Reset a Zebra Android device: MC3400, TC22 and TC27

Zebra Android devices have four levels of reset, from a simple restart that keeps everything to a Factory Reset that wipes the device completely. This guide covers the MC3400 (and MC3450), the TC22 and the TC27, and shows where the steps differ.

Which reset do you need?

Differences between the devices

Before you erase anything

• If your company manages the device with an EMM (MDM) or Zebra StageNow, ask IT first. Depending on their setup, the device re-applies its saved configuration after an Enterprise Reset or has to be enrolled again.
• Back up anything you need from internal storage. Zebra recommends preparing the configuration files you need and restoring them after an Enterprise Reset.
• Charge the battery or put the device in its cradle.

Restart the device

1. Press and hold Power until the menu appears.
2. Touch Restart.

This works the same on all three models and keeps all apps, data and settings. Try it first for any freeze or app problem.

Force a hard reset if the screen is frozen

Use a hard reset only when the device no longer reacts to the screen or the Power menu. Remove a microSD card first: Zebra warns that a hard reset can damage or corrupt it.

• TC22 and TC27: press Power and Volume Up together for at least 4 seconds. Release them when the screen turns off. The device restarts.
• MC3400: Zebra's MC3400 Product Reference Guide gives Power + left scan button + Volume Up, held together for at least 4 seconds. This does not match the MC3400's hardware: it has no separate volume buttons (volume is a keypad shortcut, for example the orange key and F10 on the 38-key keypad), and the gun model has a trigger instead of side scan buttons. If your MC3400 is completely frozen, contact us before you try anything else.

Run an Enterprise Reset from Settings

1. Open Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data (enterprise reset).
2. Touch Erase all data, then touch it again to confirm.
3. The device erases user data, restarts and opens the setup wizard.

Zebra documents the same path for the MC3400, TC22 and TC27. If the menu names differ slightly on your Android version, look under Settings › System. Zebra describes the full Factory Reset only with a reset package, so use the next step for that.

Reset from recovery mode with a reset package

Use this for a Factory Reset, or for an Enterprise Reset when Settings is not available. You need a microSD card and the reset package for your exact model.

1. Download the Enterprise Reset or Factory Reset package for your model from Zebra's support page, for example the MC3400 support page.
2. Format the microSD card in the device, then copy the ZIP file to the root of the card, using a computer or by connecting the device by USB.
3. Press and hold Power and touch Restart.
4. Straight away, hold the recovery key from the table above until the device vibrates. The recovery screen appears.
5. Move to Apply upgrade from SD card and select it.
6. On the MC3400, move to Full OTA Package and press Enter. On the TC22 and TC27, move to the reset file and press Power.
7. Wait while the reset runs. The device returns to the recovery screen.
8. Select Reboot system now on the MC3400, or press Power on the TC22 and TC27, to restart.

After the reset

After an Enterprise or Factory Reset, the device starts the setup wizard with the "Hi there" screen. Set it up again as in the MC3400 setup guide or the TC22/TC27 setup guide. Then test scanning in your own app. If your scan settings are gone, our DataWedge setup guide shows how to set them up again.