How to Factory Reset iPhone or iPad
A factory reset enables you to wipe the contents of an iPhone or iPad – useful if it’s misbehaving or you’re selling it on. Here’s how to erase everything.Whether you’re selling your iPhone or taking it for repair you should reset it to delete your accounts and remove your content. Obviously, make sure it’s backed up to iCloud or iTunes.
Factory reset an iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all content and settings. You will be prompted to enter your passcode and Apple ID before the process completes.
There are a few steps you should do before resetting your iPhone or iPad to factory settings. You’ll need to back it up, turn off Find My iPhone, and—unless you have another Apple device or a way to confirm your login—disable Apple’s two-factor authentication.
How to soft reset an iPhone or iPad
If your phone has locked up and you just want to restart it but none of the buttons work, then hold the power button and home button down at the same time until the device turns off and you see the Apple logo. Then let go and your phone or iPad will be back to normal.
For models which don’t have a home button, such as the iPhone XS, press and release the volume up button, do the same for volume down, then press and hold the side button (sleep/wake) until the Apple logo appears.
Back up before you reset
There are occasions where you might want to factory reset your device not because you want to give it away but because it’s playing up. Even if you use iCloud, before you do so it’s sensible to make a full backup by connecting your iPad or iPhone to your computer, unlocking it, waiting for it to show up in iTunes, and then clicking on it. It should open the Summary screen, where you’ll see a Backups section. Simply click the Back Up Now button. (Check the Encrypt iPhone backup box if you want all your passwords to be saved.)
iCloud Backup:
- Go to Settings > iCloud > Backup.
- If it’s not already toggled on, turn on iCloud Backup.
- Tap Back Up Now.
- If you’re using iOS 10.3 or newer:
Go to Settings and tap your name at the top of the list of options. Then select iCloud.
If you’ve backed up your device in the past, you should see a list of apps using iCloud storage. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and tap iCloud Backup. If you haven’t backed up before, make sure that iCloud Backup is enabled on this page.
Tap Back Up Now.
Also Read : How to Restore iPhone or iPad
iTunes Backup:
- Open iTunes on your computer, and plug your iPad or iPhone into the computer using a Lighting to USB cord.
- If prompted, tap Trust This Computer on your phone and enter your passcode.
- Click on the device icon to open up the device summary panel in iTunes.
- Under Backups, you can select the backup method: iCloud or This computer.
- After you make your selection, click Back Up Now.
Disable Find My iPhone/iPad
- Before you can move on with your wiping your device, you’ll need to disable the Find My iPhone feature.
- If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier:
- Go to Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad).
- Toggle Find My iPhone or Find My iPad off.
- You’ll be prompted to enter your iCloud password to switch it off.
- If you’re using iOS 10.3 or newer:
- Go to Settings and tap your Name at the top of the list of options. Then select iCloud.
- Toggle Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad) off.
- You’ll be prompted to enter your iCloud password to switch it off.
