How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings

Apple users do love their iPhone and iPad devices, but when they start to misbehave, getting them to work again can be challenging. Most of the time, restarting or even force-restarting your device does the trick, plus these two processes are less drastic because you will still be able to keep your data and your settings. These methods should be done first if ever your iPhone isn’t working properly. But if your device doesn’t work even after you force-restarted or restarting your iPhone, then you should reconsider doing a factory-reset on your device or have someone else do it for you to ensure that your phone is returned to factory reset mode correctly.

It’s easy enough to do a factory reset on your Apple device. You just need to go to Settings, then tap General, and tap on Reset. You will need to choose the option Erase All Content and Settings to wipe off all the data and settings on your device and that’s it. Of course, there are different ways for you to restore your device to its factory settings which we will discuss here.

Why Do You Need to Factory Reset Your iPhone?

There are several reasons for you to want to reset your iPhone. Here are a few common reasons why iPhone devices are restored to their factory settings.

• You want to remove all personal details stored in your device before you sell it or transfer ownership to someone else. 
• You want to restore data that you have placed in iCloud backup.  
• You want to fix errors in your iPhone or because your device is misbehaving, and you’ve done all possible solutions already.

Backup Your iPhone First

If you are considering erasing the contents of your device completely so that you will be able to restore it to its factory settings, you will need to make sure that you have backed up everything on your iPhone.

There are two ways in which you can backup your iOS devices and these are through iTunes or iCloud. Here’s how to do it:

• iTunes. If you want to backup your device using iTunes, you will need to plug your iPhone into your Mac or PC first using its charging cable. Click on the iPhone icon which is located in the left corner of your iTunes and under the Play button.
• iCloud. To backup your stored data in your iPhone using iCloud, you should go to Settings first then tap iCloud, then Backup. Make sure that this feature is enabled. You can see here when the last time was you have backed up your device since the date and time will be displayed. If this is your first time to backup your device, tap the Back Up Now button and just follow the instructions to transfer all data into the iCloud for later use.

How to Factory Reset Your iPhone?

After you’ve backed up your iPhone, you can now do a factory reset on your device. Keep in mind that this will wipe off all the contents of your device which is why it is strongly recommended that you backup your data first before attempting these steps.

• Open Settings in your device, then tap General, followed by Reset. You should then tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
• If you have customized your device to back up data in your iCloud, a prompt will appear if you want to update your device. This will help prevent you from losing any unsaved data on your phone. It is important that you heed this warning. Just tap on Back Up Then Erase.
• Enter your password if you have set one. A warning box will appear where you will be given the option to Erase iPhone in red. Tap this option.
• You will need to enter your Apple ID password for you to confirm the action. Once done, your device will be wiped clean and will go back to the initial setup screen that you have seen after buying a brand-new device.
• You can even reset your iPhone through iTunes. Just plug in your device in your computer and when you see the ‘Restore iPhone’ button, you can click it to restore your device to its factory settings.

How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings with iTunes?

You might be wondering, “How to reset iPhone to factory settings with iTunes?” when your device is already malfunctioning. Here are the steps that you can follow to use iTunes to reset your device. Take note, however, that this step will only work if you have already synced your iPhone to your iTunes previously. If you have synced your device to iTunes, you will not be promoted for a password.

• Like it was mentioned before, you will need to backup your iPhone prior to doing a factory reset because this process will erase all the data stored in your device.
• Use your iPhone’s USB cable to connect it to your PC or your Mac, then launch iTunes.
• You should click on ‘Restore iPhone’.
• A dialogue box will appear on your iTunes. You should then click ‘Restore’.
• Check your iPhone Software Update window then click on ‘Next’.
• In another window, you should click ‘Agree’ in order to accept the license terms of Apple in order to continue with the reset.
• iTunes will start downloading the iOS and restore your iPhone. This will take some time so be patient.

How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings Without Password?

Resetting your iPhone to factory settings without using any password is possible provided that you have done an iCloud backup in the past. This method will only work if you have enabled the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature on your device. This feature lets Apple identify your phone and that you are the correct user. If you have done these two requirements, you can now proceed to the steps below.

