Restore an iPhone

This article teaches you how to erase all the data on your iPhone and reset it to the same condition it was in when it left the factory.

Steps

Using Your iPhone

  1. Open Settings. It's a gray app with gears (⚙️) that's typically located on your home screen.
  2. Tap your Apple ID. It's the section at the top of the menu that contains your name and image if you've added one.
    • If you are not signed in, tap Sign in to your iPhone, enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Sign In.
    • If you are running an older version of iOS, you may not need to do this step.
  3. Tap iCloud. It's in the second section of the menu.
  4. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. It's at the bottom of the "APPS USING ICLOUD" section.
    • Slide iCloud Backup to the "On" (green) position, if it's not already.
  5. Tap Back Up Now. It's at the bottom of the screen. Wait until the backup is complete.
    • You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network to back up your iPhone.
  6. Tap iCloud. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. This will return you to the iCloud settings page.
  7. Tap Apple ID. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. This will return you to your Apple ID settings page.
  8. Tap Settings. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. This will return you to the main settings page.
  9. Scroll down and tap General. It's near the top of the menu, next to a gear (⚙️) icon.
  10. Scroll down and tap Reset. It's at the bottom of the menu.
  11. Tap Erase All Content and Settings. It's near the top of the menu.
  12. Enter your passcode. Enter the passcode you use to unlock your phone.
    • If prompted, enter your "Restrictions" passcode.
  13. Tap Erase iPhone. Doing so will reset all settings, as well as erase the media and data on your iPhone.
  14. Wait for the iPhone to reset.
  15. Follow the on-screen prompts. The set-up assistant will guide you through the process.
  16. Tap Restore from iCloud Backup.
  17. Log in with your Apple ID. Your iPhone will begin downloading the backup from iCloud. After it's restored, your settings and apps will be reinstalled.

Using iTunes

  1. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes.
    • Windows - Click on Help then click on Check for Updates.
    • Mac OS - Click on iTunes then click on Check for Updates.
  2. Connect your iPhone to your desktop. Use the USB cable that came with the device.
  3. Open iTunes. Do so if it doesn't launch automatically.
  4. Click on your iPhone's icon. It will be in the bar at the top of the window.
    • If your iPhone isn't detected, you may need to put it into Recovery mode. Disconnect the iPhone, power it down, press and hold the Home button, and then connect it to the computer. Continue holding the Home button until the "Connect to iTunes" message appears. You will be prompted to restore the iPhone.
  5. Click on . Doing so saves a backup of your iPhone to your computer.
  6. Click on . It's in the right pane.
  7. Click on . This confirms that you want to restore your iPhone.
  8. Wait for the restore process to complete. This may take several minutes.
  9. Click on . Doing so restores the backup you created earlier. This will reinstall your apps and restore your settings.
    • If you want to set up your device as if it was new, tap Setup as new iPhone.
    • Your cellular service will activate once the restore process is complete.

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