How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings: 5 Common Ways

Why need an iPhone factory reset?

Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to clear all your iPhone data - whether it's to get rid of personal stuff before selling it or just to make it run more smoothly. And in some cases, you need to erase your iPhone if it is lost or stolen.

When that time comes, a factory resetting is like hitting the nuke button, and once you're done, your iPhone will become a brand-new device.  So it's why this post exists. 

In this post, we will teach you how to reset iPhone to factory settings. Before the guidance, there are some frequently asked questions about factory resetting you may need to know.

Does factory resetting iPhone delete Apple ID?

It’s of course not. Erasing all content and settings doesn't remove the Apple ID from the device. If you haven't decided yet, let's see if is it better to reset or erase iPhone.

Does an iPhone factory reset delete photos?

Yes! If you are going to restore your iPhone to factory settings, all personal settings and data, including photos, videos, messages and documents will be erased from the internal storage of the iPhone. So if you don’t want to lose your pictures, the best way is to back up your iPhone photos first.

How to factory reset iPhone

Now we will tell you how to reset your device with your Apple ID and password on iPhone directly or using Mac/Windows PC. If you forget them, don’t worry, you can skip to the next part to finish the process without Apple ID and password on Windows.

How to reset your iPhone from iPhone directly

Turn on your iPhone, tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset, and tap on Erase All Content and Settings option. If asked, enter your password. Then confirm your choice and wait to complete the process.

Note:

If you have an eSIM, you can choose to erase your eSIM or keep it. After erasing the eSIM, you need to contact your carrier to reactivate your cellular plan.

How to factory reset iPhone with iCloud on Windows/Mac

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you can restore your device to factory settings in Find Devices on iCloud.com.

Step 1. Go to iCloud.com/find and sign in. You will need to enter your Apple ID and password.

Step 2. Then click All Devices and select your iPhone. The All Devices dropdown will contain a list of all your Apple devices that iCloud is able to locate.

Step 3. Click Erase iPhone from the menu that appears. Confirm to Erase and enter your Apple ID and password. You will also be asked to verify your identity by entering a two-factor verification code or via email.

Step 4. Enter your phone number and click Next. Then enter a message and tap Done.

Once you are done, iCloud will let you know that the erase has started. Wait for a while, and the process will complete.

Perform a factory reset with Finder on Mac

Besides, you can also clear all data with a password on Mac. If your Mac is running Catalina or later, you can open Finder as instructions below. If not, you can go to the next section to use iTunes on your Mac like Windows users.

Step 1. Launch the Finder on Mac and connect your device to your computer. If asks, enter your password or tap Trust This Computer.

Step 2. Choose your device when it appears on your computer then click Restore.

Note:✎...

If you are currently signed into Find My, you must first log out before clicking the Restore option.

Step 3. Click Restore again to confirm your choice. Your Mac with macOs Catalina or later will erase all your data and install the latest version of iOS.

Step 4. After your iPhone restores to factory settings, it restarts. Now you can set it up as new.

Make iPhone factory reset with iTunes on Windows PC

If you need to finish the process with iTunes, it will require your Apple ID and you must have an iPhone backup on iTunes before. And here’s how:

Step 1. Open iTunes on the computer > Connect your iPhone to computer using a USB cable.

Step 2. Click the Device tab > Choose Summary > Tap Restore iPhone... option to factory reset iPhone.

Step 3. Click Restore to confirm the operation. And it will erase all data on your device and install the latest iOS on your iPhone.

If you don’t have an iPhone backup on iTunes, you must put your iPhone into recovery mode.

How to put iPhone into recovery mode

Before the process begins, confirm that your iPhone is not connected to your computer.

• For iPhone X or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus:

Hold down the Side button and one of the volume buttons at the same time until the power off slider appears.

Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone. Then connect your phone to the computer while pressing the Side button and continue holding the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears.

• For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:

Press and hold the Side button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone.

Connect your device to the computer while holding the Volume Down button. Keep holding the Volume Down button until the recovery mode screen appears.

• For iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPhone 6s and earlier:

Press and hold the Side (or Top) button until the power off slider shows. Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone.

Connect your cell phone to the computer while holding the Home button. Continue holding the Home button until the recovery mode screen appears.

How to reset iPhone to factory settings without password and Apple ID from computers

If you need to reset iPhone without password and Apple ID, you can use FoneTool to operate the erasing on a Windows PC.

The FoneTool has a user-friendly interface, simplifying your iOS data backup and transfer processes. With this powerful app, you can transfer, back up, restore and erase your iOS data with just a few clicks.

It is widely compatible with iPhone 4 to iPhone 15, iPad and iPod touch, as well as the latest iOS 16/17 and iPadOS 16/17. Come and download this tool for free and learn how to perform a factory reset easily.

Before the process, you can use FoneTool to back up your important data. If you don't need a backup, you can go to part 2 to erase your iPhone directly.

Part 1. Back up iPhone data to avoid data loss

Step 1. Launch FoneTool and choose the Phone Transfer option > Mouse over to iPhone to PC and click Get Started.

Step 2. Click the plus icon > Check each icon to choose the targeted files > Preview and select the files you want to transfer > Tap on OK to continue.

Step 3. Click Transfer Settings to choose the storage path > Select Start Transfer to begin the process.

Part 2. Factory reset iPhone efficiently

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your PC, and open the FoneTool, click Toolbox > Data Eraser.    

Step 2. Choose Erase all data and tap Get Started.

Step 3. Tap Erase Data button to confirm to erase all contents and settings on iPhone.

Conclusion

From this detailed tutorial, you can get the specific steps on how to reset iPhone to factory settings on iPhone/Mac/Windows. If you still remember your Apple ID and password, you can perform it from your iPhone, or use iTunes, iCloud and Finder from your computer.

And if you need to factory reset iPhone without Apple ID and passcode, the FoneTool is a practical app. In addition to erasing all data, it can also help you erase private data such as photos, contacts, music and so on. So you can easily finish the task when you can't delete contact on iPhone directly.