If you need to restore your iPhone to its factory settings, you want to make sure you do so correctly. Luckily, it’s a simple process that can be done in five minutes or so. By following our step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to do an easy and effective factory reset in no time. A factory reset does erase all personal settings and data that you’ve put on your phone, so be sure to backup anything you don’t want to lose. Once you’ve restored your phone to its original settings, it will be free of any personal information and content. You can use either iCloud or iTunes to factory reset your iPhone, and we will detail both below so read on.
Step 1
Go to your iPhone Settings menu and turn on any items you would like to back up. Most likely, you’ll want to back up everything, but you definitely don’t want to lose your photos, mail, contacts, and notes. Anything you do not backup will be gone forever, so do not skip over this step. Once you’ve selected everything you want backed up, scroll down to the Backup button and tap it. Then turn on “iCloud Backup” with the toggle switch. If you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you will be able to select “Back Up Now,” which should take a few minutes to complete.
Step 2
Now you’ll need to access the reset menu. Select the main Settings icon and go to General. Tap the Reset button at the bottom of the page. Tap “Erase All Content and Settings” and then click “Erase iPhone” on the pop up to confirm. The reset process may take several minutes to complete.
Step 3
Once your phone has been reset, you’ll want to ensure that the iPhone has been restored to the factory settings. You should be presented with the iOS Setup Assistant once you power on the phone. That means that it was reset correctly, and you’ll have to log in and set up your phone from scratch in order to use it.
Step 1
Open iTunes on your computer and make sure you are using the latest version. If you are not, update it before proceeding. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable and then select the gray “Back Up Now” button on the Summary tab of your device on iTunes. You’ll also need to disable Find My iPhone, so go to Settings, select iCloud, and toggle the slider for Find My iPhone to turn off this feature.
Step 2
Once your phone is backed up, click the grey Restore iPhone button on the Summary tab. In the resulting pop-up window, select the Restore button to confirm. Click Agree to accept the software license agreement and begin downloading the necessary iOS software file before restoring if this option pops up.
Step 3
This step is the same as the iCloud backup step. Turn on your phone and make sure it is restored to its original settings. The iOS Setup Assistant should be presented upon powering the device on.