• Open Settings on your iPhone then tap on General then Reset. You will need to tap on “Erase All Content and Settings”.
• You will be greeted with Apple’s classic “Hello” screen when you restart your iPhone and will need to go through each step as if your device is brand new.
• Once you reach the ‘Apps Data’ screen, you should tap ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’. You should tap ‘Choose Backup’ then continue as needed.

How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings Without Apple ID?

If you are not familiar with the use of iTunes on your computer, there is another method that you can try if you want to learn how to reset iPhone to factory settings without Apple ID and this is with the help of an iOS Data Eraser. Here’s what you need to do:

• Download the iOS Data Eraser on your computer, regardless of whether it is a Mac or PC, then install it. Once installed, open the program.
• You will need to connect your device to your computer. If you don’t have any iTunes installed, you should download and install it.
• There will be several options that will appear on your screen once iOS Data Eraser is opened. When this happens, choose “Erase All Data” which basically restores your device to its factory setting.
• You will need to type delete to confirm this order then click “Erase Now”. This will cause your iPhone to go back to its original settings. Any private data that is still remaining on your device will be removed.

How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings Without Apple ID with iTunes

If you haven’t enabled the “Find My iPhone” option or haven’t synced your device to iTunes, you will still be able to use iTunes to restore your iPhone to its factory settings even when you have forgotten your Apple ID. Here are the steps that you need to follow:

• To reset your iPhone to factory settings, you will need to put your device into recovery mode. If you have iPhone 7, 7 Plus, X, XR, XS, or iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and onwards, turn off your device then connect your iPhone to your computer. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake as well as the Volume Down buttons simultaneously. You should keep pressing the buttons until you see the logo of iTunes on your screen. For those who have iPhone 6s and earlier versions, you will need to press and hold the Home as well as the Sleep/Wake buttons at the same time to go into the recover-mode screen.
• Open your iTunes and connect your iPhone to your iTunes. This app will be able to detect your iPhone while it is in recovery mode. Click on the Restore button to restore your device to its factory settings without using your Apple ID.

How to Restore Your iPhone?

If you have restored your device to its factory settings, but you are planning on still using it, you can restore the data on your phone from your backup storage. How can this be done? Here are the steps that you need to do.

Through iCloud Backup

When you have restored your device to its factory settings, you will need to set up your iPhone from the beginning. These are the steps that you need to follow:

• Turn your iPhone on then enter your details when you are prompted which includes your WiFi password. Continue setting up your device until you reach the page where you will be asked, ‘Set Up iPhone’.
• There are three options to choose from: Set Up as a New iPhone, restore from iCloud Backup, and Restore from iTunes backup. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup. You will be asked to enter your iCloud account.
• After you have entered your account details, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions that will appear on your screen. Once you have accepted it, your device will start restoring all of the data that you have backed up in your iCloud storage.

It will take some time before all of your stored data and settings will be restored which means you shouldn’t do this when you are pressed for time. Once the backup is completed, your device will reboot on its own. It will then download all of the apps that you were using before.

Through iTunes

If you used iTunes to backup your data and settings, you will need to follow these steps:

• Just like with the iCloud instructions mentioned above, you should follow the steps until you have reached the ‘Set Up iPhone’ screen. Choose Restore from iTunes.
• You will be asked to connect to iTunes. Plugin your device. You will see a screen on iTunes that gives you the option to restore a backup. Click on continue so that your iPhone will be set up automatically. All the apps will be restored from your iTunes backup.
• Once done, you will have a clean system at your disposal. This method may help remove any issues that you have had on your device before.

When your iPhone is starting to show signs of slowing down, or are restarting for no reason at all, or some other issues or another, you might want to do a force-restart if restarting doesn’t work. These methods will not cause your data to be erased which should always be the first two solutions that you should try out. If your device is still not working, your last option is to do a factory reset.

Even though putting your iPhone into factory reset mode can help solve most of the issues your device is having, it is important to take note that this will erase all data stored in it. This means that all your music, photos, videos, and personal information will be removed. This is why, before you restore your device to its factory setting, you should back up your files first using the steps mentioned above.

If you are not confident that you will be able to do the factory setting on your own, you can return your device to the seller or manufacturer and have it done instead. Alternatively, you can also have Qwikfone do this service for you. Regardless of what method you will be using to put your phone into factory setting, make sure that you always backup your files before doing it.