally, the TV gets stuck on the LG logo during a reset. This is usually a sign of a failing EMMC chip on the mainboard. If it stays stuck for more than 20 minutes, try the "Cold Boot" trick. Unplug the TV from the wall, hold the physical power button on the TV itself for 30 seconds (this drains the capacitors), wait another minute, and plug it back in.
If the "Reset to Initial Settings" option is greyed out, it’s likely because the TV is in "Store Mode" or "Demo Mode." You have to switch it back to "Home Mode" in the General settings before it will let you wipe the system.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure your LG TV stays healthy after the reset, don't just go back to your old habits.
Start by checking for a Firmware Update immediately after the reset. Often, the bugs that forced the reset in the first place were patched in a newer version of webOS. Next, go into the OLED Care settings (if you have an OLED like the C3 or G4) and make sure "Pixel Cleaning" is scheduled. Finally, limit the number of apps you install. Just because the LG Content Store has hundreds of apps doesn't mean you should install them all. Every app adds background processes that can eventually lead you right back to needing another reset.
Keep your internal storage at least 20% empty to give the operating system room to breathe. This simple bit of digital housekeeping will keep your menus snappy and your Friday night movies frustration-free.