The decision of factory resetting your device can be daunting, the process even more so, especially if you consider hyper-secure and strict software such as the one in iPhone. However, nothing is too daunting if you have a handy guide to keep you going such as the one you will find on ‘how to factory reset iPhone’ in this article.
There are some things you need to consider, and some items you need to check out before you wipe your entire data out. One of the major items on the list is to have a backup of your data somewhere, before cleaning everything out. Another one is to consider your alternative options other than factory resetting your device. There are also several different reasons people consider wiping their entire data from a device, whether it’s selling or giving a device away. It’s selling or giving a device away. Let’s look at some FAQs and the steps you can take to factory reset your iPhone in different ways.
What are my data backup options before factory resetting?
There are several manuals and technical ways you can create a backup of your data from your iPhone, it entirely depends on your preference. However, there’s one issue with choosing a manual way of backing up, say your photos only, it does not inculcate your other forms of data within your phone and you might be able to save it in a way so that it can be revived in your new phone.
Examples of such data are voice memos, data in your iBooks, health data, phone/text data, and much more. Not to mention, all the application-specific data that your iPhone stores. This is why even if you choose to manually save all your pictures somewhere so that you have a backup, your other forms of data will be lost. Compared to that if you use iCloud, it is even easier to make backups because your phone already has all the data and the location for the data from within your phone. Here’s what you have to do to back up your data through iCloud:
- Go to the main settings app in your iPhone
- Here before any options, you will find your names, or whatever name you gave your device (if it is owned by someone else), click on that name
- The name includes all the account logs in one place, here you will iCloud
- In iCloud, you will find the option to choose iCloud backup, click that, and then press Backup now
- Depending upon the amount of data you have in your iPhone, it will take a good while before all of your data is safely backed on the cloud
Keep your phone connected to the internet, better to use WiFi so you have a smooth connection and there are no breakups while your data is being backed up. Now there are several reasons why you would consider factory resetting your iPhone, but if that reason is that you wish to sell or give away your iPhone there are a couple of more things you should do before heading ahead.
Log out any other accounts you have synced in with your iCloud, go to each individual app and make sure you are signed out, that is better than having any remaining personal information in a device that you are likely giving away to another person. Remove your contacts, mail, calendar if there’s any left behind, and make sure you remember to remove your Sim card.
How to factory reset an iPhone with iTunes?
Starting this guide with the answer to how you can use your iTunes to wipe out the entire data from your iPhone. This is a process that seems easier for many who are used to the ways of iTunes. This will require you to sync your device with your iTunes if it is not done already. Make sure you look into that before opting for this option. If you have not created a backup on your iTunes, deleting your entire data will cause more problems than those you already have.
This is important to note because there have been few updates in the iOS that make it more difficult for an iTunes backup. However, if you already have one, let’s move on to how you can use iTunes to factory reset your iPhone:
- Plugin your iPhone or this can be done for your iPad too, whichever iOS device you are using and want to factory reset, plug it in a Mac device, using a USB cable
- Now launch your iTunes to start the process
- After it is successfully launched, you will see the iOS device you are aiming to factory reset, appear, waiting to be connected
- Click on the iOS device and then find and click on the option to ‘Restore iPhone’, this will start your resetting process
- It will ask you to confirm your decision once by asking if you want to ‘Restore’ press the button to go-ahead
Just in case, your iPhone or iPad has a software update pending, the iTunes device will most likely ask you to get an update first before you can resume your factory resetting process. It is a little barrier you have to go through for someone who is just going to give the device away, wasting all the time in updating the software seems pointless, but it is a prerequisite to factory resetting using iTunes.
How to factory reset an iPhone with Settings?
Here is another easy and more similar manual way of doing this thing. Use the Settings app on your iPhone. It is preferable by so many because you don’t need to use another device or even cable for connection in this one, as it gives you the ability to carry out the entire process from within your iOS device.
For this one, it is important that your backup is on iCloud because later it gets easier for you to sort through your data on another device. Here’s what you need to do to factory reset your iPhone from phone settings.
- First and foremost, make sure your iPhone is either charged properly or plugged in for charging if not because these steps can take a while. Now go to your Phone’s Settings app
- Here there will be plenty of options for you to browse, more so since the last iOS update, but find and click on ‘General’
- You will the option to ‘Reset’ here easily, press that option and it will then give you another series of options to choose from
- Where find and press ‘Erase All Content & Settings’ to keep going
- Another step, here press ‘Erase iPhone’, within that same order
- Now that your iOS device has confirmed your decision, it will automatically start the entire process from within the system, your device will now restart
- After it has done restarting, find the option for ‘Apps & Data on the main screen and press that
- Here it will give you the option to ‘Restore’ from the iCloud, press on that
- As soon as confirmation is done, it will start the process for resetting, and all you have to do is wait while the device does all the work
How to factory reset iPhone with Hardware Keys?
Lastly, we could not miss the chance to give you this unconventional method in the form of a hack that you can use to reset your iOS device, especially the iPhone. In this method, you do not need to go through a long and grueling process if you have forgotten your password, because you can use the hardware keys on your device to do the job. When the software from within your device does not work or you are unable to use it in the process, this is what helps in this case. Find out the steps below, but before that make sure you know what each of the buttons on your phone does.
- Start by pressing and holding your Home and Sleep or Wake buttons simultaneously
- After a few seconds, your device will automatically restart
- Once you see the Apple logo appear, let go of the buttons at the same time
And this is it, this is all you need to do to start a factory resetting process through your mere hardware keys. It’s much easier if you have done the homework for a backup and important data/accounts removal already.
These were some of the few easiest ways of ‘How to factory reset iPhone’ or really any other iOS device, both with the help of your Mac device or without it. People often choose their own preferable method as they please and according to convenience as well, therefore ditch the most famous option and go with what suits you best.