How to Reset Your iPhone to Factory Settings

Money Technology

Getting a new iPhone® is exciting, from learning about its fascinating features to taking your first photo. However, before you get too enthusiastic, make a backup of your old phone and reset it to factory settings to erase all of your sensitive data. Not sure how to go about it? Don't worry, we'll show you how to do it.

Why would you need to restore your iPhone to its factory settings?

Restoring your iPhone to factory settings entails starting over. It is critical to do so in order to safeguard your personal information, particularly in the following scenarios:

You wish to sell or trade-in your iPhone for a new one.
You want to give your iPhone to a friend or family member.
You forgot your passcode or need to solve a performance issue with your smartphones, such as a frozen screen or bad audio. Our specialists only suggest this as a final resort after you've exhausted all other options.

Related: A Definitive Guide on Picking the Right Phone Plan

Is it true that a factory reset deletes everything on your iPhone?

A factory reset on your iPhone will wipe out almost all of your data. That's why it's critical to ensure you're ready to take such a significant move.

What your iPhone deletes after a factory reset:

Contacts
Images and video
Music
Files and passwords
Accounts
Messages

Things to do before resetting your iPhone

There are critical actions to take before restoring your iPhone to factory settings to ensure you don't lose your existing data.

Store your data on iCloud or in a secure location elsewhere

The first step is to make a backup of your phone. You can avoid losing your data after a factory reset by transferring it to a new device or uploading it to iCloud®.

Connect your iPhone to a secure WI-FI network

It's advisable to save your files via a secure Wi-Fi connection so that you don't waste a lot of mobile data. You'll be able to transfer your settings and information to your new device after the backup is complete.

Know your apple ID and other login information

Make sure you know your login details before you reset your iPhone. You may access data stored in iCloud across all of your devices using your Apple® ID and password. Your Apple ID is usually found in Settings.

Sign out of all accounts and unpair your iPhone from third-party devices.

There are a couple more procedures you need to take to guarantee that all of your personal information is erased from your device:

Disconnect or unpair Bluetooth® devices such as your smartwatch and wireless headphones.
Log out of any apps, services, or email accounts you may have.
Make sure Find My iPhone is turned off.
Remove all of your cards from your phone's wallet.

Sign out of your iPhone

Don't forget to sign out of your iPhone after backing up your data and finishing the aforementioned process. Although a factory reset wipes out all of the information on your iPhone, it ensures that no one can access your account when you sell or trade it in.

How to Reset Your iPhone to Factory Settings

There are several methods for resetting your iPhone, but the most straightforward is to go to Settings.

Go to Settings, then General, then Reset.

Select Erase All Content and Settings from the menu. To confirm your decision, you may need to enter your passcode or Apple ID and password.

Follow the on-screen instructions. Then select Erase iPhone from the drop-down menu.

The screen on your iPhone will turn dark, and it may take a few minutes for it to completely erase. The factory reset will be complete when you see the device come back on.