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 data and settings and should generally exist tried first.)

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

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

Why do I need to reset my iPhone?

If your iPhone or iPad is misbehaving and initial solutions are non working, a total reset may exist necessary - although you should starting time try restarting your iDevice (run into the link above). A manufactory reset tin assistance resolve problems with your phone if it's crashing or freezing, or suffering from problems you tin can't place.

Modern electronic devices tin can be very complicated, and can get themselves into a flake of a confused state from time to fourth dimension. 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 information technology down to a family fellow member or friend) it'south absolutely vital that you delete all the sensitive data stored on it. If not, an unscrupulous buyer could gain admission to your social media profiles, your financial information and even your personal photos and videos, enabling them to browse through your individual moments or steal your identity.

How to factory-reset your iPhone

If you want to erase your device completely and render to factory settings, there are a few steps to take.

Back up your iPhone

We accept a separate article explaining how to back up an iPhone, but here'due south the shortened version:

  1. Y'all tin employ either iCloud or iTunes (or the Finder) to support your iOS device.
  2. For iCloud, become to Settings > iCloud > Backup and ensure that the feature is enabled. To see when the last fill-in was run, look under the Support At present pick where the appointment and time should be displayed. If you lot haven't washed a backup before, you can tap the Back Up At present button and follow the instructions.

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

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

Manufacturing plant-reset your iPhone

Once you're confident that you've backed upwards your iPad or iPhone, yous're ready to perform a factory reset. This will completely wipe your device, which is why having a fill-in beforehand is and then important.

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

  1. To reset your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Reset and so select Erase All Content and Settings.
  2. If you've got an iCloud fill-in ready up, iOS will ask if yous'd like to update it, and so you don't lose unsaved information. We advise you lot to follow this advice, and tap Back Upward Then Erase.
  3. Later typing in your passcode (if you've gear up one), you'll go a warning box, with the option to Erase iPhone (or iPad) in red. Tap this.
  4. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password to ostend the action. The device will exist wiped and go dorsum to the initial setup screen y'all saw when you first used the device.
  5. You tin also fully reset your iPhone or iPad through iTunes or Finder (depending on whether yous've updated to macOS Catalina or not). When you plug in your iOS device, you should meet a 'Restore iPhone' button, which will fully reset the device.

Your iPhone or iPad is now set up to sell.

Did y'all forget to dorsum up your iPhone before yous wiped it?

If yous're worried that your iPhone or iPad wasn't backed up, don't despair: there'due south a proficient chance that there's a fill-in you lot're unaware of.

To find out if you're backing up to iCloud (you lot go free 5GB of infinite) go to Settings > iCloud and tap on Storage. Wait a few seconds for Manage Storage to show up and tap on that. Here you lot will see your various backups for your iOS devices (there might fifty-fifty exist 1 for an old iPhone that you lot could delete if you need more space).

1 of the backups should say that it is This iPhone or This iPad. Tap on that and you can see what is, and isn't existence backed up. You tin basically plow things on and off so that they don't accept up your full 5GB, or you can pay a few pounds/dollars a calendar month for more storage.

You may recollect that some of those apps don't need to be backed up; subsequently all, y'all will be able to download them again from the App Store as y'all already ain them. Simply notation that the information 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 acme of the main screen (it'll have your proper name and/or a picture of your confront). Now hit iCloud > iCloud Fill-in and look at the date and time of the last backup. It will have happened the last time yous plugged your iPhone into charge and had Wi-Fi access available. It happens automatically.

If you're not currently using this method, nosotros recommend that you practise so. Go to Settings > [your ID card] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and set iCloud Backup to on (the green toggle). This is the simplest way to back up and means that y'all can e'er recover the data on your phone no thing where you lot are - all yous need is a connection to the web.

How to rescue data from a wiped iPhone or iPad

On the other hand, if yous tin't find a backup, it's probable that you lot won't exist able to retrieve data once you have deleted it.

The data on an iOS device is automatically encrypted, and wiping the device destroys the encryption key, making it more than or less impossible to get anything back when it's been fully erased and reset without access to a fill-in.

In an emergency you could try speaking to someone at an Apple Genius Bar, simply information technology's a long shot to say the least. (This applies to a full erase/reset, heed you - in other circumstances, such every bit data corruption, a malfunctioning device and so on, the experts may be able to aid.) This also reinforces our frequent advice to back upward regularly.

How to restore an iPhone

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

...via iCloud fill-in

With the factory reset completed you'll demand to go through the setup of your iPhone once more from the start:

  1. First up the iPhone and enter your details when prompted, including WiFi password, until you reach the page where you're asked how you want to 'Set Upward iPhone'.
  2. You at present have three options: Set Up equally a New iPhone, Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from iTunes backup - and so select the iCloud option and you'll exist prompted to enter your iCloud account details.
  3. One time y'all've done this, and agreed to the terms and weather condition, your iPhone will begin restoring all your data.

Manifestly this could accept a while if you have large backups or a slow cyberspace connection, so don't attempt this if you lot're in a hurry. When the backup is completed your iPhone will reboot, and so it will beginning 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 Up iPhone' screen, so select Restore from iTunes.
  2. You'll be prompted to Connect to iTunes, and then plug in your iPhone and you'll see a screen on iTunes that gives you the option to restore a backup. Click continue and your iPhone will exist fix automatically, with the apps being restored from the iTunes fill-in.
  3. When it'due south finished, you'll have a freshly cleaned arrangement. Hopefully any problems that you were encountering before will be a thing of the past.
  4. If you're installed macOS Catalina, iTunes volition no longer exist on your organization - just the functions in a higher place will be performed by Finder. Follow the same instructions in that application.

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