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Factory Reset After Every Firmware Update? Try Cache Code 110144

Glitches after a TBox firmware update? Clear the cache with code 110144 first, factory reset only if errors stay. Carlinkit TBox Plus, Ambient, Ultra.

Quick answer

Clear the system cache with engineering code 110144 (Settings → Other → Factory settings), unplug the box and start it again; that cleared post-update glitches without losing anything, and you do not need a factory reset after every update. If errors stay, a full factory reset fixed them for both owners who reported back, at the cost of setting the box up again.

Symptoms

  • Apps crash or show errors after a firmware update that otherwise installed fine
  • The launcher loads twice, opens apps full screen, or a setting such as backlight stops responding
  • Google sign-in fails with "something went wrong" after the update
  • You are about to update and wonder whether you must reset and set everything up again

Applies to

Connection to the car
CarPlay and Android Auto
Highest risk on this page
Advanced
Status
Workaround confirmed by the community

Why it happens

A firmware update replaces the Android system but keeps your data: installed apps, their settings, logins and the launcher layout. Android also keeps caches built for the old system. Usually the new system rebuilds what it needs at first boot, which is why an update over a build from the same manufacturer rarely needs a reset.

Sometimes leftovers do not match the new system. An app or the launcher then crashes, loads twice or ignores a setting. Clearing the system cache removes the stale part without touching your data. A factory reset removes everything, so it fixes the stubborn cases and costs you the setup.

The community argues about this regularly. One long-time owner insists on a reset after every update to avoid chasing glitches for months; another has switched between firmwares many times with only a cache clear. The reports below support the middle path: cache first, reset only if problems stay.

Fixes, ranked

Clear the system cache with 110144 and restart

  • Advanced
  • Time: 3 minutes
  • Worked for 2 of 2 reports

Warranty warning: this uses developer or engineering access. Follow the undo steps afterwards; some sellers refuse warranty claims on units with debugging left enabled.

  1. Open Settings → Other → Factory settings (Other settings on some builds).
  2. Enter 110144 on the keypad and tap OK. A short confirmation appears; nothing else changes on screen.
  3. Unplug the box from power and connect it again, so it starts cold.
  4. Use the box for a drive and check the problem that appeared after the update.
Factory settings keypad with the cache-clearing code entered. Reconstructed screen, labels may differ by firmware.

A TBox Ultra 2 owner whose backlight would not adjust after changing firmware cleared the cache this way, and it worked. Owners quote Carlinkit’s own download notes as asking for exactly this after an update: clear the cache with 110144, then unplug the power and restart. An owner who moved from Carlinkit firmware to a third-party build and back several times reported doing only this, with no problems. The code and the others in the same menu are explained on the engineering codes page.

Factory reset if errors stay after clearing the cache

  • Safe
  • Time: 1 hour including setup
  • Worked for 2 of 2 reports

If you changed anything in the factory menu (start-up delay, navigation bar, protocol), note those values first: a reset returns them to defaults.

  1. Write down your apps and the accounts you will need to sign in again.
  2. Open Settings → System → Advanced → Reset options → Erase all data (factory reset). On the TBox UHD the reset entry is under Settings → More → System → Reset.
  3. Confirm and wait for the box to restart.
  4. Set the box up again and reinstall your apps.

A TBox Ultra owner installed a new build over the old one without a reset, cleared the cache, and still got a stream of errors and a launcher that loaded two or three times; after a factory reset everything ran smoothly. Another Ultra owner updated to the 27 Mar 2026 build and could not sign in to Google; after a factory reset it worked. Both said the cost was the time spent reinstalling apps and accounts.

Clear only the stock launcher's data

  • Safe
  • Time: 5 minutes
  • Worked for 1 of 1 report
  1. Open Settings → Apps and show system apps.
  2. Open the stock launcher (Quickstep on TBox Ultra).
  3. Tap Storage → Clear data.
  4. Press Home. The launcher starts with its default layout; set your home screen up again.

A TBox Ultra owner on a mid-2026 build found that a home-screen widget opened its app full screen at every start. Clearing the launcher’s data fixed it, and apps and settings elsewhere stayed in place. Use this when only the home screen misbehaves; if you use CarCar Launcher, its licence can need restoring after a reset, see CarCar Launcher licence reset.

Things to try (unverified)

  • Reset before the update instead of after. One experienced owner always resets first and has never had trouble. It is safe, but nobody has shown it prevents problems that a later reset would not fix.
  • Clear the FOTA app’s own cache. In FOTA Update → menu → Clean cache you clear the update app’s downloads, not the system. Owners used it when the online update showed an old version; it is not a substitute for 110144.
  • Firmware with a cloud SIM. One experienced owner says builds that carry a cloud-SIM service need the recovery files first, which wipes the box anyway; see TBox Ambient SIM lost after 2026 firmware.

If nothing works

If a factory reset does not clear the problem, the build itself is the likely cause. Note the model and firmware date from Settings → About, what changed after the update, and the app or setting that fails, and check whether other owners report the same build on the firmware tracker.

You can go back to your previous official build with the local FOTA update and report the fault to Carlinkit support at [email protected] with a short video. If the box misbehaves on every build, even after a reset with no extra apps, a warranty claim or a replacement is the honest answer; start here compares the box families.

Related fixes

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Changelog

  • Last reviewed against new community reports:
  • Confirmed by 5 community reports on Carlinkit TBox Ultra 2.
  • Page updated:

"Confirmed" means a community member reported that the fix worked on their unit. We have not tested it on our own hardware. How we verify.