Want to know how to factory reset an iPhone? Fed up with so many complicated guides with all the tech jargon? I was just like you. All I wanted was to do a hard reset and not learn the inner workings of my iPhone!
If this sounds familiar then this guide is for you – no fluff, no jargon … just a simple guide.
By the end, you will be able to do this easily and you don’t need to be a tech expert!
Let’s get this done!
Why a Factory Reset on iOS?
No matter how well you take care of your Apple iPhone, there will eventually come a time when you find yourself at a loss as to how you should get it working again. Of course, if you have tried turning it off and turning it back on again and you are still experiencing some problems, you might have to take things a step further in the repair process.
No matter if you are preparing your iPhone to be sold or you need to bring the phone into the shop to be repaired, you will need to make sure that you know how to factory reset your iPhone.
Another reason for performing a factory reset – discussed in depth on this site – is to Remove Spyware from your iPhone. I also have a great guide to help you detect spy apps and one huge guide on How to Tell if Your iPhone is Hacked.
All important to keep your devices safe and secure online.
Keep in mind that when you are factory resetting your iPhone, you will need to make sure that you have a proper backup first; otherwise, you won’t be too happy when it turns itself back on again.
I have guides to help you:
These guides are easy to follow – you don’t need to be a tech expert to safely backup, restore and even factory reset your iPhone or iOS Apple device!
Considering a Soft Reset?
While in some situations, such as selling your phone or taking it to the Apple store to be repaired, there is no other choice than to do a factory reset (hard reset) on your iPhone, there are some occasions where you might not have to do this hard reset.
For instance, if things are not responding as they should, you don’t always have to pack the phone off and send it to the repair store. You might want to try a soft reset first.
These resets are akin to turning your phone off and on again but without actually deleting your data.
Soft resets are perfect for when your phone is acting up and the buttons are not responding, meaning that you have to force it to shut down and restart. You can think of it as holding the power button on your PC when it isn’t responding.
First, you will simply just want to hold the power button and the home button at the same time until the device shuts off and the Apple logo comes onto the screen. Once you see this, you should let go of the buttons and let the phone continue its soft reset.
After it turns back on, your iPhone should be working normally.
However, if the phone is still acting up, you might want to give in and send it to the Apple repair store. And, if this does happen, you will want to make sure that you know how to properly back up your iPhone before you perform a factory reset on it so that once it is returned to you, you will be able to carry on with your life as you would otherwise be able to.
Backing up Your iPhone
Before you factory reset your iPhone, you will always need to make sure that you have a backup that you can restore from unless you are completely wiping the phone to sell. (If you are planning to sell the phone, you should remove the SIM card as it can contain personal information as well.)
Backing up an iPhone is incredibly easy, albeit time-consuming. There are two major ways to back up your iPhone: through iTunes and iCloud.
What Are the Different Reset Methods for iOS?
If you are backing up your phone through iTunes, all that you will have to do is plug your phone into your computer, open up iTunes, and follow the prompts until you notice that your device is being backed up. This process should take no more than half an hour or so but times can vary based on the individual equipment and Internet speeds.
Most people think that backing up a phone through iTunes is the easiest process, especially if you are looking to restore your phone from that same backup.
If you are backing your phone up through iCloud, you will simply need to make sure that your phone can back up to iCloud in the settings, have your phone connected to WiFi, and have your phone on standby mode.
Once you do this, your phone will automatically begin syncing with iCloud, backing up important information and data.
Keep in mind that if you plan on restoring your phone through iCloud, you should set apart the better portion of the day as it can easily take between an hour and twelve hours to restore an iPhone from an iCloud backup.
How Do You Factory Reset Your iPhone?
Once you are certain that you have a backup ready to load after the factory reset has been completed, you are ready to begin resetting your phone. First, you will want to head to the “Settings” area of your phone and then to the “General” area of those settings. From here, you should keep scrolling down until you reach the “Reset” tab. This is the tab that will more or less control the entire factory reset.
Out of all the options you are shown, you will want to select the option labeled “Erase All Content and Settings”.
This will be the first step to initiating the factory reset, often called a “hard reset”. Depending on the restrictions that have been placed on the phone, you might have to put in a passcode to bypass those restrictions.
Even after that, there is a very good chance that Apple will prompt you to enter your AppleID and password.
Without this information, you will not be able to do a factory reset so you should make sure that you have this information at the ready.
Finally, the reset process will begin. You can expect it to take a minute or two to complete but you usually won’t have to wait a long time.
After it is finished wiping the data from the account and removing the account information (which is why it asks you to put in your AppleID and password), you will be greeted with the opening welcome screen with the prompts to begin setting up the phone as if it were brand-new.
All Done
Now it will be ready for you to sell, restore from a backup, or be taken to a store for repairs. This process works with just about any generation of iPhone, meaning that you will be able to use this information with each new iPhone that you purchase, making it all the more important to remember.
For Android users, I also have some related guides:
How to Backup an Android Phone
How to Restore an Android from a Backup
How to Factory Reset Android Phone
Have a look around the site – hopefully, you will find all you need!
