How to Hard Reset the Nokia C5 CS-00/CS-03

The Nokia C5 series consists of two models that, on the inside, are essentially the same phone: the keypad CS-00 released in April 2010, and the touchscreen CS-03 released in December of the same year. Nokia release both of these phones as low-cost and low-commitment alternatives to the larger and more robust offerings available on the market. Though you might not consider yourself a power user, it’s probable that over time your phone has become slower and less responsive. If these problems become too frequent for you to comfortably use the phone, a hard reset can restore the Nokia C5 to factory settings, making it run smoothly again as if it were new.

The phones in the C5 series do not have a wide array of impressive features, and were not designed with this in mind. The 3.2 MP camera is competitive for the price range, but the major attraction of these phones are their simplicity and ease of use. Even if you’re not likely to be keeping an enormous number of applications on the comparatively small internal drive, you should know that any data you keep on the phone will be erased by the factory reset procedure. Before moving any further, you should make a backup of that data through USB or the included MicroSD card slot.

Nokia C5 resetting steps

If you’ve made a recent backup and have your data safely duplicated on another device, you may continue with one of two outlines that this article will provide. The steps are exactly the same for each phone, but serve different needs depending on the problems you’re experiencing. The first and simplest method uses a three-key combination:

1. While the phone is on, hold the 3 key, the Call key, and the Power button at the same time.
2. Your phone will ask for an unlock code. If you’ve never changed this, the default is 12345.
3. Confirm the reset and let the phone handle the rest.

There is a chance that your phone’s operating system is too corrupted to complete this task, and if you receive constant error messages then it is necessary to use a different method:

1. From the home screen, type these characters exactly as displayed: *#7370#
2. Call this number, the phone will ask for an unlock code. Again, the default is 12345.
3. Let the phone restart itself and restore your data once it’s back on.

Either one of these methods will successfully and easily reset your Nokia C5 to factory settings, allowing you to regain use of an otherwise damaged or unusable phone. Any of these methods can be used as often as is necessary, and will often resolve any software-related problems that you may experience with your mobile phone.