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

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

Only there are some steps you should take offset, as we'll outline in this commodity. We explain 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 full reset may be necessary - although you should first try restarting your iDevice (run into the link above). A factory reset can assistance resolve issues with your phone if it's crashing or freezing, or suffering from problems you tin can't place.

Modern electronic devices can be very complicated, and can become themselves into a bit of a dislocated state from fourth dimension to time. Resetting and wiping a device can clear out bug that cause it to get stuck in a loop, announced sluggish or otherwise impair operation.

And if you lot're selling your iPhone (or passing it down to a family fellow member or friend) information technology's admittedly vital that you delete all the sensitive information stored on it. If not, an unscrupulous buyer could gain access 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 mill-reset your iPhone

If you lot desire to erase your device completely and return to factory settings, there are a few steps to take.

Support your iPhone

We have a separate commodity explaining how to dorsum up an iPhone, but here's the shortened version:

  1. You lot can use either iCloud or iTunes (or the Finder) to back upwardly your iOS device.
  2. For iCloud, become to Settings > iCloud > Fill-in and ensure that the feature is enabled. To see when the last backup was run, look under the Back up At present option where the date and time should exist displayed. If you haven't done a backup earlier, you tin tap the Back Upwardly Now push button 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, you'll need to plug your device into your PC or Mac using the charging cable. Click on the iPhone or iPad icon.

Manufactory-reset your iPhone

Once y'all're confident that y'all've backed up your iPad or iPhone, you're ready to perform a factory reset. This will completely wipe your device, which is why having a backup beforehand is and then important.

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

  1. To reset your iPhone or iPad, get to Settings > General > Reset so select Erase All Content and Settings.
  2. If you've got an iCloud fill-in gear up, iOS will ask if y'all'd like to update it, so you don't lose unsaved information. We advise y'all to follow this communication, and tap Support Then Erase.
  3. After typing in your passcode (if you've set up one), you'll go a warning box, with the option to Erase iPhone (or iPad) in red. Tap this.
  4. You'll demand to enter your Apple tree ID password to confirm the action. The device will be wiped and go back to the initial setup screen you saw when y'all showtime used the device.
  5. Yous can also fully reset your iPhone or iPad through iTunes or Finder (depending on whether you've updated to macOS Catalina or not). When you plug in your iOS device, y'all should see a 'Restore iPhone' push button, which volition fully reset the device.

Your iPhone or iPad is now ready to sell.

Did you lot forget to back up your iPhone before you wiped information technology?

If you're worried that your iPhone or iPad wasn't backed upward, don't despair: there's a expert chance that there's a backup yous're unaware of.

To find out if you lot're backing up to iCloud (you get complimentary 5GB of space) 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 encounter your various backups for your iOS devices (there might even be one for an old iPhone that yous could delete if you need more space).

One of the backups should say that it is This iPhone or This iPad. Tap on that and you can encounter what is, and isn't being backed upwards. You can basically turn things on and off so that they don't have upwards your full 5GB, or you tin pay a few pounds/dollars a month for more than storage.

You may think that some of those apps don't need to be backed upwards; after all, you lot volition be able to download them once more from the App Shop equally you already own them. Simply annotation that the data may include saved data for games, and other settings and preferences you would adopt not to lose.

To check when your iPhone last backed upwards, get to Settings and tap your ID menu at the top of the master screen (information technology'll accept your proper name and/or a picture of your face). Now striking iCloud > iCloud Backup and look at the engagement and time of the last backup. It will have happened the last time you plugged your iPhone into accuse and had Wi-Fi access available. Information technology happens automatically.

If yous're non currently using this method, we 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 mode to back up and means that you tin always recover the information on your telephone no matter where yous are - all you lot need is a connection to the web.

How to rescue information from a wiped iPhone or iPad

On the other mitt, if yous tin't find a fill-in, it's likely that you won't be able to call back data once you have deleted information technology.

The data on an iOS device is automatically encrypted, and wiping the device destroys the encryption central, 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, but information technology's a long shot to say the least. (This applies to a full erase/reset, mind you - in other circumstances, such equally data corruption, a malfunctioning device and so on, the experts may be able to help.) This also reinforces our frequent communication to back up regularly.

How to restore an iPhone

If having erased the content of the phone y'all intend to continue using it, y'all can restore the content to your phone from your backup. Here's how:

...via iCloud fill-in

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

  1. Start up the iPhone and enter your details when prompted, including WiFi countersign, until y'all accomplish the page where you're asked how you want to 'Prepare Upwardly iPhone'.
  2. You now have iii options: Gear up as a New iPhone, Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from iTunes backup - so select the iCloud option and yous'll be prompted to enter your iCloud account details.
  3. Once you've done this, and agreed to the terms and conditions, your iPhone will begin restoring all your information.

Obviously this could take a while if you take large backups or a slow internet connection, so don't endeavour this if you're in a hurry. When the backup is completed your iPhone will reboot, so it will outset the larger job of downloading all of your apps.

...via iTunes or Finder backup

  1. As with the iCloud instructions nosotros've already outlined, follow the steps up to the 'Set Up iPhone' screen, then select Restore from iTunes.
  2. Yous'll be prompted to Connect to iTunes, so plug in your iPhone and y'all'll see a screen on iTunes that gives you the option to restore a backup. Click go along and your iPhone will be prepare automatically, with the apps being restored from the iTunes backup.
  3. When it's finished, you lot'll have a freshly cleaned arrangement. Hopefully any problems that you were encountering earlier will be a matter of the past.
  4. If you lot're installed macOS Catalina, iTunes volition no longer be on your system - simply the functions above will be performed by Finder. Follow the same instructions in that application.

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