Resetting your iPhone or iPad completely wipes the data on the device and returns information technology to factory settings. (This is distinct from the less drastic processes of restarting and force-restarting, both of which retain your information and settings and should by and large be tried kickoff.)

To mill-reset an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Just at that place are some steps you should take showtime, as we'll outline in this commodity. We explicate how to reset an iPhone or iPad, the steps and precautions to accept starting time, and how to rescue the data on a phone or tablet yous've wiped by mistake.

Why exercise I need to reset my iPhone?

If your iPhone or iPad is misbehaving and initial solutions are not working, a full reset may be necessary - although you lot should first try restarting your iDevice (see the link higher up). A factory reset can help resolve issues with your phone if it's crashing or freezing, or suffering from problems you can't identify.

Modern electronic devices can be very complicated, and tin can get themselves into a flake of a confused state from time to time. Resetting and wiping a device can clear out problems that cause it to get stuck in a loop, appear sluggish or otherwise impair performance.

And if you're selling your iPhone (or passing it downwards to a family member or friend) it'due south admittedly vital that you delete all the sensitive data stored on it. If not, an unscrupulous buyer could proceeds access to your social media profiles, your financial data and even your personal photos and videos, enabling them to scan through your private moments or steal your identity.

How to mill-reset your iPhone

If you want to erase your device completely and return to mill settings, at that place are a few steps to take.

Back up your iPhone

We have a divide article explaining how to back up an iPhone, but here's the shortened version:

  1. You can utilize either iCloud or iTunes (or the Finder) to back up your iOS device.
  2. For iCloud, go to Settings > iCloud > Backup and ensure that the feature is enabled. To come across when the last fill-in was run, expect under the Back Up Now option where the date and time should be displayed. If you lot oasis't done a fill-in before, you can tap the Back up Now push and follow the instructions.

    How to factory-reset an iPhone or iPad: Back up

  3. To use iTunes/The Finder to support your iPhone or iPad, yous'll need to plug your device into your PC or Mac using the charging cablevision. Click on the iPhone or iPad icon.

Factory-reset your iPhone

Once you're confident that you've backed upwards your iPad or iPhone, you're set to perform a manufacturing plant reset. This will completely wipe your device, which is why having a backup beforehand is so important.

How to factory-reset an iPhone or iPad: Perform the reset

  1. To reset your iPhone or iPad, become to Settings > General > Reset then select Erase All Content and Settings.
  2. If you've got an iCloud backup set up, iOS will inquire if you'd like to update information technology, so yous don't lose unsaved data. Nosotros advise yous to follow this advice, and tap Back Upward Then Erase.
  3. After typing in your passcode (if you've set i), you'll get a alarm box, with the option to Erase iPhone (or iPad) in red. Tap this.
  4. You'll demand to enter your Apple ID password to confirm the action. The device will be wiped and get back to the initial setup screen you saw when you lot first used the device.
  5. You can as well fully reset your iPhone or iPad through iTunes or Finder (depending on whether you've updated to macOS Catalina or not). When yous plug in your iOS device, you should see a 'Restore iPhone' button, which volition fully reset the device.

Your iPhone or iPad is now ready to sell.

Did yous forget to support your iPhone earlier yous wiped it?

If you're worried that your iPhone or iPad wasn't backed upwards, don't despair: there'southward a adept risk that at that place'south a fill-in you lot're unaware of.

To notice out if you're backing up to iCloud (you lot become free 5GB of space) get to Settings > iCloud and tap on Storage. Wait a few seconds for Manage Storage to testify up and tap on that. Here yous will meet your diverse backups for your iOS devices (there might even exist one for an erstwhile iPhone that yous could delete if you need more infinite).

One of the backups should say that it is This iPhone or This iPad. Tap on that and y'all can see what is, and isn't being backed up. You lot can basically plough things on and off and so that they don't have upward your full 5GB, or yous tin can pay a few pounds/dollars a month for more storage.

Y'all may think that some of those apps don't need to exist backed up; after all, you will be able to download them again from the App Store as yous already own them. Merely note that the data may include saved data for games, and other settings and preferences you would prefer not to lose.

To check when your iPhone last backed up, go to Settings and tap your ID card at the tiptop of the main screen (it'll have your name and/or a picture of your face). Now hit iCloud > iCloud Backup and wait at the date and time of the last backup. It volition have happened the last time you plugged your iPhone into charge and had Wi-Fi access available. It happens automatically.

If you lot're not currently using this method, we recommend that you do so. Become to Settings > [your ID card] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and set iCloud Backup to on (the greenish toggle). This is the simplest way to back up and means that you can always recover the data on your phone no affair where yous are - all you need is a connectedness to the web.

How to rescue information from a wiped iPhone or iPad

On the other mitt, if y'all can't observe a fill-in, it's likely that you won't exist able to think information in one case yous have deleted it.

The data on an iOS device is automatically encrypted, and wiping the device destroys the encryption primal, making information technology more or less impossible to get anything back when information technology's been fully erased and reset without access to a backup.

In an emergency you could try speaking to someone at an Apple Genius Bar, just information technology'southward a long shot to say the to the lowest degree. (This applies to a total erase/reset, mind you lot - in other circumstances, such as data corruption, a malfunctioning device and so on, the experts may be able to aid.) This also reinforces our frequent advice to back up regularly.

How to restore an iPhone

If having erased the content of the phone you intend to keep using it, you can restore the content to your phone from your backup. Hither'southward how:

...via iCloud backup

With the factory reset completed you'll need to go through the setup of your iPhone again from the beginning:

  1. First up the iPhone and enter your details when prompted, including WiFi countersign, until you achieve the folio where you lot're asked how you lot want to 'Set up Upwardly iPhone'.
  2. You lot now have 3 options: Set every bit a New iPhone, Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from iTunes fill-in - so select the iCloud option and you'll exist prompted to enter your iCloud account details.
  3. One time you've washed this, and agreed to the terms and conditions, your iPhone will begin restoring all your data.

Patently this could have a while if you have large backups or a slow internet connection, so don't endeavor this if y'all're in a bustle. When the fill-in is completed your iPhone volition reboot, and so information technology will showtime the larger job of downloading all of your apps.

...via iTunes or Finder backup

  1. As with the iCloud instructions we've already outlined, follow the steps up to the 'Set Upwardly iPhone' screen, then select Restore from iTunes.
  2. You'll exist prompted to Connect to iTunes, so plug in your iPhone and you'll see a screen on iTunes that gives you the selection to restore a backup. Click continue and your iPhone volition be set upwardly automatically, with the apps existence restored from the iTunes backup.
  3. When it'due south finished, you lot'll have a freshly cleaned system. Hopefully any problems that you were encountering earlier will be a matter of the past.
  4. If you're installed macOS Catalina, iTunes will no longer exist on your system - only the functions above volition exist performed by Finder. Follow the same instructions in that application.

How to factory-reset an iPhone or iPad: Set up in iTunes